Section 3: Overview and Exam Framework
English Language Arts and Reading 7–12 (331)

Exam Overview

Table outlining the test format, number of questions, and time.
Exam Name English Language Arts and Reading 7–12
Exam Code 331
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 7–12 (331) 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 7–12 exam framework. Questions on this exam range from grades 7–12. 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 Reading Instruction and Assessment 25%
II Text Comprehension and Analysis 17%
III Oral and Written Communication 25%
IV Educating All Learners and Professional Practice 13%
V Constructed Response 20%

Pie chart of approximate domain weightings outlined 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 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:

  • The competency statement, which broadly defines what an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools should know and be able to do.
  • The descriptive statements, which describe in greater detail the knowledge and skills eligible for testing.

Domain I—Reading Instruction and Assessment

Competency 001—(Foundations of Reading Instruction and Assessment): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking by planning reading instruction that reflects an integrated model of English language arts in grades 7–12.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of key principles of research-based and evidence-based 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 7–12); 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; and designing and implementing developmentally appropriate, standards-driven instruction that reflects evidence-based best practices.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of factors that can affect the reading proficiency of students in grades 7–12, including the role of content and background knowledge; the amount of time each day that students spend engaged in reading; and a reading curriculum that focuses on 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.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of dyslexia and dysgraphia and of evidence-based instructional strategies and best practices for accommodating instruction for students in grades 7–12 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia or who may need to be referred for evaluation.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts related to second-language acquisition as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 7–12) (e.g., recognizing that general education teachers have a shared responsibility in promoting English learners' English language development through the use of linguistic accommodations commensurate with the students' proficiency levels and second-language acquisition methods, language proficiency assessment committee [LPAC]–designated supports decisions, and other ESL strategies; 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 primary language) and the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) (e.g., identifying students' English language proficiency level; providing instruction that is appropriately communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded).
  6. 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 7–12) (e.g., identifying and aligning relevant language objectives with content-area lessons; using appropriate scaffolds, such as the use of technology to access grade-level text, linguistically accommodated texts, sentence and paragraph frames, access to primary-language resources [including cognates and bilingual dictionaries], graphic representations of vocabulary and concepts, and other modes that provide comprehensible input to support understanding).
Competency 002—(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 continuum of vocabulary development as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 7–12), including the importance of providing students with frequent, repeated exposures to and opportunities to use new vocabulary in meaningful contexts.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of factors that affect vocabulary development of students in grades 7–12 (e.g., familial, cultural, educational, socioeconomic, linguistic, and developmental characteristics), including the role of frequent and wide reading in vocabulary development.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of the distinctions between various tiers of vocabulary (i.e., Tier One—everyday, Tier Two—general academic, and Tier Three—discipline-specific).
  4. Apply knowledge of principles of word formation in English, including the use of affixes and roots, to determine the meaning of academic English words derived from Greek and Latin roots and of words and phrases borrowed from other languages and frequently used in English, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to apply knowledge of principles of word formation in English to determine the meaning of academic English words and of words and phrases borrowed from other languages and frequently used in English.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of how to use print and digital resources to determine the meaning, syllabication, pronunciation, word origin, and part of speech of words and to clarify and validate understanding of the precise and appropriate meaning of technical and discipline-based vocabulary and of multiple meanings of advanced vocabulary.
  6. Analyze context to distinguish among denotative, connotative, and figurative meanings of words and phrases and to draw conclusions about nuanced word meanings.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to use context within and beyond a sentence to help infer the denotative and connotative meanings of words and to clarify understanding of multiple meanings of advanced vocabulary.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of explicit, research-based strategies, tools, and techniques for formally and informally assessing students' development of vocabulary knowledge and skills.
  9. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in vocabulary development and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiation strategies and interventions.
Competency 003—(Reading Comprehension): 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 reading comprehension strategies in order to gain, clarify, and deepen understanding of increasingly complex texts.

