Section 3: Overview and Exam Framework
English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217)

Exam Overview

Table outlining the test format, number of questions, time, and passing score.
Exam Name English Language Arts and Reading 4–8
Exam Code 217
Time 5 hours
Number of Questions 90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question
Format Computer-administered test (CAT)

The TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) exam is designed to assess whether an examinee has the requisite knowledge and skills that an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools must possess. The 90 selected-response questions and the 1 constructed-response question are based on the English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 exam framework. Questions on this exam range from grades 4–8. Your final scaled score will be based only on scored questions.

The Standards

§235.1. General Requirements.

  1. The knowledge and skills identified in this section must be used by an educator preparation program in the development of the curricula and coursework as prescribed in §228.30 of this title (relating to Educator Preparation Curriculum) and serve as the basis for developing the examinations as prescribed in §230.35 of this title (relating to Development, Approval, Implementation, and Evaluation of Teacher Certification Standards).
  2. Unless provided otherwise in this title, the content area and grade level of a certificate category as well as the standards underlying the certification examination for each shall include the following:
    1. the relevant Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education, as prescribed in §74.1 of Part II of this title (relating to Essential Knowledge and Skills);
    2. the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) adopted by the State Board of Education, as prescribed in §74.4 of Part II of this title (relating to English Language Proficiency Standards);
    3. the relevant knowledge and application of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote students' development of grade-level skills; and
    4. the relevant grade-banded Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Standards, specifically including how to effectively address the needs of all student populations.
  3. A person must satisfy all applicable requirements and conditions under this title and other law to be issued a certificate in a category. A person seeking an initial standard certification must pass the appropriate examination(s) as prescribed in §230.21 of this title (relating to Educator Assessment).

Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §235.1 issued under Texas Education Code, §§21.003(a); 21.031; 21.041(a) and (b)(1), (2), and (4).
Source: The provisions of this §235.1 adopted to be effective March 8, 2018, 43 TexReg 1267; amended to be effective March 6, 2019, 44 TexReg 1125.

Domains and Competencies

Table outlining test content and subject weighting by domain.
Domain Domain Title Approx. Percentage of Exam
I Foundations of Reading 27%
II Text Comprehension and Analysis 20%
III Oral and Written Communication 20%
IV Educating All Learners and Professional Practice 13%
V Constructed Response 20%

Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table above.

Domain 1, Foundations of Reading, Approximate exam weight equals 27%
Domain 2, Text Comprehension and Analysis, Approximate exam weight equals 20%
Domain 3, Oral and Written Communication, Approximate exam weight equals 20%
Domain 4, Educating All Learners and Professional Practice, Approximate exam weight equals 13%
Domain 5, Constructed Response, Approximate exam weight equals 20%

The content covered by this exam is organized into broad areas of content called domains. Each domain covers one or more of the educator 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—Foundations of Reading

