Educational Media Specialist PK to 12

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Competencies and Skills and Blueprint

The test design below describes general testing information. The blueprints that follow provide a detailed outline that explains the competencies and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

table describing the format of the test, including test time, number of questions, and required passing score
Format Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions Approximately 80 multiple-choice questions
Time 2 hours and 30 minutes
Passing Score A scaled score of at least 200

 

Competencies, Skills, and Approximate Percentages of Questions

Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.



table describing the competencies, skills, and approximate percentage of each competency's weight toward overall test score
Competency Approximate Percentage of Total Test Questions
1 Knowledge of professional organizations, resources, and national and state guidelines and standards for the school library media specialist 3%
2 Knowledge of teaching and learning principles of the school library media specialist 3%
3 Knowledge of the instructional partner responsibilities of the school library media specialist 2%
4 Knowledge of teaching methods for implementing multiple literacies 8%
5 Knowledge of methods for teaching and assisting the school learning community in design and production of various types of media 3%
6 Knowledge of design and delivery of staff development 3%
7 Knowledge of the information specialist responsibilities of the school library media specialist 7%
8 Knowledge of resources in all formats for the learning community 4%
9 Knowledge of the foundations, designing, planning, and development of a school library media program 5%
10 Knowledge of procedures to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of a school library media program 4%
11 Comprehension of skills required to plan, prepare, advocate, and administer a budget 3%
12 Knowledge of supervision of staff and volunteers for the school library media program 2%
13 Knowledge of policies and procedures used in the school library media program 3%
14 Knowledge of methods for creating an active learning environment 3%
15 Knowledge of methods for advocating an effective school library media program 4%
16 Knowledge of policies and procedures for collection development 7%
17 Knowledge of policies and processes for managing, cataloging, organizing, circulating, and maintaining resources 7%
18 Comprehension of leadership and interpersonal skills for the school library media specialist 3%
19 Knowledge of state and national legislation and their effects on the school library media program 2%
20 Knowledge of current professional trends and issues of the school library media program 3%
21 Knowledge of research related to the school library media program 4%
22 Knowledge of professional ethics for the school library media specialist 5%
23 Knowledge of methods for providing equity, diversity, and global perspectives in the school library media program 3%
24 Knowledge of methods for integrating technology into the instructional program 5%
25 Knowledge of reading research and strategies 4%

Competencies and Skills

Competency 1—Knowledge of professional organizations, resources, and national and state guidelines and standards for the school library media specialist

  1. Identify state and national school library media professional associations and professional resources.

  2. Identify the major concepts of the national guidelines and their effects on the roles of the school library media specialist.

  3. Identify state and national guidelines for information and media literacy skills.

Competency 2—Knowledge of teaching and learning principles of the school library media specialist

  1. Identify best practices for working with diverse learning styles to meet specific learning and information needs.

  2. Select the most appropriate media formats to meet a specific learning need.

  3. Differentiate among resources that reflect multiple literacies.

Competency 3—Knowledge of the instructional partner responsibilities of the school library media specialist

  1. Identify collaborative opportunities for curricular and instructional planning.

  2. Identify methods for keeping abreast of changes in curriculum.

  3. Identify the components of an instructional planning process.

  4. Identify the school library media specialist's role on the instructional planning team.

Competency 4—Knowledge of teaching methods for implementing multiple literacies

  1. Identify strategies for developing students' multiple literacies.

  2. Identify activities for developing students' ability to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.

  3. Identify activities whereby students can draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.

  4. Assess the effectiveness of teaching methods used to implement national and state standards for multiple literacies.

  5. Identify activities that assist students in analyzing, evaluating, and ethically using information.

  6. Identify ways for encouraging students to develop the habit of using resources and information agencies for personal and aesthetic growth.

  7. Identify strategies that promote safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and interaction.

  8. Identify components of research process models.

Competency 5—Knowledge of methods for teaching and assisting the school learning community in design and production of various types of media

  1. Identify when it is appropriate to design and produce various types of media.

  2. Determine what media should be produced to meet a specific instructional need.

  3. Identify techniques for planning, designing, and evaluating media products.

  4. Identify basic methods for producing resources and presentations, using all available technologies.

Competency 6—Knowledge of design and delivery of staff development

  1. Identify the elements of effective staff development.

  2. Identify methods for teaching staff how to use equipment and technologies.

  3. Identify methods for teaching staff how to select, use, evaluate, and produce media.

  4. Identify methods for assisting staff in the application of new and emerging technologies to meet varied learning needs.

  5. Determine the relevance of topics for staff development.

Competency 7—Knowledge of the information specialist responsibilities of the school library media specialist

  1. Identify effective methods for selecting resources that meet the information needs of the learning community.

  2. Identify the characteristics of an effective system for organizing information resources to meet the needs of students and staff.

  3. Identify factors that influence access to information.

  4. Identify relevant information agencies and resources outside the school.

  5. Identify considerations for participation in resource sharing.

  6. Identify strategies for providing specific information in response to reference requests.

  7. Identify the most appropriate resources for responding to a specific information need.

Competency 8—Knowledge of resources in all formats for the learning community

  1. Identify resources that are recognized as outstanding in their medium.

  2. Identify authors who are recognized as outstanding in their genre.

  3. Identify illustrators who are recognized as outstanding in their medium.

Competency 9—Knowledge of the foundations, designing, planning, and development of a school library media program

  1. Identify the effects of societal changes on the evolution of school library media program standards and guidelines.

  2. Identify the contributions of notable school library leaders.

  3. Identify school and student characteristics that influence the mission of the school library media program.

  4. Identify components of strategic planning for a school library media program.

  5. Identify ways the school library media program can support school improvement.

Competency 10—Knowledge of procedures to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of a school library media program

  1. Identify components, participants, and strategies for a comprehensive evaluation of the school library media program.

  2. Identify strategies for collecting information to determine the impact of the school library media program.

  3. Identify methods and strategies for analyzing and evaluating data to plan and implement modifications to the school library media program.