For example:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of reading comprehension as an active process of constructing meaning at varying degrees (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative, and synthesis levels) and of the role of background knowledge in constructing meaning.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of explicitly teaching all students in grades 7–12 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 students may be unfamiliar and explicitly teaching these words.
  3. 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.
  4. Apply knowledge of strategies for systematically supporting students in acquiring 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 primary language and experiences to reading contexts in English, providing explicit explanation of content and of 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.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the components of text complexity, including the quantitative measures (e.g., word length, sentence length) and qualitative features (e.g., text structure, author's purpose) and how to use the components to select texts of increasing difficulty.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of developing students' ability to comprehend increasingly complex literary and informational texts by engaging students in focused rereadings of complex grade-level texts and applying research-based best practices to support their understanding of the texts (e.g., using text-dependent questions, demonstrating how to use annotation to help construct meaning from and clarify ideas about texts, supporting students in deconstructing grammatically complex sentences, rereading texts with students for different levels of meaning, having students engage in collaborative conversations about and write responses to texts).
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between the various components of reading and the importance of promoting 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.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting 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.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of teacher-led focused reading and rereading in developing 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).
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting 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).
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for teaching 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, applying focused reading for deep understanding).
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting 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; using text evidence to support appropriate responses; paraphrasing, summarizing, and illustrating texts in a meaningful way; interacting through note taking, annotating, or freewriting; responding with appropriate content, vocabulary, and tone; discussing and writing about explicit or implicit text meanings; reflecting on and adjusting responses as new evidence is presented; defending or challenging authors' claims using relevant text evidence).
  13. 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.
  14. Interpret the results of ongoing assessments in reading comprehension and reading comprehension strategies and use the results to inform instructional planning and delivery, including differentiation strategies and interventions.

 