Competency 001—(Foundations of Teaching Reading): Understand research-based, evidence-based, and culturally relevant foundational concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of scientifically based reading research (e.g., key findings of the National Reading Panel, the National Early Literacy Panel, the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth), including the key research-based components of reading instruction (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) and the essential roles that oral language, writing, and motivation play in promoting reading development.
  2. Apply knowledge of the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking by planning reading instruction that reflects an integrated model of literacy.
  3. Recognize the importance of planning and managing reading instruction in ways that not only promote all students' learning and skill development in reading but also nurture their development as lifelong readers and their self-concept as readers by creating strong associations between reading and feelings of pleasure, engagement, and self-efficacy.
  4. Apply knowledge of key principles of reading instruction, including basing instruction on the standards outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) (Grades 4–8); making instructional decisions based on ongoing assessment results that align the content of reading passages used in assessments to content that has been taught in order to effectively evaluate students' comprehension; designing and implementing developmentally appropriate, standards-driven instruction that reflects evidence-based best practices; and ensuring that reading instruction is systematic, sequential, and explicit.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of factors that can affect reading development, including the role of selected content, the amount of time all students spend daily engaged in reading, the amount of screen time all students engage in daily, a reading curriculum that emphasizes building background knowledge and providing regular practice with complex texts and academic vocabulary rather than overreliance on memorization, the reading of whole texts rather than worksheets, and the use of culturally responsive instructional practices.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of key factors to consider in planning and delivering differentiated instruction and flexible grouping to address the assessed needs of all students (e.g., students with limited prior experiences with literacy, students with exceptional needs, English learners [ELs], students who are experiencing difficulty, students who are performing above grade level, students who are gifted and talented), including the prerequisite knowledge and skills required for all students to be able to benefit from instruction, the pacing of instruction, the complexity of the content or skills to be taught, and the scaffolds needed to support all students' learning.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of tiered instructional models used in Texas classrooms (e.g., Response to Intervention [RtI]), including basic components of these models (e.g., using research-based interventions, progress monitoring, shared responsibility and decision making).
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of dyslexia and dysgraphia, including early indicators of dyslexia and dysgraphia, and demonstrate familiarity with evidence-based instructional strategies and best practices that help support the literacy development of students with identified delays in reading and spelling.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts related to second-language acquisition as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) (e.g., recognizing that general education teachers have a shared responsibility in promoting English learners' English language development; that an English learner's English language proficiency level does not relate to the student's grade level; that English learners acquire a new language best when they are provided with multiple, incremental opportunities to expand and extend their English language skills as they build on their strengths in the home language).
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for supporting English learners' oral language, literacy, and concept development across academic disciplines as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) (e.g., identifying and aligning relevant language objectives with content-area lessons; using appropriate scaffolds, particularly visual cues, to support understanding).
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of various instructional technologies (e.g., hardware, software, applications) that may be used to support all students' reading development, instruction, engagement, and motivation to read.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of criteria for evaluating curricular resources and student-selected materials for independent reading (e.g., evidence of effectiveness, appropriateness for all students' age and developmental levels), using research-based strategies and best practices.
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of key assessment concepts (e.g., validity, reliability, equity in testing) and the characteristics, uses, and limitations of standardized criterion-referenced and norm-referenced tests to assess reading development and identify reading difficulties.
  14. Demonstrate knowledge of key purposes and characteristics of different types of reading assessment, including screening or entry-level assessment, formative or progress-monitoring assessment, summative assessment, diagnostic assessment, and pre- and post-assessment.
  15. Demonstrate knowledge of how to create challenging, engaging, accessible, relevant learning experiences for all students that enable them to engage in individual and collaborative critical thinking and problem solving and to apply disciplinary and cross-disciplinary knowledge to real-world problems.
  16. Apply principles for maintaining a safe, supportive environment that embraces and supports all learners and in which all students are expected to reach high levels of achievement.
  17. Apply principles for collaborating with other educational professionals, communicating regularly with stakeholders, communicating with all students and families about student progress, and engaging in self-reflective and ethical practices as an educator.
Competency 002—(Foundational Reading Skills): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of foundational reading skills, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level foundational reading skills.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between oral language and literacy development and various ways in which oral language provides a critical foundation for reading skills and comprehension development, including factors that affect oral language development (e.g., familial, cultural, educational, socioeconomic, linguistic, and developmental characteristics).
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the phonological awareness continuum as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) and apply knowledge of the phonological awareness continuum in order to plan and deliver instruction that is systematic and sequential.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of phonological and phonemic awareness in the development of literacy in an alphabetic language.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of the alphabetic principle and the role of the alphabetic principle in reading development (e.g., interrelationships between letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness, and beginning decoding).
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of phonics and other word identification skills in all students' development of accurate, automatic decoding; the role of accurate, automatic decoding in reading fluency and comprehension; the reciprocity between decoding and encoding; the importance of sequencing instruction in phonics according to the increasing complexity and relative utility of linguistic units; and the importance of providing all students with explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and frequent practice with applying new decoding skills in connected text.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the continuum of phonics skills as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) and of research-based strategies and best practices for delivering explicit, systematic phonics instruction.
