The Virginia Department of Education requires that all licensure students pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA). To purchase the VCLA teacher certification study guide - Communication and Literacy Assessment, click here.
The VCLA measures the communication and literacy skills necessary to teach and communicate effectively with parents and others in the education community. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate comprehension and analysis of readings; development of ideas in essay form on specific topics; outlining and summarizing; interpreting tables and graphs; mastery of grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary; and writing.
The VCLA is composed of two areas—reading and writing. Each area will be assessed by a separate subtest—a reading subtest and a writing subtest. The reading subtest contains multiple-choice items. The writing subtest contains multiple-choice items and two writing assignments—a written summary and a written composition. Areas tested include the comprehension and analysis of readings; development of ideas in essay form on specific topics; outlining and summarizing; interpretation of tables and graphs; and mastery of vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics.
The qualifying scores for the VCLA are:
* Writing Sub Test -235
* Reading Sub Test – 235
* Or a composite score of 470 for both sub-tests
VRA
The Virginia Department of Education requires that elementary education students pass the Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA) to obtain licensure. As can be seen from the title, it is designed to assess teacher candidates’ knowledge of the teaching of reading.
It is a reading assessment that is aligned with the English Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools (SOL) and the National Reading Panel’s five key components of effective reading instruction—phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. The VRA will satisfy for elementary teachers the reading component of the teaching skills requirement mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The test will help identify those teaching candidates who have the knowledge and skills that are important for performing the job of an elementary (PK–3 or PK–6) teacher, a special education teacher, or a reading specialist in Virginia public schools.
The assessment is a four-hour test that contains 90 multiple-choice items plus four short instructional responses. The passing score for elementary education teachers for the VRA is 235.
VCLA teacher certification test dates, click here.
