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Customer Reviews (4)

Need some French review? Don't use this book!
At first glance, this seems like a decent review book for those preparing to take the French CST.After going through and completing the practice test, I noticed that this book is riddled with mistakes and typos. As someone who NEEDS review of advanced French, I was surprised that I could identify so many glaring errors.In addition, I have taken the French CST and did not pass the first time.The questions on the actual exam are much more complicated and difficult than the questions in this review book.On the actual exam, ALL of the questions are in French, ALL of the answer choices are in French, and MOST of the questions are NOT simple one-word answers.Most questions on the CST are in paragraph form and most answer choices have multiple sentences, as well.Perhaps the questions in this book are similar to questions on the "Praxis", but they are nothing like the questions on the NYS French CST.To claim that this is a French CST sample test is false advertising.

Ridiculously Bad
I'm flabbergasted by the poor quality of this book on so many levels. As an experienced educator (overseas-trained), I am trying to keep my consternation at being forced to complete these exams from coloring my review of this product. That aside, this "practice test" is riddled with mistakes - spelling errors, answer key errors, etc., as well as poor examination questions and patchy explanations. It had a question which uses FRANCS as the currency (way to go with authenticity!) Furthermore, it has no writing questions or sample writing passages, and doesn't mention the speaking portion of the test either. It's pretty slim pickings for preparation material, but I'd just as soon do without this one!

Real test questions
I like this review booklet because it uses past CST questions and gives the correct answers with explanations.However, there is only one question for each topic, and I wish that it included more past exams.It was a great price and definitely worth it!

Many Mistakes
There were typos and some answers were not thoroughly explained.I would not recommend this product to others, especially for the amount that I paid.:( ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

teacher exam
XAMonline has done it again!Their customized approach to these manuals ensures that you know just what you need for your state's exam.When you have finished studying, take the sample exam and see how you did.You will find it is a great preparation tool. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Fully updated with State specific content and 2007 copyrights!
Fully revised by educators with more than twenty years of experience.This practical, well-researched study guide provides up-to-date current standards and information specifically assessed on the PLACE Reading 18,43.This study guide is sure to provide you with enough information to be very well prepared for the test and yet still be used as a reference throughout your teaching career.This product ships fast!If you like this book, you might also be interested in PLACE:English:High School (Place Series). ... Read more

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NYSTCE Multi-Subject (002) Test Flashcard Study System uses repetitive methods of study to teach you how to break apart and quickly solve difficult test questions on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. Study after study has shown that spaced repetition is the most effective form of learning, and nothing beats flashcards when it comes to making repetitive learning fun and fast. Our flashcards enable you to study small, digestible bits of information that are easy to learn and give you exposure to the different question types and concepts. NYSTCE Multi-Subject (002) Test Flashcard Study System covers all of the most important topics that you'll need to know to be successful on test day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GACE MG Science
I have taken several GACE exams and the exams are so vague there is no real study guide that can truly guarantee a passing grade the first time you take an exam.However, I have to say that the Middle Grades Science is better than the Middle Grades Math study guide published last year.I felt that the practice tests were better to review than actually reading the whole book.

It leaves much to be desired, but can be helpful.
First off I want to say that when I ordered this book, I was sent the wrong book (for the wrong state AND wrong subject material) by A1books, and I still cannot forgive them for such an egregious mistake. So if you were like me, and waited until the last minute to order this book (well, I ordered it two weeks before I was scheduled for my test, it arrived 3 days before my exam and what I received was the wrong book), save yourself the trouble and just go to a brick-and-mortar bookstore and pick it up and save yourself the (potential) hassle.

Personally, I am a math-minded person, bounded in logic and reason. The math involved in science for me is easy, but some of the concepts and terms for me are not. This book did help me with those terms and was good as a refresher for all the science I learned but had forgotten in middle school. I do not believe it will give the reader a mastery of science, but is a decent source to use for a cram session and as a resource guide.

