ADE Commissioner Jacob Oliva
Jacob Oliva
Secretary | Read Bio 
Department of Education

Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Revised Praxis® Math Tests

Memo Information

Memo Number
LIC-22-009
Memo Date
10/22/2021
Memo Type
Informational
Unit
Educator Effectiveness & Licensure
Regulatory Authority
NA
Response Required
NO
Attention
Federal Programs; Superintendents; Assistant Superintendent; Principals; Technology Coordinators; Test Coordinators; General Business Managers; Teachers; Gifted & Talented Coordinators; Curriculum Coordinators; Bookkeepers; School Counselors; Techstart Coordinators or Contact Name; Equity Coordinators (Disability/Race/Gender/National Origin); Child Nutrition Directors/Managers; Data Stewards (SIS; eSchool; eFinance; TRIAND); District Coordinators (ALE; Homeless; ESOL; SDFS & Foster); Parent Involvement Coordinators/Facilitators; CTE Coordinator (COOPs and regular school districts); Facilities / Maintenance Director

Primary Contact Information

Memo Text

At its July 2021 meeting, the Arkansas State Board of Education adopted new mathematics licensure tests to be effective September 1, 2022. At that time the Praxis® Mathematics (5165) will replace the current Praxis® Mathematics (5161) for Mathematics (7-12) and the Praxis® Middle School Mathematics (5164) will replace the current Praxis® Middle School Mathematics (5169) for Middle School Mathematics (4-8).

Praxis® Mathematics (5165) – cut score 152

According to documentation provided by Educational Testing Service (ETS), content topics span the secondary math curriculum and includes content related to (I) Number & Quantity and Algebra, (II) Functions and Calculus, (III) Geometry, and (IV) Statistics & Probability. Approximately 25 percent of questions call for application of mathematics within a teaching scenario or an instructional task. Such questions are designed to measure applications of mathematics knowledge and skills to the kinds of decisions and evaluations a teacher must make during work with students, curriculum, and instruction. They situate mathematics content questions in tasks that are critical for teaching.

Praxis® Middle School Mathematics (5164) – cut score 150

ETS shares that test content topics span the middle school mathematics curriculum, including content related to (I) Numbers and Operations, (II) Algebra, (III) Functions, (IV) Geometry and Measurement, and (V) Statistics and Probability. Approximately 30 percent of questions call for application of mathematics within a teaching scenario or an instructional task. Such questions—designed to measure applications of mathematics knowledge and skills to the kinds of decisions and evaluations a teacher must make during work with students, curriculum, and instruction—situate mathematics content questions in tasks that are critical for teaching.

The assessments were designed and developed through work with practicing teachers and teacher educators to reflect the mathematics curriculum as well as state and national standards for mathematics, including the Standards for the Preparation of Middle Level Mathematics Teachers (2020), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and the Council of the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

For licensure questions, contact the Office of Educator Licensure ade.educatorlicensure@ade.arkansas.gov. For test questions, contact Michael Rowland, Educator Preparation Program Advisor, Michael.Rowland@ade.arkansas.gov or visit the DESE Licensure Assessment web page: 

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/educator-effectiveness/educator-licensure/licensure-assessments 

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