Domain II—Text Comprehension and Analysis

Competency 004—(Reading Literary Texts): Understand the genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes of diverse literary texts, including works of fiction, poetry, and drama representing diverse time periods and perspectives in American, British, and world literature, 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. Demonstrate knowledge of literary genres, such as realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, mysteries, humor, short stories, myths, and fantasy, and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to identify literary genres.
  2. Analyze the effects of sound, form, figurative language, graphical elements, and dramatic structure in poetry across literary time periods and cultures, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the effects of literary devices and elements in poems.
  3. Analyze the effects of meter, rhyme schemes, types of rhymes (e.g., end, internal, slant), and other conventions in poems across a variety of poetic forms, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the effects of poetic conventions across a variety of poetic forms.
  4. Analyze the effects of word choice and imagery (e.g., controlling images, figurative language, understatement, overstatement, irony, paradox) across a variety of literary forms (e.g., poetry, fiction, drama), and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the effects of word choice and imagery across a variety of literary forms.
  5. Analyze how authors use literary devices and techniques (e.g., irony, oxymoron, paradox, satire, allegory) to achieve specific purposes in literary texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how authors use literary devices for specific purposes.
  6. Analyze how themes are developed through characterization and plot and how similar themes are developed in a variety of literary texts representing surface and deep aspects of diverse cultures, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how themes are developed through characterization and plot.
  7. Analyze how authors develop complex characters, including archetypes, through a range of literary devices, as well as historical and cultural settings and events, and how characters' behaviors and underlying motivations contribute to moral dilemmas that influence the plot and theme, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of character development and its influence on plot and theme in literary works.
  8. Analyze linear and nonlinear plot development (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks, subplots) in a variety of literary texts representing surface and deep aspects of diverse cultures, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of various types of plot development.
  9. Analyze setting in a variety of literary texts in terms of historical, social, economic, and cultural contexts and how setting influences plot, characterization, and theme, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of setting in terms of historical, social, economic, and cultural contexts and their influences on plot, characterization, and theme.
  10. Analyze how authors use diction and syntax to contribute to mood, voice, and tone in literary texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how authors use diction and syntax to contribute to mood, voice, and tone in literary texts.
  11. Analyze relationships among thematic development, characterization, point of view, significance of setting, and plot in a variety of literary texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of relationships among thematic development, characterization, point of view, significance of setting, and plot in a variety of literary texts.
  12. Analyze how playwrights develop characters and dramatic action through dialogue, staging, and dramatic conventions (e.g., asides, soliloquies, dramatic irony), and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how playwrights develop characters and dramatic action.
  13. Analyze how authors use print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes in literary texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how authors use print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes in literary texts.
  14. Analyze the characteristics and effectiveness of multimodal and digital literary texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the characteristics and effectiveness of multimodal and digital literary texts.
  15. 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 7–12) to guide instruction.
  16. 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 oral or written response.
  17. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' comprehension of literary texts at all comprehension levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative, appreciative, and critique) and for promoting critical thinking about literary texts (e.g., synthesizing information to create new understandings; asking and having students generate questions related to bias, such as which voices and perspectives are present and absent in a text).
  18. 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 005—(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. Analyze characteristics and structural elements of complex informational texts, such as a clear thesis, relevant supporting evidence, pertinent examples, commentary, summary, and conclusion, 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. Analyze the author's purpose, audience, and message within complex informational and argumentative texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the author's purpose, audience, and message within complex informational and argumentative texts.
  3. Analyze the relationship between author's purpose and the organizational design of an informational text, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the relationship between the authors' purpose and the organizational design of informational texts.
  4. Analyze characteristics and structural elements of argumentative texts, such as clear arguable claims, appeals, various types of evidence, treatment of counterarguments (e.g., concessions, rebuttals), an identifiable audience or reader, and a convincing conclusion, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to analyze characteristics and structural elements of argumentative texts.
  5. Analyze an author's use of craft (e.g., word choice, use of rhetorical devices) in an informational or argumentative text, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of authors' use of craft in an informational or argumentative text.
  6. Analyze the purpose of rhetorical devices such as appeals, antithesis, parallelism, and shifts and the effects of logical fallacies in informational and argumentative texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the purpose of rhetorical devices in informational and argumentative texts.
  7. Analyze how authors use print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes in informational and argumentative texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of how authors use print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes in informational and argumentative texts.
  8. Analyze the characteristics and effectiveness of multimodal and digital informational and argumentative texts, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of the characteristics and effectiveness of multimodal and digital informational and argumentative texts.
  9. 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 7–12) to guide instruction.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' comprehension of informational and argumentative texts at all comprehension levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative, and synthesis levels) and for promoting critical thinking about informational and argumentative texts (e.g., synthesizing information to create new understandings; asking and having students generate higher-order questions about a text, such as questions related to voices or perspectives present and absent in a text or questions about the credibility of a text).
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for differentiating instruction in the comprehension and analysis of informational and argumentative texts (e.g., building background knowledge, providing tiered assignments, using graphic organizers and other visual representations of information and text structure, presenting mini-lessons on targeted comprehension skills) to address the assessed needs of all students.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of informal and formal procedures for monitoring and assessing students' skills and strategies for reading nonliterary texts, including visual images and messages, and how to use assessment results to design and adjust instruction.

 