As to the book itself, I must say that I feel without it I would not have passed the MG Science test. However, there is NO HELP WITHIN THIS BOOK FOR THE ESSAY PORTION. I scored 4/4 on all 4 of the multiple choice sections, but only 3/4 and 1/4 on the two essays, respectively. I looked at the online practice tests as well and I do not believe those do enough for preparation. Unless you are truly good at science, I would study this book but also try and find supplemental material for answering the essays. Also, I was not very confident that I passed the test when I took it as some of the material in the book was not tested (that should be expected, anyway), and some of the questions on the test I do not remember reading about in the book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Goto School Board site first...
I bought this book because I'd seen good reviews about the SAE from XAM.I took the Professional test and luckily past... This study guide did little to prepare me for the test.Would NOT recommend.

This is NOT a good review for the test
I took this test and passed on the first try in March 2008.I bought this book and the 'CliffsTestPrep' study guide in preparation for this test.I have no education in professional education with an unrelated degree in a more technical science.Basically, I was going into the testing process needing a book to teach me the concepts and prepare me for the test.

Now that I have taken the test, I can tell you that this book is NOT good.Besides the standard poor editing, formatting and typos that you can expect from all XAM books, overall there was nothing very useful about this book.

The front of the book (the part where they 'teach' you the content of the test) is very vague and poorly written.The one practice exam in the back does a good job of testing you on the front of the book, but DOES NOT AT ALL REPRESENT WHAT YOU WILL SEE ON THE REAL TEST!!!

Overall the concepts are similar, but there are significant enough differences that you will not recognize the information when it comes time to take the test.There is VERY SPECIFIC terminology on the test with which you want to be familiar.

I do not believe the people that put this book together have ever seen the real test or talked to anybody who has.

Good book
I took the test and I am waiting for results but I did like this book and recommend it to anyone.

Excellent source for teachers!
This study guide is well-researched and an excellent reference for new educators. The guide is aligned to the Florida's outlined guidelines for professional educator standards, and it provides specific information for the skills compiling each competency. Written by teachers, this guide covers topics including how to manage a classroom, how to motivate students, how students learn, how to grow as an educator, and more! Whether used for a new teacher just entering the classroom or as a reference during your teaching career, this book is a must-have for teachers! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Dry, dry, dry
So, let me say there aren't many choices out there when choosing a study guide. I am not certain that this book is of a tremendous amount of help.Dry, is the word I would use to describe this book.There are very few images the book is basically solid text without little else.While the information inside of the book may be what you need to study for the test, I think your time and money is better spent preparing you own study guide.

Wonderful customer service!
The book was shipped in a timely manner, and the packaging just said they cared. Thank you!

Little Illustrations
The product has a lot of information but assumes you already know much. It skips steps and often says: see illustration when there is no illustration. So you end up having to go to the internet and other sources to see how everything is done. For the money it would be nice to see it have more illustrations.

Horrendous Book
I bought this expecting a well-written review book, however, I should have paid more attention to other reviews.The author clearly had good intentions, but the editor absented themselves, for there are so many typos and downright incorrect information in this book that it is barely useful.Other XAM reviews are fairly good, but I found that I got more out of Princeton Review AP books than I did from this book.Even the test at the end of the book is rife with typos, and good luck using the answer key at the end (there are many incorrect answers, or the correct answer does not correlate with the multiple choice selections in the book).I am throwing my chips in with the other reviewers who said that they used individual textbooks to review for the TExES exam.

Do not buy it,
Typos, outdated information, wrong references, wrong information... how many high school students "collected" the information? Sad since is not that many books that would prep you for the test. ... Read more

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Read how this book can help you become a better teacher in your first year of teaching…

Unlike any other book on the market, Guide for Alternate Route Teachers: Strategies for Literacy Development, Classroom Management, and Teaching and Learning, K-12 offers guidance for professionals in all content areas (K-12) who are beginning new careers in teaching through the alternate route certification process. 

This unique book is designed to address all of the important topics that new teachers encounter, including classroom management, literacy, inclusion, and working with English learners.  The overarching goal of this resource is to provide alternate route teachers with the confidence and basic knowledge they need to begin their new careers and their responsibilities as teachers.

