2008–2009
About the RICA
Through the California Reading Initiative,
California has made a major commitment to improving students’
reading skills and performance. An important element of
the California Reading Initiative is Educational Code
Section 44283, which is foremost among the efforts to
improve the preservice preparation of teacher candidates.
The law requires the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) to “develop, adopt, and administer
a reading instruction competence assessment . . . to measure
an individual’s knowledge, skill, and ability relative
to effective reading instruction.” Evaluation
Systems was contracted by the CTC to
assist in the development, administration, and scoring
of this assessment, which is known as the Reading Instruction
Competence Assessment® (RICA®).
The goal of reading instruction is to develop competent,
thoughtful readers who are able to use, interpret, and
appreciate all types of text. Beginning teachers need
to be able to deliver effective reading instruction that
- is based on the results of ongoing assessment;
- reflects knowledge of state and local reading standards for different grade levels;
- represents a balanced comprehensive reading curriculum;
- is sensitive to the needs of all students.
The purpose of the RICA is to ensure
that California-trained candidates for Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials
and Education Specialist Instruction Credentials (special
education) possess the knowledge and skills important
for the provision of effective reading instruction to
students.
The set of teacher knowledge and skills reflected in the
RICA and described in the RICA Content Specifications
is organized into the following four domains:
- Domain I: Planning and Organizing Reading Instruction
Based on Ongoing Assessment
- Domain II: Developing Phonological and Other Linguistic
Processes Related to Reading
- Domain III: Developing Reading Comprehension and
Promoting Independent Reading
- Domain IV: Supporting Reading Through Oral and
Written Language Development
The RICA Content Specifications were developed by the
CTC’s RICA Advisory Panel, which consisted of California teachers,
administrators, reading specialists, and teacher educators
with experience and expertise in the areas of reading
and reading instruction. Development of the specifications
included a job analysis of the teaching of reading in
which over 900 California teachers, reading specialists,
and teacher educators rated the importance of specific
teacher tasks, knowledge, and abilities related to effective
reading instruction. Results of the job analysis were
used to develop draft RICA Content Specifications, which
were the subject of a field review in which approximately
1,200 California teachers and teacher educators judged
the importance of the proposed competencies. The RICA
Advisory Panel used the results of the field review to
finalize the RICA Content Specifications, which were subsequently
adopted by the CTC. As is appropriate for any examination, the RICA
content specifications were reviewed and recently revised to reflect current research in the field. It
is anticipated that a revised RICA will be available in August 2009 and will replace the current RICA at
that time
The RICA Content Specifications are available for review
on the RICA Web site by selecting
“Content Specifications.”
RICA Assessments
The RICA consists of two separate assessments: the RICA
Written Examination and the RICA Video Performance Assessment.
Both the Written Examination and the Video Performance
Assessment are based on the RICA Content Specifications.
A passing score on either assessment represents successful
completion of the RICA requirement. A passing score must
be used to apply for California certification within five
years of the test date or submission deadline on which
the score was earned.
RICA Written Examination
The RICA Written Examination consists of two sections
that, together, permit a broad and deep assessment of
the candidate’s knowledge about effective reading instruction
in the four RICA domains and the candidate’s ability to
apply that knowledge.
Tests may include some questions that will not count toward
an examinee's score. These questions are placed on the test in order
to collect information about how they will perform under actual testing
conditions.
The
multiple-choice section of the RICA
Written Examination includes 70 multiple-choice questions.
The multiple-choice questions include both content questions,
in which knowledge about reading and reading instruction
is directly assessed, and contextualized questions that
assess the candidate’s ability to apply specific knowledge,
to analyze specific problems, or to conduct specific tasks
related to reading instruction. Approximately 20% of the
multiple-choice questions assess competencies in Domain
I, 30% assess competencies in Domain II, 30% assess competencies
in Domain III, and 20% assess competencies in Domain IV.
The
constructed-response section of the
RICA Written Examination requires the candidate to write
essays, as described below.
- Focused Educational Problems and Instructional
Tasks (4 essays, each covering one domain).
In these assignments, the candidate is presented with
a problem or task relating to a class, a group of
students, an individual student, or an instructional
situation. The candidate is asked to consider this
information and provide explanations related to appropriate
instructional strategies or assessment approaches.
The assignments for Domains I and IV each require
a written response of approximately 50 words, and
those for Domains II and III each require a written
response of approximately 150 words.
- Case Study (1 essay). For this
assignment, candidates receive substantial background
information about a student and samples of materials
illustrating the student’s reading performance. Candidates
are asked to assess the student’s reading performance,
describe appropriate instructional strategies,
and explain why these strategies would be effective.
The exam includes one case study, which includes content
related to all four domains of the RICA Content Specifications
and requires a written response of approximately 300 words.
The RICA Written Examination is administered six times
per year. Refer to “
Test Dates”
for information about the RICA Written Examination schedule.
RICA Video Performance Assessment
The RICA Video Performance Assessment offers candidates
the option of an evaluation based on actual classroom
performance rather than a written examination. Candidates
who choose the Video Performance Assessment create and
submit videotapes of themselves teaching reading.
The RICA Video Performance Assessment requires the candidate
to prepare three Video Packets, each of which includes
(a) an Instructional Context Form, on which the candidate
provides information relevant to the videotaped instruction,
such as information about the students and a lesson plan;
(b) a ten-minute videotape of the candidate providing
reading instruction to students; and (c) a Reflection
Form, on which the candidate provides an appraisal of
the videotaped instruction, suggestions for further or
alternative instructional strategies, and similar information.
For one Video Packet, the candidate must demonstrate whole-class
instruction; for another, small-group instruction; and
for the third, individual instruction. As detailed in
instructions sent to registered candidates, one Video
Packet should demonstrate competencies in RICA Domains
I and II, one should demonstrate competencies in RICA
Domains I and III, and one should demonstrate competencies
in RICA Domains I and IV.
The RICA Video Performance Assessment schedule is based
on submission deadlines—these are dates by which completed
assessments must be received by the RICA Program in order
for candidates to be mailed their score reports on the
corresponding score report date. There are three submission
deadlines during the 2008–2009 RICA program year.
Before registering for the RICA Video Performance Assessment,
candidates should ensure that they
- have access to either a self-contained classroom or
a core class in which English reading/language arts are
taught;
- have access to the recording equipment and media as specified in the RICA Video Procedures Manual;
- obtain permission to videotape from (1) the principal
of the school where the videotaping will occur, (2) the
supervising (master) teacher (if applicable), and (3)
the parents/guardians of each student who will be included
in the videotaped instruction.
Refer to “
Test Dates”
for more information about the Video Performance Assessment,
including the registration deadline, preparation of materials,
submission deadlines, and score report dates.
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