Section 3: Overview and Exam Framework
TX PACT: American Sign Language (ASL): Early Childhood–Grade 12 (784 & 785)

Exam Overview

Table outlining the test format, number of questions, time, and passing score.
Exam Name TX PACT: American Sign Language (ASL): Early Childhood–Grade 12
Exam Code 784 & 785
Time CAT tutorial and compliance agreement: 15 minutes
Testing time for individual subtests:
  • Subtest I: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Subtest II: 3 hours
Number of Questions Subtest I: 50 selected-response questions
Subtest II: 50 selected-response questions and 4 expressive production assignments
Format Computer-administered test (CAT)

The TX PACT: American Sign Language (ASL): Early Childhood–Grade 12 exam is designed to assess whether a test taker has demonstrated the requisite knowledge and skills for admission to an educator preparation program. The 100 selected-response questions and 4 expressive production assignments are based on the American Sign Language (ASL): Early Childhood–Grade 12 exam framework. Questions on this exam range from grades Early Childhood–Grade 12. Your final scaled score will be based only on scored questions.

Domains and Competencies

Subtest I: Language Structures, Cultural Perspectives, Connections, and Comparisons

Table outlining test content and subject weighting by sub area and objective.
Domain Domain Title Approx. Percentage of Exam
I Language Structures and Comparisons 50%
II Cultural Perspectives, Connections, and Comparisons 50%
Pie chart of approximate test weighting, detailed in the table above.

The content covered by this exam is organized into broad areas of content called domains. Each domain covers one or more of the standards for this field. Within each domain, the content is further defined by a set of competencies. Each competency is composed of two major parts:

Domain I—Language Structures and Comparisons

Competency 001—Understand the linguistic structure of American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the phonological structure (e.g., segmentation) and parameters (e.g., handshape, orientation, movement, location, nonmanual markers) of American Sign Language.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of phonological processes that occur in American Sign Language (e.g., assimilation, alternative locations of signs, two-handed relationships, hold and movement patterns).
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of the morphological structure and features of American Sign Language (e.g., distinguishing among lexical, derivational, and inflectional features of signs in American Sign Language; lexicalization of fingerspelled words).
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of morphological processes that occur in American Sign Language (e.g., assimilation, reduplication, pluralization, incorporation, compounding).
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the syntactic and semantic structures and features of American Sign Language (e.g., sentence construction, types of sentences, linguistic devices used to create connected and cohesive discourse, use of space, signs with multiple meanings).
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the use of classifiers and classifier predicates in American Sign Language.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of nonmanual features of American Sign Language at the phonological, morphological, and syntactic levels (e.g., the function of facial features and expressions, mouth morphemes, eye gaze, body shift and body orientation in American Sign Language).
Competency 002—Understand sociolinguistic and pragmatic features of American Sign Language and variations within American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Recognize major regional differences in vocabulary and usage among American Sign Language users.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of major changes that have occurred in American Sign Language over time.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the origins and major features of differences in the usage of American Sign Language (e.g., differences of culture/ethnicity, educational background, register, gender, age).
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of discourse strategies used in American Deaf culture (e.g., attention getting, turn taking, interrupting, leave taking, use of name signs, ensuring line of sight).
Competency 003—Understand the similarities and differences among American Sign Language, English, contact signing, and invented sign systems.

For example:

  1. Compare and contrast linguistic structures of American Sign Language and English (e.g., morphological processes, word order, structures for expressing time and mood, ways of expressing differences in register such as level of formality).
  2. Compare and contrast how meaning is expressed in American Sign Language and English (e.g., the use of classifiers, superordinate terms, use of lexical items with multiple meanings, lexical nonequivalence, nonmanual markers).
  3. Recognize differences between American Sign Language and Manually Coded English (e.g., SEE1, SEE2, CASE).
  4. Recognize differences between American Sign Language and contact signing.
  5. Compare and contrast how lexical items are borrowed into American Sign Language and English (e.g., fingerspelled words, signs from other sign languages).
  6. Compare and contrast differences in discourse strategies used in American Deaf culture (e.g., attention getting, greetings, turn taking, interrupting, leave taking, forms of address) with sociolinguistic and communication strategies used in other communities in the United States.

 