Why Reviewers Think This is a Unique Resource….

“The emphasis on serving all students is admirable. By including information about the inclusive classroom and concomitant teaching strategies, the authors are telling new teachers that this is the norm, and that being prepared to serve all students from the get-go is essential. I applaud them for including this emphasis in their book... I believe this book will be a great resource for alternative route teachers and for all new teachers, as well.”

- Mary Glenn Rinne, Indiana Department of Education

What Makes This Book the First of its Kind …

• Two chapters are totally devoted to literacy development, with hands-on strategies and ready-to-use materials that will help teachers understand how to teach literacy and how to help students understand  their content area textbooks. 
• Provides a strong knowledge base in inclusive education.
• Addresses the importance of the home - school connection.
• Offers information and strategies for understanding cultural differences, teaching English Language Learners, Students with Special Needs and differentiating instruction for all students.
• Practical suggestions and strategies that can be immediately implemented.
• Alignment of teaching practices with state and national tests and standards.
• Includes strategies for literacy teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Product Description
This is the only introduction to teaching text that is specifically built around the new Texas standards for teacher certification. Although there are many excellent introductory teaching texts, none of these are matched precisely to the Texas teacher certification standard. There are several practice TExES books, but they are short on theory. Nath and Cohen combine both, so not only will students pass the Texas certification text, they will also learn a great deal about good teaching practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Primer for Taking the Teacher's Test in Texas...
Hate to say I knew it all, but this title didn't help me. But, it's not to say that it wouldn't help someone else trying to be a teacher in Texas.

BEST EC-4 PPR BOOK EVER!!
I took that EC-4 PPR on 4/4/2009 and passed with a 279!I am by no means a "test taker" (meaning, that test taking does NOT come naturally for me, I am one of those people that absolutely have to do A LOT of studying to pass a test). This book had a lot of great practice questions. It is 400 pages which is a lot to read because the pages are a little bigger than regular pages. It took me about 1 1/2 months to go through the whole book, I am pretty sure that it may take others less, but 1 month is the average study time frame you should take when studying for the PPR, especially with this book (since its 400 pages).But let's not forget that I studied every single day...no seriously, every day!Another tool that I used, that also helped was a EC-4 PPR software by Certify Teacher (go to www.certifyteacher.com) I used this software along with reading the book "Becoming and EC-4 Teacher in Texas" and it really helped!Good luck!

Top Rate preparations
Amazon sent my product to me within two days!I was glad to receive this item.This book was suggested by the University of Texas at Arlington as a tool in preparing for the PPR's.This is a test taken in preparation for becoming an EC-4 teacher.The questions are very close to what is on the exam and helped me reduce my anxieties of taking this test.
Thank you!

A must have!
I strongly recommend and encourage anyone taking the TeXes teaching certification exam to purchase this book!~

An ExcellentBook
If you want to pass the PPR for the state of Texas, this is the book for you!The book is extremely easy to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gives a lot of valuable information but none valuable for passing the CSET
I agree that this book does have a lot of subject matter information but the CSET is not designed to test how much you know about the subject. The CSET is a typical norm reference test where it tests your test taking ablility rather than your knowledge. I will admit that this book helped me pass the Subtest 1 but for the other two Subtests (2,3) the booked helped very little. The CSET is purely strategy and any person with good common sense and a good strategy for multiple choice tests can pass the CSET. I made the mistake of studying this book and failing two of the tests because I focused on the information of this book and did not practice my test taking skills. My advice is to study the practice tests online for at the CSET website and practice the essay portion becasue the question format is exact only different subject matter. Here it is from a money percpective: It costs $70 per test and this book costs anywhere from $40 to $70. Chances are that you will be spending extra money to retake one of the tests and to spend your money on a practice book that costs just as much as the test and doesn't help is a waist of time.

