Free Prep Now Available for Aspiring Teachers

ETS and Khan Academy® Partner to Bolster Equity in Education with Khan Academy Official Praxis® Core Prep

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Jul 23, 2019, 09:05 ET

PRINCETON, N.J. and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when school systems across the country are struggling with teacher shortages and a need to broaden diversity within the profession, Khan Academy and ETS are proud to introduce Khan Academy Official Praxis^® Core Prep, a free, first-of-its-kind preparation resource for aspiring teachers.

Aspiring teachers can use Official Praxis Core Prep to create a personalized learning plan to prepare for the Praxis^® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) test, a key exam for many teacher candidates entering teacher preparation programs.

"There are a lot of resources out there that say they will help you, but they are expensive and you never know if they will really help," said Vivica Foster, an aspiring teacher in Ohio who was part of the Official Praxis Core Prep beta test. "Not only is it amazing that this program is free, but the number and variety of practice questions available really tested my knowledge and prepared me for test day."

Using Official Praxis Core Prep can strengthen the reading, writing and math skills needed to succeed on the Praxis Core test, in teacher preparation programs, and in the classroom.

"ETS is committed to supporting our teacher candidates by making sure that they have access to free, high-quality tools and resources that enable them to succeed," said Lillian Lowery, ETS Vice President and COO for ETS Professional Educators programs. "The goals of free prep for the Praxis Core tests are to help level the playing field for all teacher candidates and to help promote diversity, equity and opportunity in the teacher pipeline."

Together, Khan Academy and ETS hope to widen the path to teacher preparation programs and help diversify the teacher pipeline. A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research underscores the importance of diversifying the pool of teachers. The study shows that having a Black teacher increases Black students' high school graduation rates and likelihood of enrolling in college.

Official Praxis Core Prep diagnoses each teacher candidate's strengths and weaknesses. Each learner then receives a personalized study plan to remediate skill gaps and help them succeed on test day. Official Praxis Core Prep guides teacher candidates through a series of in-depth instructional materials — including practice questions, videos and tips — that meet their unique needs. The program focuses on key subject matter areas and considers the time available to study for the test.

"Khan Academy strives to support teachers in all that we do, and that includes helping aspiring teachers enter the profession," said Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy. "We believe Official Praxis Core Prep can level the playing field for all teachers and, in turn, help more students succeed."

Khan Academy has a proven track record of leveling the playing field by providing access to high-quality test prep. In 2015, Khan Academy launched Official SAT^® Practice with the College Board^®. Research shows similar usage rates across demographics and substantial SAT score improvements regardless of gender, family income, race and ethnicity. Official Praxis Core Prep is Khan Academy's third free and official test prep program for high-stakes standardized exams.

To explore Khan Academy Official Praxis Core Prep and begin practicing, please visit https://www.khanacademy.org/praxis-core.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL^® and TOEIC^® tests, the GRE^® tests and The Praxis Series^®assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 10,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy's mastery learning system and content platform includes thousands of exercises, videos and articles that cover a range of K–12 subjects and is always free for teachers, students, parents and learners. More than 200,000 teachers and 18 million learners use Khan Academy every month. Khan Academy relies upon donations from foundations, corporations and individuals around the world. For more information, please visit khanacademy.org, or join us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

SOURCE ETS