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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Teaching Foundations Examinations and the Early Completion Internship Option
This web page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Teaching Foundations Examinations (TFE) and the Early Completion Internship Option. The following Q & A is provided to answer questions about these matters in the most accurate manner. Thank you for your interest in becoming a California credentialed teacher.
I took one of the TFE. Did I pass?
Minimum passing scores are established for four of the TFE tests. Passing scores for the remaining TFE area will be established when there are a sufficient number of examinees to perform a passing standards study.
The minimum passing scores for the four TFEs are the following:
TFE: Multiple Subjects 155 TFE: English 173 TFE: Mathematics 153 TFE: Science 171
When is the TFE offered?
As a result of the implementation of Senate Bill 57 (Scott, Chapter 269, Statute of 2001), the TFEs are used to satisfy one portion of the Early Completion Internship Option of the internship programs for California Multiple and Single Subject Teaching Credentials. Educational Testing Service (ETS) offers these pedagogical exams in five areas: Multiple Subjects, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.
Passing standards have been established for four of the TFE tests: Multiple Subjects, English, Mathematics, and Science. These four exams are given on each scheduled administration date.
The remaining TFE pedagogical area, Social Science, is available but will not be given until at least 30 individuals statewide register to take the specific TFE area at a single test administration. Then, to establish qualifying scores, there must be at least a total of 50 examination results. Once there are sufficient examination results, it will take an additional four to six months to determine qualifying scores. Individuals may register for any available test date and will be notified if there are sufficient numbers to administer the specific area test requested on that date.
The TFE is administered a number of times each year throughout California. Contact ETS for current TFE registration information, administration dates, testing fee, or if you have other test related questions. Their web site is: www.ets.org/praxis/
How often may I take the TFE?
If needed, a TFE may be retaken until the intern begins the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) portion of the intern program. Those who pass the TFE will only have one opportunity to pass the TPA and continue in the Early Completion Internship Option of the internship program. Those that do not pass the TPA during their initial try may continue in the traditional internship program.
What credential areas are covered by this exam and credentialing option?
The TFEs are currently offered for Multiple Subject candidates and Single Subject: Mathematics, Science and English candidates. The TFE in Social Science will be given at future test administrations once 30 exam candidates register for the specific test. But until fifty persons take the Social Science exam, the individual passing score cannot be established. There will be an additional delay, four to six months, to establish these minimum passing standards.
Assembly Bill 2286, (Mountjoy, Chapter 658, Statutes of 2004) authorizes the development and administration of a TFE for Education Specialists in Mild to Moderate Disabilities. The examination is currently in the development stage.
The TFE is not anticipated for other credential areas including other single subjects or other education specialists. The test may not be used to waive "student teaching" or waive coursework in any other type of credential program except the Early Completion Internship Option.
What materials are available to study for the Teaching Foundations Exam?
The "Test at a Glance," offered electronically by ETS, includes test content, test format, and sample questions with answers. You may view the "Test at a Glance" by going to the ETS web site, www.ets.org/praxis/, click on "State Requirements," which is located at the top of the page, and then click on "California." Click on "Teaching Foundations (SB 57) Pedagogy Tests" and then on the number under Session/Test Code of the specific area that interests you.
Another possibility would be to determine what pedagogical texts are used by the teacher preparation program that interests you. These books should be available at the university program's bookstore or library. You might also contact your internship program for guidance.
Can you explain the Early Completion Internship Option and what this test will do for me?
The Early Completion Internship Option is designed for those who have knowledge and experience teaching school-age students. The TFE allows an individual to demonstrate knowledge of the teaching methods taught in a teacher preparation program. The TPA allows an individual to demonstrate the teaching skills required of all certificated teachers. These assessments, along with other requirements, allow the individual to become credentialed at a faster pace.
To be eligible to participate in the Early Completion Internship Option, an individual must be accepted into a Commission-approved internship program and have an offer of employment from a school district. Education Code Section 44468 allows individuals to bypass most teacher preparation coursework by passing the TFE and bypass the fieldwork requirements by passing the TPA offered by their internship program. (For the Early Completion Internship Option, the TPA must be passed the first time it is taken.) In addition to the TFE, admission into an internship program requires the following:
1. Bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university,
2. A passing score on the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST),
3a. Subject matter competence for the Single Subject (via exam-currently CSET-or approved program),
3b. Subject matter competence for the Multiple Subject (via exam-currently CSET: MS),
4. Knowledge of the U.S. Constitution (via exam or coursework),
5. Professional fitness (fingerprinting), and
6. Any additional requirements established by the individual program, e.g. GPA, experience.
Individuals may take the TFE before completing the above requirements but must complete the above requirements, 1-6, and have an offer of employment before entering the Early Completion Internship Option. (Note: The TFE must be used towards credentialing within five years of the passing date.) Once in the program, individuals must pass the TPA during their initial attempt. The individual then obtains the recommendation of their program before applying for the preliminary Multiple or Single Subject Teaching Credential.
For more information on internship programs visit the internship section of the Commission's website. For a complete description of the Early Completion Internship Option go to www.ctc.ca.gov/coded/020013/020013.pdf [PDF].
I would like to participate in a district or university intern program, how can I find out about these?
For more information on intern programs in California visit www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/CREDS/internships.html . Here you will find contact information for internships available in every county in California.
How do I find a district that would be interested in hiring me?
Many districts in California have streamlined their application and hiring process. For example, applicants interested in teaching in Los Angeles Unified School District should go to www.teachinla.com, and if you have additional questions, contact Lynne Parkhurst at lynn.parkhurst@lausd.net. Individuals interested in teaching in districts throughout California should go to the EdJoin website www.edjoin.org. This site has a single application process that participating districts use, posted job openings, and links to the teacher recruitment centers that are available to assist prospective teachers throughout the state.
Where may I obtain additional information about the TFE and the Early Completion Internship Option?
For testing information about the TFE, go to the ETS website at www.ets.org/praxis/. For test dates, centers, and other test administration information, go to the "Registration Bulletin." by clicking on "Registration" under "Praxis II' on the left hand column. For the TFE test guides and other information, go to the ETS website and click on "State Requirements" at the top of the page, then on California, and then on Teaching Foundations (SB 57) Pedagogy Tests. You may access the Test at a Glance guides by clicking on the specific TFE Session/Test Code.
For information about the Early Completion Internship Option, please go to the Commission website at leaflet CL-834. You may also view general information about internships, including a list of internship programs, by accessing www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/CREDS/internships.html . The individual intern programs are also an excellent source of information about this option.
Didn't SB 57 have a credential option for private school teachers?
SB 57 (Scott) also contained provisions that allowed private school teachers who have three or more years of experience to have certain credential requirements waived. For information about the private school option, see leaflet CL-834 [PDF].