TExES Math 4-8 (115) case studies

TExES Math 4-8 (115) · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The TExES Mathematics 4-8 (115) is the Texas certification exam for candidates who want to teach mathematics in grades 4 through 8 in Texas public schools. It is one of the content-area exams administered through the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards program, and passing it is typically one requirement - alongside coursework, field experience, and other certification steps - for earning a Texas teaching certificate with a mathematics specialization in the middle grades. The TExES Math 4-8 (115) case studies are 5 cases and about 3,509 words.

The Oil-and-Vinegar Problem: 3/8 or 1 1/2?

In interviews, the 3/8 group said, "You multiply the fractions - that's what we did last week," and none could say what 3/8 cups would describe. One student in the 1 1/2 group built a table: 3/4 cup oil to 1/2 cup vinegar, then 1 1/2 cups oil to 1 cup vinegar.

674 words, about 3 min 2

Three Rules for the Same Tile Pattern

An eighth-grade class works on a tile pattern: Figure 1 has 5 tiles, Figure 2 has 8, Figure 3 has 11, and each new figure adds a row of 3. Three students give rules for the number of tiles t in Figure n.

724 words, about 4 min 3

"The Area Doubles" - Scaling in Two Dimensions

Each side is doubled. But asked how the areas compare, 17 wrote "the area doubles," 6 wrote "it quadruples," and 4 wrote "it increases by 4." In discussion, one student explains, "The sides went up by 2 and 2, so the area goes up by 4," and another says, "The perimeter doubled, so the area should double too." The next unit covers circles and then volume of prisms, and the state assessment includes items on how area and volume change under dilation.

710 words, about 4 min 4

Two Classes, Same Mean

Two sixth-grade classes take the same five-question quiz. Class A's scores: 72, 74, 75, 76, 78.

690 words, about 3 min 5

15 of 24 on −7 − (−3)

A teacher gives a six-item exit ticket to 24 students. On the item −7 − (−3), 15 students chose −10, 6 chose −4, and 3 chose 4 - no one chose the correct answer.

711 words, about 4 min