In the past, the duties of school librarians were limited. They primarily organized books and checked them out to students. With technology becoming more prevalent in schools, librarians are now in charge of all forms of media. They must manage media centers filled not only books, but also computers, journals, posters and more.
School librarians are also more commonly known as educational media specialists and they fulfill multiple roles. In order to work in a Florida school for any grade level, you will be required to take the FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK–12 exam.
The FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK–12 test costs $150. It consists of 200 questions that must be answered in the time limit of two hours and 30 minutes. A score of 200 is required to pass. You can always retake the test for a $150 fee.
The test is highly comprehensive. You will be assessed on 25 competencies, each covering a small percentage of the test. The largest percentage of the test – 8% – is on teaching methods for multiple literacies.
Other competencies include knowledge of resources and guidelines, teaching and learning principles, instructional partner responsibilities, teaching and assisting the school learning community in design and production of various types of media, design and delivery of staff development, information specialist responsibilities, resources in all formats for the learning community, foundations and development of a school library media program, assessment a school library media program, administering a budget, supervision of staff and volunteers, policies and procedures, creation of an active learning environment, advocating an effective school library media program, collection development, managing and organizing resources, leadership and interpersonal skills, roles of state and national legislation, current professional trends and issues, research related to the school library media program, professional ethics, methods for providing diversity and global perspectives in the school library media program, integrating technology into the instructional program and reading research and strategies.
With so much information to digest before test day, it’s in your best interest to study as effectively as possible. But with 25 competencies to master, that can seem an impossible task. Fortunately, the FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK–12 practice test. This free study tool allows you to get a glimpse of the types of questions you can expect on the real test. As a result, you’ll see what exactly you need to study for and what areas you can spend less time studying. It costs nothing, so what do you have to lose?