This Book is the reason I passed the CSET
I read the reviews on this book and they were mixed, however study guides for this subject are hard to find. The CSET is a ridiculous test that pulls random questions from all spectrums of the subject. However, I bought this book and it gave me a great overview and foundation for studying and ultimately passing the CSET. Not everything that I was tested on is in the book, but I don't think they could possibly make a book with all of the subject knowledge in it. The book gave me a great starting point to pull information from and their is no way I would have passed the test without it. ... Read more

Product Description
This study guide targets teacher competencies and skills for Emotionally Handicapped. You read four years worth of material between the covers of one study guide. Regardless if your test is multiple choice or essay format you will have ample material to reflect upon to do well on these formats. The majority of XAM study guides have 125 question multiple choice sample tests. The questions are medium to hard in difficulty but reasonable for a trained teacher candidate to answer. Since the questions do highly resemble the real test we are frequently asked if they are former tests. They are not. If any question from our book appears on the test it would be a coincidence. XAM Publishing, Inc. has e-mail support at winwin1111@aol.com. XAM staff welcomes your updates and values your input. Each year a new version of the study guide is released so you may have the best in educational research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

gets the job done, but not the best edited book written
Wow, what can I say about this prep. guide?Well, two things.1. It is a necessary evil in order to pass the exam.2. I've never seen so many mistakes in spelling in a book before.The guide did help me pass the ESE exam that I initially failedw without the guide.But where does our 40 bucks go?Not to editors and spell checkers, that's for sure.I also found at least 2 answers of the practice test where actually wrong themselves, a scary thought, but I passed.

False and misleading title!!
This book, while titled and marketed as a study guide for the ESE test, appears to be the study guide for the old Emotionally Handicapped FTCE test (no longer used) with a new cover.In fact, the table of contents pages as well as the title page all indicate that the book is for the "Emotionally Handicapped" test.

Furthermore, I was disturbed to see misspellings, unfinished sentences, and poor grammar.This should NEVER happen in any publication sold to the public, but especially it shouldn't happen in a TEACHERS' STUDY GUIDE that cost $30!!

And finally, the title page promised a bibliography and sources were cited throughout the book.There was no bibliography included, however; and therefore no way to find the full citations for the sources mentioned.

I believe it is false advertising to market this book as a study guide for the ESE test when it so clearly is a study guide for the EH test with a new cover. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

DO NOT BUY, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
Do not buy this book!It has mistakes in it, and is not targeted at all to the actual MTEL!! For starters, the chemistry MTEL is 80 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions; however, the "sample test" in the book is 125 multiple choice questions, and some of the answers are just plain WRONG.Nowhere in the book does it say ANYTHING about short answer questions - which account for 2 of the 4 hours in the chemistry MTEL!!

Also, this is supposed to be a chemistry book?Well, nowhere in the book is there a periodic table.Seriously.Clearly something is missing. The author just got lucky that there's no other chemistry MTEL books out there.What a waste of $70!!

So, to the few of us crazy enough to endure the certification exam, here are my words of advice:

1. The MTEL chemistry is hard.Harder than the practice questions listed on the Mass DOE site. Know EVERYTHING in the state standards, because that's obviously what they're interested in most.
2. Depending on how fresh you are out of college, plan to study for at least a month before the test.
3. Do NOT use an AP Chem source to study for the MTEL, because the types of questions are simply different.
4. Instead, find any high school chemistry book, preferably a teacher's edition, and use the chapter summaries and practice problems to guide your studying.You'll likely need to know the whole book.

Good luck,
a high school chemistry teacher

MA study guide
MA has a demanding testing system.This manual, with over 350 pages, addresses each of the necessary points to pass your exam.Subject matter is broken down into competencies, with subheadings called skills.Many problems, with solutions are included, and there is a sample test at the back.Great resource!

