My First Attempt at Passing the Revised RICA

Okay - So in the last post, Journey of a Newly Credentialed Teacher, I kinda got this wrong...hmmm. I was totally confused. Is that okay to admit?

This whole I have 5 years thing to complete the RICA (Reading Instruction Competence Assessment)...yeah...no...less than that. The time frame varies depending on your program of study and the credential you're pursuing; but in order to apply for a preliminary elementary, or special education credential, you have to take the RICA and the CSET exams first. I worked for 2 years as an intern while I finished up all the requirements to earn both credentials, but I was only partially credentialed. I was working under an Internship Education Specialist Credential, which I was able to obtain through the State of California after passing the CSET, but that credential is only good for two years.

With all the state requirements that I have to meet I get so confused that I don't know if I get it all the time. Well here I am in my last class WOOHOO!!!...and I gotta take this one last test in order to receive my preliminary credential...man I so thought I was past all this crap!!!!....So I made the mistake of rushing without preparation into the belly of the beast...THE RICA!!!!

Okay so I prepared over a two week period....SO NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!...This test is a MONSTER!!! The RICA was revised recently in August of 2009 and it is true what they say it is A LOT harder than it was prior to the revision... Anyway, not to get off on the wrong foot it is a doable exam. I almost did it last week. The multiple choice portion of the test isn't the problem, it's the case study that blew my socks off.

The test used to be 5 hours, now it is 4 hours. The case study alone takes about an hour. You really have to pay attention to the details and make quite a few recommendations in writing. In addition to the case study there are 4 written responses. The first response has to be 75 to 150 words, the other three average 150 to 300 words. Not too bad, although you have to pay attention to the question and not give too little or too much information. If it asks for one instructional strategy...DO ONE. First of all you don't have time to add more than what is necessary if you want to finish in 4 hours, and secondly they look for how well you pay attention and follow directions. Not paying attention to what they are asking for can lower your score.

Anyway, SO.....I was feeling fairly confident until I got to the case study. Talk about wanting to cry. I was like, "WOW!!...Guess I will be taking this test again!" My biggest mistakes...I took way too much for granted when it came time to prepare for this test.

I really worked my butt off studying for the CBEST and CSET Multiple subjects. I got through both on the first try. Both tests where a piece of cake compared to the RICA, but the one thing they all have in common...That practice test at the Pearson Website.. I took the practice exams for both the CBEST and CSET as part of my preparation. I even took each practice tests more than once. I also purchased books to help me prepare for the CSET and I attended a workshop for the CBEST, so when it came time to sit down for both those exams, upon looking back I knew that all that preparation was to my benefit especially, during the written portions of the tests. I knew that if I hadn't taken the practice tests that I probably would have struggled to pass the CBEST and CSET.

Regarding the RICA I started looking at the practice test the morning of the exam...I started answering the multiple choice questions and I was nailing them...getting them all right with a big fat smile on my face. So I moved on and didn't focus on the sample Case Study. That was a big mistake. I didn't dare skip any steps on the CBEST or CSET. As a matter of fact I passed all the sections of the CSET including the writing, which I didn't have to take because I had taken the CBEST. I could have skipped the CBEST all together....talk about getting big headed.

So back to the test. As I was sitting there looking over the case study and I came to the conclusion..."I can't do this, not today, so I looked it over realizing what a mistake I had made not going over the practice exam case study at the NES website, and I decided this time it wouldn't count, so I walked out.

Another mistake I made. I purchased a book "Ready for The RICA" that was outdated. There is a revised addition and as a matter of fact you have to look for "Revised" in the title or you'll end up with the wrong book. The "Revised Ready for The RICA" by James Zarrillo is probably about the best one. His old edition comes highly recommended. I had the older one and it had enough information in it to get me through the multiple choice questions, but his new addition has more information that is very helpful, although it may not be enough on it's own when it comes to the case study. Another really important book is "Case Studies in Preparation For the California Reading Competency Test" by Joanne Rossi and Beth Schipper. Believe me you can never study too many case studies. Plus an added benefit is that all of this preparation does strengthen our practices in the classroom when working with students who struggle with reading, or who are learning how to read for the first time.

So in closing, I am anxious to do it again, to test out my theories about where I went wrong, especially after attempting the test, and I am anxious to test out my preparation materials to see if they really are enough to get READY FOR THE RICA. I anxiously await for August when I can take it again...(because OF COURSE keeping my job would be nice)....more to come then.

Peace and Blessings!!!!