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Program Overview |
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The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) has contracted with National Evaluation Systems
(NES®) to assist in the development and administration of the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of
Educators® (GACE®). The purpose of the GACE is to assess the knowledge and skills of prospective Georgia
public school educators. The GACE program helps the PSC meet its goal of ensuring that candidates have the
knowledge and skills needed to perform the job of an educator in Georgia public schools. The GACE are aligned
with state and national standards for educator preparation and with state standards for the P–12 student curriculum
(Georgia Performance Standards).
The GACE are criterion-referenced, objective-based assessments designed to measure a candidate’s knowledge
and skills in relation to an established standard rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates.
The tests were developed in consultation with committees of Georgia educators, educator preparation faculty,
and other content and assessment specialists. Test questions were reviewed and approved by committees of
Georgia educators. The passing score for each test is established by the PSC and is based on the professional
judgments and recommendations of Georgia educators.
The following table provides an overview of the assessments offered by the GACE program:
| Assessment Type |
Assessment Description |
| Basic Skills Assessment |
The Basic Skills assessment is designed to assess knowledge and skills in the areas of
reading, mathematics, and writing. The assessment is composed of three tests—the
reading and mathematics tests each consist of selected-response questions; the writing
test consists of selected-response questions and a constructed-response assignment.
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| Professional Pedagogy Assessment |
The Professional Pedagogy assessment is designed to assess knowledge and skills
in the areas of student development and learning, instruction and assessment, and
professional roles and responsibilities. The Professional Pedagogy assessment is
not required for those who have completed a state-approved educator preparation
program. The assessment is composed of two tests—each test consists of selected-response
questions and constructed-response assignments.
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| Content Assessments |
The content assessments test a variety of content knowledge areas. The middle grades
assessments, the Latin assessment, and the American Sign Language assessment are
each a single test that consists of selected-response questions and
constructed-response assignments. All other content assessments are composed
of two tests—each test consists of selected-response questions and one or more
constructed-response assignments.
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| Educational Leadership Assessment |
The Educational Leadership assessment is designed to assess knowledge and skills needed by educational
leaders in Georgia public schools. The assessment is composed of two tests—each test consists of
selected-response questions and constructed-response assignments. The first administration of the
Educational Leadership assessment will be on June 14, 2008. In addition, the assessment will be offered
at the August 23, 2008, administration.
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| Paraprofessional Assessment |
The Paraprofessional assessment is designed to enable individuals and school districts
to satisfy state and federal No Child Left Behind requirements that call for "highly qualified
paraprofessionals." These requirements indicate that paraprofessionals working in
Title I schools or paid with Title I funds must meet a rigorous standard of quality and
demonstrate, through formal state or local assessment,
- knowledge of, and ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and
mathematics; or
- knowledge of, and ability to assist in instructing, reading readiness, writing
readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.
The Paraprofessional assessment is a single test that consists of selected-response
questions.
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| Computer Skill Competency |
The GACE Computer Skill Competency assessment is an Internet-based test (IBT) that is
designed to enable individuals and school districts to satisfy the legislated computer
competency requirement for educators. Registration and testing for this assessment is
provided by authorized Georgia schools, school districts, Regional Educational Service
Agencies (RESAs), and Educational Technology Training Centers (ETTCs). The Computer Skill
Competency assessment is a single test that consists of selected-response questions.
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For more details about the content of the assessments, refer to the GACE test designs and
frameworks. See "Preparing for the Tests" for more information.
