The Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Educational Media Specialist PK-12 exam is a 2 hour 30 minute computer-based test, containing around 100 multiple-choice questions and is required for any aspiring Florida media specialist. Candidates will need to have taken a relevant undergraduate or graduate educational program in library science beforehand. The media specialist certification test assesses test takers' knowledge of a wide range of professional competencies, including learning principles, staff development, assessment, advocacy, collection development, and a varying number of skills needed to perform the role in PK-12 schools. The 25 competencies have been created to map to the expected training and education candidates should have taken by the time they take the Florida teacher certification exam. A successful candidate can then move forward with gaining state certification to work as a media coordinator in the state of Florida.
The Florida media specialist certification test is a 2 hour and 30 minute exam with 100 multiple-choice questions that come in five kinds different types. Candidates may encounter a scenario question, where they are required to examine a problem and recommend a course of action or diagnosis out of the four available answers. They may be asked to complete a sentence, answer a direct question, analyze data from a study and select the best response, or select the most appropriate task for a student based on a given situation.
The multiple-choice question content is divided between the 25 competencies. Each competency represents a given portion of the exam, as shown in the following list:
According to the Florida Department of Education (DOE), the Florida media specialist certification first requires appropriate subject education for licensure. Candidates will then need a passing score on the FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK-12 Exam. If they do not have an existing certification, a graduate degree, or passing scores on the Graduate Record Exams, they will also need a passing score on the Florida Professional Knowledge and General Knowledge Tests. With these in hand, candidates then should submit an application package to the Florida DOE with official transcripts and the required fee of $75. This should then qualify a candidate for an initial PK-12 media specialist certification.
There are also reciprocity agreements with the Florida DOE allowing those with qualifying licensure from other states to seek work as a media coordinator, as well as those who are National Board certified.
There are a few different higher education routes to fulfill the higher education requirements and become a media coordinator in Florida. One is a bachelor's degree in Library Science, which provides a four-year major in the subject. A major in another related subject with appropriate library and educational media related coursework (see below) is another option. A third option is a graduate degree. A master's degree in library science covers all of the required topics and fulfills the state's education requirements. There are no specific work requirements in Florida to become a school librarian. The state expects candidates to be appropriately educated in the field and to have passed the required tests, but not to have had previous media coordinator experience.
Aspiring media coordinators need to have a full major in educational media or library science, or 30 required hours of coursework that contain certain required subjects to qualify. These credits can be taken in an undergraduate degree or graduate program. The 30 hours of library related work must include:
Candidates need to know the principles and techniques of how to classify and catalog school library resources. v
To start the registration process for the FTCE media specialist exam, candidates must go online to the Florida Teacher Certifications Exam (FTCE) official website. The registration requires the candidate to sign up for Florida Teacher Certification Exam to secure an account for all first-time users. Candidates can choose which institution their scores will be sent. During registration candidates will be asked to make an appointment for the FTCE PK-12 exam. There are a large number of Pearson testing sites in Florida and around the country to make it easy for candidates to register, and appointments can be scheduled at a range of times and dates. Once a candidate has registered they should receive an appointment confirmation email. This should contain all required information for getting to the testing center, including the address and time confirmation. All candidates have one year from the date of registration to schedule the test day appointment. If no appointment is made candidates have to re-register.
The FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK-12 test costs $150, to be paid at the time of registration (this is also the fee for retakes). The FTCE test fees can be paid using a credit, debit, or check card. If a candidate does not have such a card, they can call the FTCE Customer Service line found on the official FTCE website.
There are a lot of testing policies that must be followed for the FTCE Media Specialist certification test Florida and agreed to upon registration. Candidates must bring two valid and unexpired forms of ID, like a driver's license, a military ID, or passport, that must contain a signature and photo.
Smoking, weapons, and visitors are prohibited, and this includes children (accommodations for nursing mothers must be prearranged weeks in advance). All personal items are also prohibited and will need to be stored in the provided lockers at the testing center. This includes cell phones, calculators, wallets, and food and drink. All test-takers should arrive at the testing center 30 minutes before their appointment, and anyone who fails to show for the test will only be able to reschedule due to illness, injury, or death in the family. Any candidate who did not pass may retake it in accordance with the FTCE retake policy, but they must wait 31 days and pay the fee again.
Like all FTCE tests, the Educational Media Specialist PK-12 Test is pass or fail. To pass, the candidate must reach a scaled score of at least 200. The number of items answered is the candidate's raw score. This is converted to a scaled score to ensure that multiple forms of the test have a common passing minimum. The FTCE unofficial score report should be available to a candidate at the end of the test. A candidate's final scaled score will be available within four weeks of the testing date. All candidates should receive an email when the score is available, which can be viewed on their account and forwarded to their chosen institution.
Finding or building an FTCE media specialist study guide should make for a strong start to a test taker's review before test day. There are commercial study guides available for the exam both online and in print, many of which will come with a practice test. These are useful tools for candidates to familiarize themselves with test content and format. The FTCE practice test webpage also has a tutorial to introduce computer-adaptive tests which, if a candidate has not taken one before, may be a useful step before test day.
A good first step for test-takers is to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the 25 competencies of the media specialist PK-12 test. Each of these competencies composes between 2% - 7% of the test's questions, so examinees can use these to structure their study time before test day, devoting more time to the sections that are more thoroughly tested on. Another option is to map the competencies directly to a candidate's higher education coursework. The official FTCE media specialist PK-12 study guide has a worksheet to do just this, which allows a candidate to note any gaps in their knowledge they may need to fill before the exam.
A FTCE Media Specialist practice test is especially helpful in getting an examinee used to the timing and structure of the real test. Taking at least one practice test - available digitally or in print - during a study plan (rather than at the end) is most helpful, as the results offer a guide to further studying by revealing a test taker's challenges and strengths across all the competencies. A FTCE media specialist practice test is a great way to familiarize oneself with the style and format of the questions, as well as get used to the time crunch necessary to answering all the questions in the allowed 2 hours and 30 minutes.
A Florida media specialist is a school librarian, a PK-12 educator able to teach students digital and print information literacy and to encourage a love of reading.
All media specialists need approved higher education coursework and to have successfully passed the media specialist certification test Florida, before gaining certification from the Florida Department of Education.
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