  7. Apply knowledge of tools and techniques for formally and informally assessing all students' development in foundational reading skills.
  8. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in foundational reading skills and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiated strategies, explicit instruction, and interventions.
Competency 003—(Word Analysis Skills and Reading Fluency): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of word analysis skills and fluency, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level word analysis skills and reading fluency.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for developing all students' accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of words with specific orthographic patterns and rules, including regular and irregular plurals and words with consonant changes.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of high-frequency words in accurate, automatic decoding of grade-level text and knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of grade-level high-frequency words, including high-frequency words that are not phonetically regular.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of words that contain common inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing, -er, -est), including teaching common orthographic guidelines related to inflections and connecting an inflectional ending to its grammatical meaning.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of common homophones, homographs, and contractions.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of common syllable types in English (e.g., closed, silent e, open, vowel team); common syllable division patterns; advanced syllable division patterns; and best practices for developing all students' accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of multisyllabic words.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for teaching accurate, automatic decoding and spelling of morphemes, as well as other more advanced elements, including multisyllabic words with multiple sound-spelling patterns.
  7. Recognize that decoding and encoding skills are reciprocal and develop synchronously during the early stages of literacy development, and demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of all students at various stages of spelling development.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts related to reading fluency, including the key indicators of fluency (i.e., accuracy, rate, and prosody); the role of automaticity in reading fluency; interrelationships between accuracy, rate, and automaticity; the role of fluency in reading comprehension; interrelationships between prosody and comprehension; the importance of providing explicit and frequent instruction in fluency to all students at all stages of reading development; and the importance of varying fluency instruction for all students at different stages of development in decoding.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of common factors that disrupt reading fluency (e.g., limited phonics knowledge; lack of automaticity in key decoding skills; limited recognition of grade-level, high-frequency words; unfamiliarity with a text's content, vocabulary, and/or grammatical structures), and apply knowledge of strategies for addressing these factors.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' accuracy in order to enhance reading fluency and comprehension (e.g., reteaching grade-level decoding skills or high-frequency words not yet mastered).
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' reading rate and automaticity in order to enhance reading fluency and comprehension.
  12. Apply knowledge of strategies for evaluating and sequencing texts for reading instruction according to text complexity (i.e., quantitative and qualitative dimensions and reader and task variables) and supporting students' ability to access increasingly complex texts.
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of guidelines for evaluating texts in terms of readability, content, length, format, illustrations, and other pertinent factors; and apply knowledge of ways to provide appropriate grade-level texts for independent reading.
  14. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' prosody (i.e., reading with appropriate phrasing, expression, and intonation) in order to enhance reading fluency and comprehension (e.g., providing explicit teacher modeling of prosody, engaging students in echo reading and phrase-cued reading).
  15. Apply knowledge of tools and techniques for formally and informally assessing all students' development of word analysis skills and fluency development.
  16. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in word analysis skills and fluency development and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiated strategies, explicit instruction, and interventions.
Competency 004—(Vocabulary Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to vocabulary development, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level vocabulary knowledge and skills.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of vocabulary in supporting all students' reading comprehension, ability to engage in self-sustained reading, and overall academic achievement.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the continuum of vocabulary development as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8), including the importance of providing all students with frequent, repeated exposures to and opportunities to use new vocabulary in meaningful contexts.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of factors that influence vocabulary development (e.g., familial, cultural, educational, socioeconomic, linguistic, and developmental characteristics), including the importance of frequent and wide (i.e., varied) reading in vocabulary development.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of the distinctions between various tiers of vocabulary (i.e., Tier One—everyday, Tier Two—general academic, and Tier Three—discipline-specific) and the importance of explicitly teaching all students new Tier Two and Tier Three words that are key to understanding a new concept or comprehending a new text, while also identifying any relevant Tier One words with which all students may be unfamiliar and explicitly teaching these words.
  5. Recognize the essential role that background knowledge, including schema and vocabulary, plays in a reader's ability to make inferences from text, make connections within and across texts, and learn through reading.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of criteria for selecting words for explicit word study (e.g., a word's utility and frequency within a discipline or across disciplines) and apply strategies for providing all students with multiple opportunities to use new Tier Two and Tier Three words in a variety of settings.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' ability to identify, use, and explain the meaning of grade-level antonyms, synonyms, homophones, idioms, adages, and puns.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' ability to use context within and beyond a sentence to help infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word or to determine the meaning of a multiple-meaning word, including using different types of context clues.
  9. Demonstrate understanding of the importance of teaching all students independent word-learning strategies, including structural/morphemic analysis (e.g., knowledge of common Greek and Latin roots and affixes), contextual analysis, and use of print and digital resources, in order to promote their ability to engage in self-sustained reading of assigned or self-selected grade-level texts in multiple genres.
  10. Apply knowledge of tools and techniques for formally and informally assessing all students' development of vocabulary knowledge and skills.
  11. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in vocabulary development and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiated strategies, explicit instruction, and interventions.

