Frequently Asked Questions by Faculty and Institutions
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General Program Information
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- What are the Indiana CORE Assessments for Educator Licensure?
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The Indiana CORE Assessments for Educator Licensure program includes the following assessments:
- Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA), an assessment of basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics
- Developmental (pedagogy) area assessments that are based on the REPA Indiana school setting developmental teacher standards
- Content area assessments that are based on the REPA Indiana content area (and administrator) educator standards
The Indiana Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA) has replaced Praxis I as one option for demonstrating basic skills competency.
The content area and developmental (pedagogy) area assessments included in the Indiana CORE Assessments for Educator Licensure became available on February 10, 2014. Candidates seeking an instructional license will be required to pass a developmental (pedagogy) area assessment and the appropriate content area assessments. Candidates seeking to add a content area to their license will be required to achieve passing scores on the Indiana CORE content area assessment(s) that match the license.
After May 31, 2014, Praxis II may not be used to satisfy the content area assessment requirements for licensure.
- Why were the Indiana CORE Assessments for Educator Licensure developed?
- The Indiana CORE Assessments for Educator Licensure were developed in response to changes in Indiana's educator licensing structure. In Spring 2010, the state of Indiana enacted the Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability (REPA). REPA revised Indiana's educator licensing structure to emphasize content knowledge at both the elementary and secondary levels. The tests included in the Indiana CORE Assessments program are aligned with REPA.
- What are the REPA Indiana Educator Standards?
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The REPA Indiana Educator Standards
were developed by the IDOE to
provide guidance to educator preparation
programs as they revise their
programs to meet the state's new
licensing requirements (Rules
for Educator Preparation and Accountability
or REPA). Content and developmental
(pedagogy) standards were prepared
for teachers; standards were also
prepared for building level and
district level administrators,
and school counselors. To access
the teacher and administrator
standards, visit www.doe.in.gov/licensing/repa-teacher-standards
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- How were the assessments developed?
- Visit the How the Assessments Were Developed page for information on the test development process.
- Are the assessments aligned to national standards?
- Visit the Alignment of Indiana CORE Assessments with Indiana and National Standards page to review the alignment studies.
- Which assessments include constructed-response assignments?
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Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA)
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- Where is the Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA) administered?
- The CASA is administered at sites throughout Indiana. Additional information about CASA test centers is located on the CASA Test Centers page.
- How can my institution become a CASA test center?
- If your institution is interested in becoming a CASA test center, please email Evaluation Systems.
- Is CASA the only means for satisfying the basic skills requirement for entry into Indiana educator preparation programs?
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Effective July 1, 2019, Indiana will no longer require candidates to successfully complete a basic skills assessment for entry into the state's educator preparation programs (EPPs). Senate Enrolled Act 438 eliminates the requirement of having candidates demonstrate basic skills competency prior to EPP admission; however, the bill does not expressly prohibit EPPs from including a basic skills assessment as an admission requirement.
The information below applies only to candidates seeking admission to an EPP prior to July 1, 2019.
Candidates have the option of achieving passing scores on the Indiana CORE Academic Skills Assessment (CASA) as one means for demonstrating basic skills competency.
Candidates may also document basic skills competency for admission to educator preparation programs using the following additional assessments/routes:
- ACT® with a score of at least 24 based on Math, Reading, Grammar, and Science
- SAT® with a score of at least 1100 based on Critical Reading and Math
- GRE® with a score of at least 1100 based on Verbal and Quantitative prior to 8/1/11
OR - GRE® with a score of at least 301 based on Verbal and Quantitative on or after 8/1/11
Note: ACT, SAT, and GRE scores do not include writing. Anyone with a master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution is exempt from this requirement.
Effective September 1, 2013, candidates may no longer take Praxis I to satisfy the basic skills competency requirement for entry into Indiana educator preparation programs.
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Test Registration and Administration
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- How does a candidate determine which tests to take?
- Information about what tests candidates must take is available on the What Tests Do I Need to Take? page.
- How often are the assessments offered?
- Most assessments are available year round, by appointment. The School Administrator and World Languages assessments are available during specified testing periods.
- Where are the developmental (pedagogy) and content area assessments offered?
- The developmental (pedagogy) and content area assessments are administered at computer-based test sites throughout Indiana and nationwide.
- Can someone in another state take the developmental (pedagogy) and content area assessments?
- Yes, the developmental (pedagogy) and content area assessments are administered at computer-based test sites throughout Indiana and nationwide.
- What provisions are made for candidates who might need alternative testing arrangements?
- Candidates may request special testing accommodations during test registration. Evaluation Systems considers requests on a case-by-case basis to meet the particular needs of the test taker.
- How many times can someone retake an assessment?
- There is currently no maximum number of attempts to pass an assessment. Candidates must wait 30 days before retaking an assessment.
- What kind of ID is needed to be admitted to take a test?
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For complete information about acceptable forms of identification for developmental (pedagogy) and content area tests, visit the ID Policy page.
The ID policy for the CASA is available on the ID Policy for the Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA) page.
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Scoring and Reporting
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- What is the passing score for the developmental (pedagogy) and content area assessments?
- The passing score is 220.
- When are candidate scores reported?
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Scores for tests that include only multiple-choice questions are reported to candidates within 10 business days after the test administration.
Scores for tests that include both multiple-choice questions and constructed-response assignments are reported to candidates within 20 business days after the test administration.
- How are the constructed-response assignments scored?
- Constructed-response assignments are scored by qualified and trained individuals according to standardized procedures. Each constructed-response assignment is scored by at least two individuals. The performance characteristics and the score scale(s) for each assessment are available on the preparation materials page for that assessment.
- Who receives candidate scores?
- Scores are provided to the candidate, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), and the educator preparation program(s) that the candidate selected during test registration.
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Preparation Materials
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- What preparation materials are available for the assessments?
- A variety of free and fee-based preparation materials are available for the assessments. Candidates can access the preparation materials from the Prepare page.
- Are printed copies of the study guides available?
- All study guides must be accessed online. Study guides are available from the Study Guides page.
- Are printed copies of the fee-based practice tests available?
- All practice tests must be accessed online. Visit the Practice Tests page for more information.
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