Domain III—Oral and Written Communication

Competency 006—(Composition): Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text 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. Apply knowledge of genres of written text (e.g., literary texts, including personal narrative and fiction; informational texts; argumentative texts; literary analysis; rhetorical analysis) and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to select the most appropriate genre for a specific topic, purpose, and audience.
  2. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to generate ideas for writing (e.g., brainstorming, journaling, discussing, background reading).
  3. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to use a purposeful text structure that includes an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion.
  4. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop a clear controlling idea or thesis statement.
  5. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop an engaging idea with relevant, specific facts and details.
  6. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to revise a draft to enhance organization, coherence, clarity, style, word choice, and sentence variety.
  7. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to edit drafts using standard English conventions (e.g., pronoun-antecedent agreement; appropriate use of verb tense; appropriate use of active and passive voice; correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization).
  8. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to compose correspondence in a professional or friendly structure.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for integrating technology into instruction at all stages of the writing process to promote students' writing skills.
  10. 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.
  11. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for using the continuum of writing development as described in the TEKS for ELAR (Grades 7–12) to guide instruction.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for differentiating writing instruction (e.g., having students choose writing topics of interest, modeling how to use graphic organizers during the drafting process, presenting mini-lessons on targeted writing skills) to address the assessed needs of all students.
  13. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and best practices for assessing students' writing development and for using assessment data to inform future instruction in writing.
Competency 007—(Inquiry and Research): Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and to present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner across the curriculum.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop questions for formal and informal inquiry, critique the research process at each step, develop and revise a research plan, and modify the major research question as necessary to refocus a research plan.
  2. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to locate, identify, and gather relevant information from a variety of sources.
  3. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
  4. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to evaluate sources for reliability, credibility, bias, and accuracy.
  5. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to identify and analyze various types of logical fallacies (e.g., ad hominem arguments, hasty generalizations, circular reasoning, false dilemmas).
  6. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources.
  7. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to paraphrase, quote, and cite source material ethically to avoid plagiarism.
  8. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to determine an appropriate mode of delivery (e.g., written, oral, multimodal) and to present results of inquiry and research in a well-organized and ethical manner.
  9. 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 7–12) to guide instruction.
Competency 008—(Listening and Speaking): Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking.

For example:

  1. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to listen actively, respond appropriately, and adjust communication to audiences and purposes.
  2. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to follow and give complex oral instructions for performing specific tasks or for completing complex processes (e.g., asking pertinent questions to clarify meaning, responding appropriately to clarification questions).
  3. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in meaningful and respectful discourse when evaluating the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message and critiquing the impact of a speaker's use of diction and syntax.
  4. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to communicate ideas effectively by using eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, pauses, conventions of language, and purposeful gestures within social and cultural contexts.
  5. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to prepare and give a formal presentation that incorporates a clear thesis; a clear progression of valid evidence from reliable sources; and informal, formal, and/or technical language in a way that effectively meets the needs of audience, purpose, and occasion.
  6. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to participate in structured conversations and collaborative discussions by asking relevant and insightful questions, building on the ideas of others, developing a plan for building consensus, tolerating a range of positions and ambiguity in decision making, and evaluating the work of a group based on agreed-upon criteria.
  7. Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to formulate and present sound arguments using elements such as introduction, first and second transitions, body, conclusion, the art of persuasion, and rhetorical devices.
  8. 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 7–12) to guide instruction.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and best practices for assessing 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 009—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally 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 and/or modifications 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.
  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, families, and other stakeholders about student progress by providing detailed and constructive feedback and for partnering with students' families and other stakeholders in furthering students' achievement goals.
Competency 010—(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 (e.g., cultural, economic, linguistic) and support inclusion in order to promote students' overall development and learning, including understanding of the benefits of primary and secondary languages and bilingualism.
  2. Recognize the role personal bias plays in potential learning expectations for 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 accommodate instruction to support language acquisition to ensure that both language and content instruction are accessible across the content areas.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to work collaboratively with parents/guardians, stakeholders, teachers, school and community service providers, and students to support all students, including but not limited to English learners (ELs), and programs such as bilingual education and ESL.
  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 other instructional accommodations and strategies.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for maintaining and facilitating respectful, supportive, positive, productive, and culturally inclusive 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 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 011—(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, as well as 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, 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 that accommodations may be necessary to ensure that an assessment accurately measures all students' progress toward and attainment of the relevant grade-level TEKS.
  6. Recognize legal and ethical issues related to assessment, responsible assessment practices, and confidentiality.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundational elements of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the ability to apply this knowledge to differentiate tiered instruction for all students based on multiple data points.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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 students' development, strengths, needs, and learning.

 

Domain V—Constructed Response

Competency 012—(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.