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Committee recommends adding Pearson Foundations of Reading Assessment as option for initial licensure
Summary
The Education Policy Committee voted to recommend the addition of Pearson Evaluation Services' Foundations of Reading Assessment as an alternative test option for demonstrating mastery of teaching reading for initial teacher licensure, noting it aligns with the science of reading and may reduce duplicate testing for out'of'state candidates.
Kelly Meadows presented a request that the board add the Foundations of Reading Assessment, published by Pearson Evaluation Services, as an additional option teachers may use to meet the reading-instruction assessment requirement for initial licensure.
Meadows said the state currently uses the Praxis/TREE assessment and will continue to do so, but that adopting the Pearson assessment as an additional option could reduce duplicative testing for candidates who already took comparable assessments in other states. "Thirteen states are using or requiring either an option or the Pearson Evaluation System's Foundations of Reading Assessment," Meadows said, pointing to interstate compatibility as a rationale.
She also promised the committee a framework document for the assessment that breaks down content and scoring. In summary provided during the meeting, multiple-choice components were described as comprising roughly 80% of the assessment across three subareas (35%, 27%, 18% respectively), with open-response items making up about 20% (10% foundations of reading skills; 10% reading comprehension).
Committee members asked how MSDE can be assured the addition would not lower standards; Meadows said she would provide the assessment framework and competency mapping as part of the December board materials. The committee voted by voice to recommend adoption of the additional assessment option to the full board; members present voiced "Aye" and the motion passed.
The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; documentation requested by the committee (assessment framework) will be provided at the December meeting.