PRAXIS
The PRAXIS testing system is used by many states because it does such a good job of assessing skill.This guide dives into all of the competencies set forth in the PRAXIS framework.It was written by a group of teachers and chemists, so it should be both accurate and useful as a study tool. ... Read more

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Get a better chance of achieving National Board Certification with this comprehensive workbook of forms, checklists, and step-by-step instructions for assembling the critical portfolio component of the process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Don't think is worth the money
I bought this book while going through the process of getting nationally certified. It's cumbersome to used and it really is not help at all. Save your money and used it toward the hefty fee you have to pay for your certification.

Helpful advice!
I am applying for National Board certification this year and I was hoping this book could help ease some of my fears about the process.It definitely did that!It's filled with great advice and lots of helpful places to record reflections and thoughts.I had hoped it would give more samples of what the assessors were looking for, but it didn't really do that.I was also hoping it would give more insight on the content of the 6 hour exam that comes at the end of the certification process, but it mostly gave advice about the test.Regardless, I found this book very helpful (moreso than "Navigating the National Board Process" which I also purchased).In my opinion, every little bit of information helps, so if you have applied for National Board and you're looking for helpful advice and info, you might enjoy this book.

Recommended by Presenter
A group of teachers at my school went to the National Board presentation done by our state presenter.She recommended this book as a helpful workbook through this process.I plan on going through this process this coming year.I will enter another review then.I am hoping that our state presenter's recommendation is correct! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Needs to be updated and edited
Before taking the test:

I'm not overly impressed with this prep book. At this point I've read it cover-to-cover and taken the practice test.

I noticed at least one error in the answer key. The explanation is correct, but the letter they list as correct is wrong and doesn't match the explanation.

There are typos throughout.

As far as I know, I have the newest version, but there are differences between the 15 competencies listed in this prep book and the competencies listed on the study guide from the Florida Dept. of Ed. In some cases, the XAM guide had two separate competencies that have been merged into one in the official study guide, but that also means that there are competencies in the official study guide that aren't listed at all in this XAM prep book. One example of a competency completely missing form the XAM prep book is "Knowledge of reading research and strategies."

Something else important that seemed missing from this guide is a description of what *kind* of questions are on the exam and what percentage of the exam is focused on each competency. It is important to know which competencies have more coverage on the exam so that study can be focused more on a 7% area and less on a 2% area. This type of information can be gotten from the FDOE study guide that you can buy when you register for the test.

Unfortunately, for this particular FCTE, this prep book is the only choice aside from the FDOE study guide.

A couple of nice features about this prep book that the FDOE study guide doesn't have: it offers 1-2 page summaries of each skill under the competencies it does include and it offers explanations for the answers on the practice test. The answer explanations could be improved by including more detail about why wrong answers are wrong rather than just why right answers are right, but at least it does explain why the right answers are right.

After taking the test:
I passed on the first try, and this study guide did help focus some of my studying, but the practice questions really weren't indicative of the kind of questions that were on the test. The test questions were much more difficult. I definitely recommend combining this study guide with the FDOE study guide AND having taken the right course work.I drew from what I learned in at least five or six of the LIS courses I've taken, and even having almost completed my Masters in library science with a concentration in school media *and* having used this study guide and the FDOE study guide, there were still questions I didn't feel prepared to answer.

This Won't Be the Only Book You Need To Pass!
This is a good guidebook for studying to pass the FTCE exam, but you will need to study other books to pass the exam as well.I studied this book from cover to cover and the exam asks other questions that are not covered in this guidebook.If you have never been a Media Specialist, it will be hard to pass the exam without having the experience of the job.I was told by a seasoned Specialist that even those in the position have a hard time passing the exam.You will need to study books like Information Power and research books from the library on the actual job itself.I have not been able to pass it yet, and I have studied multiple books.I think thisguidebook it definitely needed, but do not count on it as the only book to pass the exam!