Competency 11—Comprehension of skills required to plan, prepare, advocate, and administer a budget

  1. Identify methods for effectively planning, preparing, and administering a school library media budget based on both the needs of the learning community and the program's short- and long-term goals.

  2. Identify funding sources that support school library media programs.

  3. Identify strategies for effectively communicating budget needs.

Competency 12—Knowledge of supervision of staff and volunteers for the school library media program

  1. Distinguish between professional responsibilities and paraprofessional activities.

  2. Identify appropriate methods for instructing, supervising, and evaluating school library media staff, student assistants, and volunteers.

Competency 13—Knowledge of policies and procedures used in the school library media program

  1. Distinguish between a policy and a procedure.

  2. Identify the rationale for and components of a school library media policies and procedures document.

Competency 14—Knowledge of methods for creating an active learning environment

  1. Identify the elements of an effective school library media facility that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  2. Identify factors that affect the school library media center climate.

  3. Identify strategies for extending the school library media program beyond the walls of the school library media center.

Competency 15—Knowledge of methods for advocating an effective school library media program

  1. Select methods for identifying users and nonusers of the school library media program.

  2. Identify techniques to attract and retain school library media users.

  3. Identify strategies for promoting and eliciting support for the school library media program.

  4. Identify strategies for the dissemination of research findings about the relationship between effective school library media programs and student achievement.

Competency 16—Knowledge of policies and procedures for collection development

  1. Identify the elements of a collection development policy.

  2. Identify criteria for evaluating, selecting, and weeding all forms of media and technology.

  3. Identify selection tools and reviewing sources for a specific need.

  4. Apply selection criteria to determine whether a given resource should be included in a collection.

  5. Identify methods for communicating policies and procedures for collection development and for ensuring that the collection meets the current needs of the instructional program and learning community.

  6. Identify components and terminology of the acquisitions process.

  7. Identify the characteristics of a collection development plan.

Competency 17—Knowledge of policies and processes for managing, cataloging, organizing, circulating, and maintaining resources

  1. Identify the components of a circulation policy that ensures accessibility to resources.

  2. Identify the elements of an automated library management system.

  3. Identify methods for analyzing and using data provided by the library management system.

  4. Apply standardized techniques to maintain bibliographic integrity.

  5. Identify the basic resources used in original cataloging.

  6. Identify the fields of a bibliographic record.

  7. Identify purposes of and procedures for conducting a school library media collection inventory.

Competency 18—Comprehension of leadership and interpersonal skills for the school library media specialist

  1. Identify ways to promote collaborative relationships between school library media staff and the learning community.

  2. Identify leadership opportunities and strategies for a school library media specialist's involvement in the school program and the community.

  3. Identify leadership opportunities and strategies for a school library media specialist's involvement in the profession.

Competency 19—Knowledge of state and national legislation and their effects on the school library media program

  1. Identify the effects of state legislation on school library media programs.

  2. Identify the effects of national legislation on school library media programs.

Competency 20—Knowledge of current professional trends and issues of the school library media program

  1. Identify the implications of various scheduling models.

  2. Identify the implications of shared resources on the school library media program.

  3. Identify resources that indicate trends in teaching and learning.

  4. Identify the impact of standards-based testing on the school library media program.

  5. Identify research findings on motivating school learners to use the school library media center.

Competency 21—Knowledge of research related to the school library media program

  1. Identify cornerstone research pertaining to the school library media program and its relationship to student achievement.

  2. Interpret research data.

  3. Identify ways research can be applied to the school library media program.

  4. Analyze problems using action research.

Competency 22—Knowledge of professional ethics for the school library media specialist

  1. Identify an ethical course of action for a copyright or plagiarism issue.

  2. Identify an ethical course of action related to the principles of intellectual freedom.

  3. Identify an ethical course of action for a privacy or confidentiality issue.

  4. Identify the impact of court cases pertaining to copyright.

Competency 23—Knowledge of methods for providing equity, diversity, and global perspectives in the school library media program

  1. Identify appropriate resources for multicultural and multilingual populations.

  2. Identify resources that meet the needs of students with various learning styles, abilities, and disabilities.

  3. Identify strategies for providing equitable access to school library media resources and services.

  4. Identify strategies for helping students develop diverse and global perspectives.

Competency 24—Knowledge of methods for integrating technology into the instructional program

  1. Identify strategies for assessing technology competency.

  2. Identify appropriate digital resources for completing a variety of information and media literacy tasks.

  3. Identify appropriate digital resources and technologies for presenting and sharing information.

  4. Identify adaptive or assistive technology for providing learning opportunities for students with various abilities.

  5. Identify ways to use technology to communicate with the school learning community.

  6. Apply strategies that integrate appropriate technology into the instructional program.

Competency 25—Knowledge of reading research and strategies

  1. Identify reading promotion activities that support the instructional program, encourage reading for pleasure, and meet individual student interests and needs.

  2. Identify various methods for assessing student reading levels.

  3. Identify methods for differentiating instruction based on student reading data.

  4. Identify ways to incorporate the five scientifically based reading research principles into the school library media program.

  5. Identify strategies for integrating literature into the instructional program.

  6. Identify effective instructional methods for developing students' reading skills.

  7. Identify instructional methods and strategies for facilitating students' development and use of content area vocabulary.

  8. Identify instructional methods for facilitating students' reading comprehension.