Best Teachers' Test Preparation For The Nmta New Mexico Assessment of Teacher Basic Skills

Teach... Inspire... Lead... Introduction With this book in hand, you've taken an important step toward becoming a certified teacher in the state of New Mexico. REA's all-new NMTA teacher certification test prep is designed to help you get into a New Mexico classroom. The instructive chapters in this book provide complete coverage of the NMTA Assessment of Teacher Basic Skills with in-depth reviews of every topic and area appearing on the exam. A full-length practice test carefully modeled after actual NMTA exams will hone your test-taking skills. All practice test answers are explained in thorough detail to provide you with a greater understanding of the exam's content and difficulty. When you finish preparing with this book, you will be well-equipped with all the knowledge, practice, and strategies needed to succeed on this important exam. About the Test What is the NMTA used for? The New Mexico educator licensure system is based on the attainment and demonstration of competencies adopted by the Public Education Commission (PEC). The New Mexico Teacher Assessments (NMTA) are required for individuals seeking initial New Mexico licensure. Additional information about educator licenses and endorsements is available at the PED Website at http://www.ped.state.nm.us. If you are applying for a New Mexico educator license for the first time, you must complete a fingerprint background check. Fingerprints must be taken by a law enforcement agency or other agency with staff trained to take fingerprints. You may request fingerprint cards by contacting the Educator Ethics Bureau at (505) 827-6649, or you may contact a local school district. Am I required to take this test if I hold a teaching certificate from another state? You may be allowed New Mexico teacher licensure under the state's reciprocity option. First you must possess a bachelor's and/or master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. You must also possess a valid, standard certificate/license from another state, and can provide proof of passage of a teacher competency exam for that out-of-state license, or you can provide evidence of having satisfactorily taught under that out-of-state license. For online information about this option, visit the New Mexico Public Education's Professional Licensure Unit at www.sde.state.nm.us/div/ais/lic. How is the test content determined? The New Mexico Staff Accountability Plan of 1981 mandated assessment as part of the state's teacher licensure requirements. In response to this mandate, the State of New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) selected National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (NES) to fulfill the requirements for a testing program by developing and administering the NMTA. The purpose of the NMTA is to help identify candidates for licensure who have demonstrated the level of knowledge and skills that is important in performing the job of a teacher in New Mexico public schools. The NMTA test addresses areas covered by the Public Education Department Teacher Competencies and Indicators and other state policy documentation. The test is criterion-referenced and competency-based. A criterion-referenced test is 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. Test questions are developed using educational materials relevant to New Mexico, including textbooks, New Mexico's curriculum frameworks, teacher education curricula, and licensure standards. The questions are reviewed by committees of New Mexico's teachers, teacher educators, and other content and assessment specialists. Who administers the NMTA? The NMTA is administered by National Evaluation Systems (http://www.nmta.nesinc.com). NES is one of the largest testing firms in the United States. When iResearch and Education Association Staff is the author of 'Best Teachers' Test Preparation For The Nmta New Mexico Assessment of Teacher Basic Skills', published 2005 under ISBN 9780738601564 and ISBN 073860156X.