 

Domain II—Text Comprehension and Analysis

Competency 005—(Reading Comprehension Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of reading comprehension, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level reading comprehension strategies.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of factors influencing reading comprehension (e.g., oral language development, including listening comprehension skills; academic language development, including vocabulary and grammatical knowledge and skills; decoding skills; reading fluency; ability to monitor for understanding; background knowledge relevant to a text's topic or setting; level of English language proficiency; prior literacy experiences with other texts of the same genre or text type).
  2. Recognize the essential role background knowledge (including vocabulary knowledge) plays in a reader's ability to make inferences from text, to make connections within and across texts, and to learn through reading; and apply knowledge of strategies for systematically supporting students in accumulating background knowledge through the reading of informational texts (e.g., reading aloud and discussing a wide range of informational texts with students, having students read and discuss multiple informational texts related to a given topic, helping English learners connect background knowledge from their home language and experiences to reading contexts in English, providing explicit explanations of content and Tier Three vocabulary relevant to a text, engaging students in hands-on learning and academic discussions related to a text's topic, encouraging and supporting students' independent reading of informational texts) to promote students' reading comprehension and deepen their understanding of appropriately complex texts.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of reading comprehension as an active process of constructing meaning at varying levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative, and synthesis).
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of the components of text complexity, including quantitative measures (e.g., word length, sentence length) and qualitative measures (e.g., text structure, author's purpose).
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between the various components of reading and the importance of promoting all students' development of various dimensions of reading comprehension (e.g., listening comprehension, background knowledge, vocabulary development, literary analysis, analysis of informational text, responses to text) at all stages of reading development.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the challenges and supports in a text (e.g., pictures, predictability, decodability, text structure) and strategies for evaluating and sequencing texts for reading instruction according to text complexity, including strategies that promote all students' self-sustained reading of increasingly complex texts and their ability to self-select appropriate texts for independent reading, inquiry, and research.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' ability to apply metacognitive reading comprehension strategies (e.g., establishing a purpose for reading, generating questions, making and correcting or confirming predictions, creating mental images, making text connections, making inferences, evaluating details, synthesizing information, monitoring comprehension) to literary and informational texts.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of teacher-guided focused reading and rereading in developing all students' ability to comprehend increasingly complex texts, including key components of a research-based focused-reading routine or protocol (e.g., using text-dependent questions and annotation; rereading a text for different levels of meaning; grounding text analysis in textual evidence).
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' ability to engage in independent self-sustained reading with fluency and comprehension for increasing periods of time (e.g., by explicitly teaching students self-monitoring skills, comprehension repair strategies, strategies for self-selecting appropriate texts).
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for teaching all students how to vary approaches to reading a text fluently according to the purpose for reading (e.g., activating background knowledge; skimming for gist; scanning for specific information; focused reading for deep understanding).
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for promoting all students' ability to use listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking skills to respond to a variety of sources, using multiple texts (e.g., describing personal connections to a variety of sources; comparing sources within and across genres; using text evidence to support responses; retelling, paraphrasing, and summarizing texts in a meaningful way; interacting through note taking, annotating, or freewriting; responding with appropriate vocabulary and tone; discussing explicit or implicit text meanings; reflecting on and adjusting responses as new evidence is presented; defending or challenging authors' claims using relevant text evidence).
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of explicit, research-based strategies, tools, and techniques for formally and informally assessing students' ability to gain and enhance their understanding of increasingly complex texts.
  13. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in reading comprehension and reading comprehension strategies and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiated strategies, explicit instruction, and interventions.
Competency 006—(Reading Literary Texts): Understand the genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes of diverse traditional, contemporary, and classical literary texts; analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes; and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of a range of complex literary texts.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of the elements and characteristics of literary genres from diverse cultures, including realistic fiction, science fiction, literary nonfiction, children's literature (e.g., fables, tall tales), drama, and various forms of poetry (e.g., epic, lyric, humorous), and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to identify the elements and characteristics of literary genres.