You have no choice but to buy this book...
I had no choice but to buy this book. It was the only current study guide I could find for the FTCE - Media Studies. Unfortunately many of the questions that were on the test were nowhere mentioned in this book. They were actually common sense questions that you'd know only if you had experience as a Media Specialist. Since I did not, I had to often guess or think really hard that by the time the test was over I felt like I had been through brain surgery. I had to go back and review my answers 2-3 times on the questions that I knew for a fact I did not see in this book. The book itself was very repetitive which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because if reviews the information you learned as you move along and bad because you have to learn same information but in many different contexts which could get confusing. On the plus side also, the book is condensed and not as huge and frightening as some other FTCE tests. I think the pass rate on this exam is about 70% so if you have decent common sense, general knowledge and you read and understand this book, you have a good chance. I would not waste time memorizing each book and its authoras well as all the book winners unless you have loads of time to study ( I had about 2 weeks). Luckily, I passed the test and the book did help but be prepared be shocked by some parts of the test even if you've memorized this book cover to cover

A great study guide, but a terrible test!
This book is an excellent study guide and gives you everything you need to pass the educational media test. On the flip side, the test is flawed with a ton of mistake. When taking the test, please check #4, #18, #28 and a few others. There are problems like the word "except" or "not" was left out which changes the answer. Also, twice in the test there are four similar questions, but when you get to the answers, the question and answer has changed. Like I said this is a study guide, not a great test. So please get the Educational Media Specialist Pk-12 test preparation from USF. There is a test in their packet which is almost perfect. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Outdated
The 2008 version doesn't cover all of the FCAT data and AYP data charts that are on the test.It was somewhat useful but needs to be updated to match the latest version of the test.

Lots of errors
This book was somewhat helpful, but was riddled with errors.I found a lot of mistakes, both typos and downright incorrect information.This makes me wonder how many mistakes there were that I did not find.I guess that will be determined when I see my FELE test grade.Isn't there anyone out there who's actually from Florida who can give better insight as to what's on the Florida test?

Don't be surprised
A good preparation book, but don't be surprised to find plenty of mistakes and answers that are repeated or do not match the question. A little scary when your about to take the exam.

Excellent Service
I ordered the book on Saturday night. The book was on my door step Monday when I returned from work. I appreciate the excellent service. ... Read more

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Nothing is as fundamental to the quality of a school system as the quality of its teachers. For this reason many countries are seeking policies that meet the challenge of promoting quality teaching.



The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in the USA is the most ambitious and successful attempt by any country to establish a certification system for recognizing and rewarding teachers who reach high professional standards. Established in 1987, the Board's mission has been driven by a simple principle; to place more value on accomplished teaching, we must learn how to evaluate teacher performance in ways that are valid, reliable and fair. By late 2007, over 60,000 teachers had become National Board Certified Teachers.



As other countries place increasing importance on policies designed to attract, develop, and retain effective teachers there is growing interest in the extensive research and development work that has underpinned the Board's certification system and guided its implementation. The main purpose of this book is to bring together, for international as well as non-specialist audiences, papers written by the key researchers involved in the development of National Board assessments between 1987 and 1997.



One of the many reasons why the Board's work is noteworthy is the extent to which, at every stage of development, it has subjected its standards and certification process to critique by leading figures in educational measurement, as the chapters in this volume illustrate. As a result, the NBPTS has made a major contribution to international understanding about how to develop valid standards and reliable methods for assessing teacher performance that gain both professional and public esteem.
The NBPTS provides an example of a well researched certification scheme for measuring teacher quality that can provide a service to governments and employers seeking a reliable indicator of teacher quality. Standards are the gateway to greater professional self-direction, and a certification system is a means by which the teaching profession can build its own infrastructure for defining high quality teaching standards, promoting development toward those standards and providing recognition to those who meet them.



This book also aims to provide some of the many lessons the Board has learned about how to make a professional certification system for teachers manageable and affordable, which is perhaps an even greater challenge. ... Read more

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In order to be employed in any New York State public school, teaching candidates must pass the New York State Teacher Certification Exams, even if they hold a license in another state.Review for the two main tests are covered in this book:the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills–Written (ATS–W).Descriptions are also provided for:the Content Specialty Tests (CST), the Language Proficiency Assessments (LPA, and the Assessment of Teaching Skills–Performance (ATS-P). ... Read more