The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) is a test created to gauge the abilities and knowledge of prospective Georgian public school teachers. The GACE test helps to ensure that prospective teachers are ready to begin educating students. The GACE exams are in line with national standards for entry-level teachers, and are also in line with the preschool – 12th grade Georgia curriculum standards.
The GACE test is criterion-referenced, meaning the questions are created to gauge how much the student knows about certain standards, instead of measuring one student against another. The subject areas covered by the GACE exams are:
- Basic skills assessment – Created to gauge how much ability and knowledge the prospective teacher has in reading, math and writing. There are three tests, one for each of these areas. The test has a multiple-choice format for reading and math. For writing, the test-taker must compose a short essay, in addition answering multiple-choice questions.
- Professional pedagogy assessment – Created to gauge ability and knowledge regarding student development and education, teaching and evaluation, and professional responsibilities and tasks. If the potential teacher has finished a state-accepted program for becoming a teacher, this test is unnecessary. There are two tests included, and both have multiple-choice and written-answer questions to complete.
- Content assessments – Assesses knowledge regarding different subjects. If a candidate takes the middle grade test, Latin test or American Sign Language test, there will be just one assessment with multiple-choice and written-answer questions. All other subjects have two assessments each, which will include multiple-choice and one or more written-answer questions.
- Educational leadership assessment – Created to gauge ability and knowledge needed to perform as a leader in a Georgian public school. There are two assessments, both of which have multiple-choice and written-answer questions.
- Paraprofessional assessment – Created to make sure all schools fulfill the Georgian and USA No Child Left Behind mandates which state paraprofessionals must be decidedly capable. It is a requirement in order to get Title I money. The candidate has to demonstrate knowledge and skill in helping to teach reading, math and writing OR knowledge and skill in helping to teach readiness in the same three areas. This is solely a multiple-choice test.
- Computer skill competency – Taken over the Internet in order to meet the computer competency mandate required by law. This is solely a multiple-choice test.