Domain II—Cultural Perspectives, Connections, and Comparisons

Competency 004—Understand historical events and perspectives of American Deaf culture.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of significant individuals and major historical events within American Deaf culture and analyze their influence on the development and evolution of the culture.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of the history and development of American Sign Language and Deaf communities and how they influence the development of American Deaf culture.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of how political, social, economic, technological, and educational systems and institutions have been shaped by and continue to influence American Deaf culture.
  4. Analyze how political perspectives and legislation (e.g., PL 94-142, ADA, IDEA, Communications Act and Television Decoder Circuitry Act) have influenced and continue to have an impact on American Deaf culture.
Competency 005—Understand the relationship between the products (e.g., literary and artistic works, media, technology, entertainment) and perspectives of American Deaf culture.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of major artistic and literary works, genres, time periods, and creators (e.g., paintings, sculpture, plays, poetry, dance, storytelling, ABC and number stories, humor) and analyze how they reflect the perspectives of American Deaf culture.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of forms of media and entertainment within American Deaf culture (e.g., films and film festivals, video, television, Deaf sporting events, conferences, captioned movies) and analyze how they reflect the perspectives of American Deaf culture.
  3. Demonstrate familiarity with the use of various forms of technology to access and exchange information within the Deaf community and between Deaf and hearing individuals (e.g., relay services, e-mail, instant messaging, video messaging apps, captioning, videoconferencing, vlogs).
  4. Compare and contrast the products and perspectives of American Deaf culture with the products and perspectives of other communities in the United States.
  5. Recognize ways in which understanding the products and perspectives of American Deaf culture can contribute to understanding important concepts of other disciplines (e.g., literature, art, science, architecture).
Competency 006—Understand the relationship between the practices (e.g., education, social and communicative practices) and perspectives of American Deaf culture.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural values and practices of the Deaf community (e.g., group decision making, sharing information, reciprocity, visual orientation, public/private space, cultural taboos).
  2. Analyze the interrelationship between schools for the Deaf and Deaf culture.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of cultural institutions and organizations related to the Deaf community (e.g., National Association of the Deaf [NAD], Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf [RID], Deaf clubs, Deaf sports groups).
  4. Analyze how views of D/deaf people (e.g., medical/pathological, cultural/linguistic) relate to social, legal, and educational practices (e.g., PL 94-142, IDEA, ADA).
  5. Compare and contrast the practices and perspectives of American Deaf culture with the practices and perspectives of other communities in the United States.
  6. Recognize ways in which understanding the practices and perspectives of American Deaf culture can contribute to understanding important concepts of other disciplines (e.g., history, sociology, technology).
  7. Recognize the value of knowing American Sign Language for career development as well as for personal enjoyment and enrichment (e.g., sign language interpreters and Certified Deaf Interpreters [CDIs], attending Deaf art and media events, attending Deaf cultural events, attending silent dinners).

Subtest II: American Sign Language Proficiency—Receptive Comprehension and Expressive Production

Table outlining test content and subject weighting by sub area and objective.
Domain Domain Title Approx. Percentage of Exam
I Receptive Comprehension 40%
II Expressive Production 60%
Pie chart of approximate test weighting, detailed in the table above.

The content covered by this exam is organized into broad areas of content called domains. Each domain covers one or more of the standards for this field. Within each domain, the content is further defined by a set of competencies. Each competency is composed of two major parts:

 

Domain I—Receptive Comprehension

Competency 001—Determine essential information from a variety of culturally authentic signed messages in American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Determine a main idea or supporting details.
  2. Identify a sequence of steps.
  3. Recognize a stated cause-and-effect relationship.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of common idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms likely to be encountered in a signed message.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of customary greetings, questions, or comments likely to be encountered in social situations.
Competency 002—Infer information from a variety of culturally authentic signed messages in American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Draw conclusions based on information presented in a signed message.
  2. Predict the outcome of a situation.
  3. Determine an implied cause-and-effect relationship.
  4. Infer a signer's intent, assumptions, or point of view.
  5. Infer the relationship between participants in a conversation.
  6. Determine the tone or mood of one or more individuals.
Competency 003—Analyze a variety of culturally authentic signed messages in American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Analyze the social or cultural context of a signed message (e.g., a meeting between family members, a discussion among professional colleagues).
  2. Determine the intent of one or more individuals.
  3. Analyze the assumptions of one or more individuals.
  4. Comprehend often-used figurative language in American Sign Language (e.g., metaphors, similes).
Competency 004—Analyze errors in a short message in American Sign Language.

For example:

  1. Identify errors in a short message in American Sign Language (e.g., errors of classifier choice, errors in use of nonmanual modifiers and morphemes).

 

Domain II—Expressive Production

Competency 005—In response to an assignment, communicate an effective message in American Sign Language, using vocabulary, linguistic structures, and pragmatics appropriate for the given audience and purpose.

For example:

  1. Address all components of the assignment in a culturally appropriate manner for the intended audience and purpose.
  2. Deliver a consistently clear, organized, and coherent message that develops the topic using specific, relevant details.
  3. Demonstrate accurate and appropriate use of American Sign Language syntax and grammatical forms, such as:
    • ASL sentence structure
    • pronouns (e.g., index, eye gaze, directional verbs, body shifts, reference points)
    • listing
    • reduplication
    • classifiers
    • numerical incorporation
    • inflection
    • verbal aspect
    • verbal directionality
    • nonmanual modifiers and morphemes (e.g., facial expression, body position)
    • avoidance of English grammar and grammatical features such as forms of the verb to be, articles, and prepositions
  4. Demonstrate a wide range of accurate, precise ASL vocabulary (e.g., semantic accuracy, avoiding excessive use of fingerspelling and circumlocution) and appropriate use of idiomatic expressions.
  5. Demonstrate a steady rate and appropriate pace of sign production in connected discourse.
  6. Demonstrate clear, correctly formed articulation of American Sign Language with appropriate use of the signing space.
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