The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing creates the RICA exam. This Reading Instruction Competence Assessment is required for California educators who are applying under certain California teacher certification programs. Those who must take the RICA test include teachers applying for Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials and Education Specialist Instruction Credentials. The latter is the certification program to become a California special-education teacher. Those applying under these programs should use resources provided by test administrator Pearson Education to prepare for the RICA exam.
This teacher certification test is quite different than the typical exam. You actually have an option of two different exam formats. The first is a RICA written exam that has multiple-choice questions and essays. The second is a RICA Video Performance Assessment. Teachers make 3 videos of themselves (full class, medium-sized group, and individual instruction) and then submit them for evaluation. If you are good at writing essays, the written test may be better for you. If, on the other hand, you have a teaching system down pat and would rather just prove it by actual teaching, then you may choose to go the video route.
Regardless of what RICA exam option you choose, you will need to show competency in reading instruction. This competency is measured through test domains. The domains essentially make up the RICA test content outline. The five domains are further broken down into content specifications. You must show yourself demonstrating competency in each specification to get credit on the video assessment. Either the answers on the multiple-choice questions or your essays will have to show competency of the content specifications if you take the RICA written test. There is a link to the domains and content specifications in the Resources below.
Before you take your test on make your RICA reading-instruction videos, you should take a written practice test for this Reading Instruction Competence Assessment. You can also find that on the Pearson site by using the link below.
There is also a RICA bibliography of exam references on the Pearson site. Unfortunately, this is one of the longest lists of exam references this writer has ever seen in writing hundreds of articles on standardized exams. You may have to pick and choose which references to use. Start with the most commonly used textbooks on the list. You can find these by visiting a college bookstore and see what is being used for reading instruction there. Undoubtedly, there must be a great deal of overlap in these textbooks and other RICA exam references. Refer to the “RICA Preparation Materials” page for more information about how to prepare for this California reading-teacher assessment.
Resources:
Pearson Education: RICA Exam Content Specifications
Pearson Education: RICA Practice Test
Pearson Education: RICA Exam References
Pearson: RICA Preparation Materials