  2. Apply knowledge of how to incorporate rigorous questioning methods into instruction when planning and executing lessons that involve reading literary texts.
  3. Analyze how authors use literary elements, including imagery, literal and figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole), sound devices (e.g., alliteration, assonance), and literary point of view (e.g., omniscient, limited) to achieve specific purposes.
  4. Apply knowledge of how to use text evidence to infer the theme(s) of a literary text and to analyze how themes are developed in literary texts.
  5. Analyze and compare linear plot elements (e.g., rising action, climax, falling action) and nonlinear plot elements (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks).
  6. Analyze how the setting of a literary text, including historical and cultural settings, influences character and plot development in the text.
  7. Analyze how playwrights develop characters and dramatic action through dialogue, staging, and the use of acts and scenes.
  8. Analyze how authors use language to contribute to mood and voice in literary texts.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of development in the comprehension and analysis of literary texts as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) to guide instruction.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to respond to a range of literary texts using text-based evidence to support an appropriate response.
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting all students' ability to comprehend and analyze a range of literary texts, including identifying a text's key ideas and details; analyzing an author's purpose for writing; identifying story elements, such as characters, plot, setting, and theme; analyzing an author's craft, such as word choice and use of imagery and figurative language; and using evidence from a literary text to support responses.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting all students' comprehension of literary texts at all three comprehension levels (i.e., literal, inferential, and evaluative) and for promoting critical thinking about literary texts (e.g., synthesizing information to create new understandings; asking and having all students generate questions related to bias, such as which voices and perspectives are stated, implied, and/or absent in a text).
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for differentiating instruction in the comprehension and analysis of literary texts (e.g., story mapping, graphic representations, audio recordings of texts, collaborative group work, dialogic journals) to address the assessed needs of all students.
Competency 007—(Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts): Understand the elements and characteristics of informational and argumentative texts, analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of complex informational and argumentative texts.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of informational text structures (e.g., descriptive, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, sequential, chronological), informational text features (e.g., subtitles, bold or italicized text), and informational graphic features (e.g., maps, charts, diagrams), and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the characteristics and structural elements of complex informational texts.
  2. Apply knowledge of how to incorporate rigorous questioning methods into instruction when planning and executing lessons that involve reading informational and argumentative texts.
  3. Identify the author's purpose and message within an informational or argumentative text and analyze how the text's structure contributes to the author's purpose.
  4. Analyze an author's use of craft (e.g., word choice, use of rhetorical devices) in an informational or argumentative text.
  5. Identify and analyze the central/controlling idea(s) of an informational text.
  6. Interpret and evaluate information presented in various formats (e.g., graphs, time lines, sidebars).
  7. Apply knowledge of the characteristics and structures of argumentative texts.
  8. Analyze the claim in an argumentative text, including analyzing how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument.
  9. Analyze the counterargument in an argumentative text.
  10. Distinguish between fact and opinion and between logical fallacies (e.g., bandwagon appeals, circular reasoning) and rhetorical devices (e.g., analogy, juxtaposition).
  11. Determine the intended audience or readers of an argumentative text.
  12. Apply knowledge of the characteristics of multimodal and digital informational and argumentative texts.
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of development in the comprehension and analysis of informational and argumentative texts as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) to guide instruction.
  14. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting all students' ability to comprehend and analyze informational and argumentative texts, including identifying text structures, identifying central/controlling ideas and supporting evidence, using textual and graphic features to gain information, identifying an author's purpose and intended audience, analyzing an author's use of craft, distinguishing facts from opinions, and identifying the claim in an argumentative text.
  15. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting all students' comprehension of informational and argumentative texts at all comprehension levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative, and synthesis) and for promoting critical thinking about informational and argumentative texts (e.g., synthesizing information to create new understandings; asking and having all students generate higher-order questions about a text, such as questions related to voices or perspectives stated, implied, and/or absent in a text or questions about the credibility of a text).
  16. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for differentiating instruction in the comprehension and analysis of informational and argumentative texts to address the assessed needs of all students.

