Here is our unofficial CPACE study guide for everyone’s most favorite component of the CPACE: WRITING (not).
Here are some quick and dirty tips to pwn the writing portions of the CPACE.
TIP #1: BRAINSTORM FAST
- You’ll be provided with scratch paper or a whiteboard to use for brainstorming. Jot down your strategies and solutions here.
TIP #2: GRAMMAR & SPELLING (DON’T COUNT)
- This is not an essay writing contest. Graders are looking for the quality of your ideas and if you’ve answered all parts of the prompt.
- Don’t spend time trying to make your writing eloquent. Just hit your main points.
TIP #3: USE SENTENCE STARTERS
- No one wants to search for your key points in a sea of words. Use very clear-cut sentence starters. Yes, it may seem very elementary, but if your graders can’t find your key points FAST, you’re in trouble.
- “One strategy to address this issue is __”
- “This strategy is likely to be effective because __”
- “One piece of data to analyze is __”
- “One strength of this school is __”
- “To build on this strength, I will __”
- “One key consideration is __”
TIP #4: BE CLEAR, CONCISE, & PRECISE
- This relates to tip #3. Get to your point and make it clear.
- Watch your word count. Don’t go above. No one will read a letter after the word count limit has been met.
TIP #5: CITE USING EVIDENCE
- You will be graded on how well you engage with the documents and resources provided to you. Cite your points!
- Don’t just have all of your evidence come from 1-2 documents. Try to engage with as many of the documents as possible. Focus on the big picture.
TIP #6: USE EDUCATION BUZZ WORDS
- Just to name a few…
- Ongoing use of data
- Key stakeholders
- Professional Development
- Home-school communication
- Community involvement
