NES case studies
NES · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The National Evaluation Series (NES) is a suite of educator certification assessments used by state licensing agencies to evaluate whether a candidate has the content and pedagogical knowledge required for an initial teaching license or an endorsement in a specific subject area. Candidates are typically pre-service teachers completing an educator-preparation program, alternatively certified teachers seeking their first license, or licensed teachers adding a new subject endorsement. The NES case studies are 5 cases and about 4,125 words.
1The Rounding Item Everyone Argues About
At the February grade-5 math meeting, the team reviews a district benchmark item: "Round 6.45 to the nearest tenth." The answer key marks 6.5. Across the four classes (n = 104), 46 students chose 6.5, 49 chose 6.4, and 9 chose something else.
736 words, about 4 min2Extended Time in a 47-Minute Period
Okafor teaches seventh-grade science in 47-minute periods; his class meets second period. The unit test is built for about 40 minutes of working time.
826 words, about 4 min3Six Groups, Two Thermometers
Delgado's six biology groups (24 students) have 30 minutes of a 50-minute period to run a catalase lab: blend potato in buffer, add hydrogen peroxide, and measure reaction rate at an assigned temperature. The room has two thermometers and three water baths, so one "temperature" must be run at room temperature.
808 words, about 4 min4The Assessment That Looked Fine
The grade-5 team meets after a 20-item common unit assessment on fractions. Items 1–8 (procedural: adding like denominators, simplifying, converting) were answered correctly by 89% of the 104 students.
833 words, about 4 min5Twelve Minutes an Essay
Pham teaches two sections of eleventh-grade English (32 students each) and is three weeks from the quarter deadline, with two graded argumentative essays required. Her current cycle: collect drafts, mark every essay by hand (about 12 minutes each), return them, collect finals.
922 words, about 5 min