 

Domain III—Oral and Written Communication

Competency 008—(Composition): Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text; apply knowledge of strategies for developing well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences; and apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of predictable stages in the development of written language and writing conventions and recognize the possibility of individual variations.
  2. Apply knowledge of how to incorporate rigorous questioning methods into instruction when planning and executing lessons that involve oral and written communication.
  3. Apply knowledge of genres (e.g., personal narrative, fiction, informational texts, argumentative texts, correspondence that reflects an opinion, requests information, or registers a complaint in a business or friendly structure) and of strategies for selecting the most appropriate genre for a specific topic, purpose, and audience.
  4. Apply knowledge of strategies for generating ideas for writing (e.g., brainstorming, freewriting, mapping, background reading).
  5. Apply knowledge of strategies for using a purposeful structure that includes an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion.
  6. Apply knowledge of strategies for developing an engaging idea with relevant, specific facts and details.
  7. Apply knowledge of strategies for developing a clear central/controlling idea or thesis statement.
  8. Apply knowledge of strategies for writing a claim, using evidence to support the claim and reasoning to tie the claim to the evidence.
  9. Apply knowledge of strategies for revising a draft to enhance organization, coherence, clarity, style, word choice and sentence variety.
  10. Apply knowledge of strategies for editing drafts using standard conventions of English (e.g., complete complex sentences, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement, appropriate use of verb tense and voice, correct spelling and punctuation).
  11. Apply knowledge of how to compose correspondence that expresses an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information using a formal and informal structure.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for instruction at all stages of the writing process, including the use of technology to promote all students' writing skills.
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of self-assessment in the writing process (e.g., for clarity, comprehensiveness, interest) and of strategies for modeling self-assessment techniques.
  14. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of development of writing skills as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) to guide instruction.
  15. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for differentiating writing instruction to address the assessed needs of all students.
  16. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and best practices for assessing all students' writing development and for using assessment data to inform future instruction in writing.
Competency 009—(Inquiry and Research): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for conducting focused inquiry and research and presenting the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of inquiry and research skills (e.g., using text organizers, taking notes, outlining, previewing, summarizing) and their significance for student learning and achievement.
  2. Apply knowledge of strategies for generating and clarifying questions for formal and informal inquiry and for refining major research questions as necessary.
  3. Apply knowledge of strategies for developing and following a research plan.
  4. Apply knowledge of strategies for locating, identifying, and gathering relevant information from a variety of print and digital sources.
  5. Apply knowledge of distinctions between primary and secondary sources.
  6. Apply knowledge of strategies for evaluating sources for reliability, credibility, and bias, including omission, and for faulty reasoning (e.g., loaded language).
  7. Apply knowledge of strategies for synthesizing information from a variety of sources.
  8. Apply knowledge of how to paraphrase, quote from, and cite source material ethically.
  9. Apply knowledge of strategies for determining the appropriate mode of delivery (e.g., written, oral, multimodal) to present results of inquiry and research.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of development of inquiry and research skills as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) to guide instruction.
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and best practices for promoting all students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research across the curriculum.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and best practices for promoting all students' ability to present the results of inquiry in a well-organized and ethical manner.
Competency 010—(Listening and Speaking): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for critical listening and collaborative speaking and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking, including using differentiation strategies that are culturally and academically appropriate for all students.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of strategies for listening actively and purposefully to interpret messages in a variety of contexts.
  2. Apply knowledge of strategies for listening critically to analyze and evaluate a speaker's message.
  3. Apply knowledge of strategies for communicating ideas effectively in culturally appropriate contexts (e.g., by using eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, and natural gestures).
  4. Apply knowledge of strategies for working collaboratively with others and for participating in collaborative discussions (e.g., eliciting and considering suggestions, taking notes, identifying points of agreement and disagreement).
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of development of listening and speaking skills as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 4–8) to guide instruction.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and best practices for promoting all students' skills in active, critical listening and collaborative speaking, including the use of technology to promote oral communication skills.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and best practices for assessing all students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking and for using assessment data to inform instruction.

 

Domain IV—Educating All Learners and Professional Practice

Competency 011—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally and culturally appropriate strategies and data-driven practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and how to apply UDL guidelines to incorporate the flexibility necessary to maximize learning opportunities for all students.
  2. Apply knowledge of effective methods for fostering students' active participation and individual academic success in one-to-one, small-group, and large-group settings and for facilitating all students' inclusion in various settings (e.g., academic, social).
  3. Apply knowledge of activities and instruction that build on students' individual interests, primary language, experiences, and prior knowledge; respond to students' strengths and needs; and promote the development of prerequisite skills and positive dispositions toward learning in the content areas.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of how and when to adjust and scaffold instruction, instructional activities, and assessment in response to various types of feedback from students.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of how to identify, select, and implement appropriate and effective accommodations for students with 504 plans or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including collaborating with other professionals to meet the needs of all students.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the various categories of disabilities as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and of Child Find obligations and educational implications specific to children with unique learning differences (e.g., developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities, behavioral/emotional challenges, specific learning disabilities).
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, as well as school-specific policies and procedures.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for communicating consistently, clearly, and respectfully with all members of the campus community, administrators, and staff.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for communicating regularly, clearly, and appropriately with parents/guardians and families about student progress by providing detailed and constructive feedback and for partnering with students' families in furthering students' achievement goals.
Competency 012—(Culturally Responsive Practices): Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and practices that acknowledge and respect diversity and identity (e.g., cultural, economic, linguistic, racial, ethnic, gender, ability, sexual orientation) and support inclusion in order to promote students' overall development and learning, including understanding of the benefits of primary languages and multilingualism to learning.
  2. Recognize the role personal bias plays in potential learning expectations for all students in order to promote safe, positive, and supportive interactions and learning environments for all students.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of activities, approaches, and resources that encourage and support exploration and engagement and promote a positive disposition toward learning for all students.
  4. Demonstrate understanding of the role of language and culture in learning, as well as how to modify instruction to support language acquisition to ensure that both language and instruction are accessible across the content areas.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to work collaboratively with parents/guardians, teachers, school and community service providers, and students to support all students, including but not limited to English learners (ELs), and programs such as ESL, bilingual, and dual language.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to work collaboratively with teachers, related service providers, parents/guardians, and students to effectively support the implementation of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and instructional accommodations, modifications, and strategies.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for maintaining and facilitating respectful, supportive, positive, and productive interactions with and among students.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for implementing behavior management systems to maintain an environment in which all students can learn effectively.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for maintaining a classroom culture that is based on high expectations for student performance and encourages all students to be self-motivated and take responsibility for their own learning.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for maximizing instructional time, including managing transitions.
Competency 013—(Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal Assessment): Understand the types, selection, and uses of data-driven, developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support program improvement and all students' learning.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the various purposes of the use of developmentally appropriate assessments for evaluating students across domains.
  2. Apply knowledge of basic assessment terminology and of types, characteristics, uses, and limitations of formal, informal, and alternative assessments (e.g., developmental screenings, formative and summative assessments, observations, portfolios, state-mandated assessments, types of assessment accommodations and modifications, curriculum-based measures).
  3. Apply knowledge of ways to develop and select developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment strategies (e.g., use of TEA resources such as formative assessment banks), ensure that assessments are aligned to instructional objectives and outcomes, and use assessment results to inform instruction and measure student progress throughout the content areas.
  4. Apply knowledge of considerations and strategies for effectively administering assessments and documenting assessment outcomes.
  5. Recognize legal and ethical issues related to assessment, responsible assessment practices, and confidentiality.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundational elements of Response to Intervention (RtI) and the ability to apply this knowledge to differentiate tiered instruction for all students based on data.
  7. Interpret and use information from formal and informal assessments, including the use of multiple measures of assessment, to inform decisions and plan and evaluate student learning.
  8. Interpret assessment results to enhance knowledge of students; evaluate and monitor development, learning, and progress; establish goals; and plan, differentiate, and continuously adjust learning activities and environments for individuals and groups.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of types of systematic observation and documentation (e.g., anecdotal notes, checklists, data collection) and the ability to use these processes and procedures to gain insight into all students' development, strengths, needs, and learning.

 

Domain V—Constructed Response

Competency 014—(Constructed Response): In a written response, describe principles and strategies for developing standards-based, data-driven instruction that will help all students achieve a specific learning goal.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of strategies for developing a specific learning goal that aligns with a given academic standard for English language arts and is based on a given excerpt from a grade-level literary or informational text.
  2. Apply knowledge of strategies for assessing student mastery of a specific learning goal, including identifying learning challenges.
  3. Apply knowledge of instructional strategies for addressing identified learning challenges.
  4. Apply knowledge of strategies for providing all students with the opportunity to use texts to build knowledge and make deeper connections between texts, prior understanding, and real-world experiences.
  5. Apply knowledge of strategies for differentiating instruction to align with the diverse needs of all students.
  6. Apply knowledge of strategies for assessing student growth aligned to a specific learning goal and for using assessment data to measure student progress and plan future instruction.