Study Guide
Field 194: Computer Science
Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Sample Constructed-Response Item 1
Competency 0005
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
start bold Use the information below to complete the task that follows. end bold
You are a computer science teacher preparing a lesson to address the following standard from the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards1 to the identified grade band.
Abstraction and Decomposition 7-8.CT.5
Identify multiple similar concrete computations in a program, then create a function to generalize over them using parameters to accommodate their differences.
Prepare a response of approximately 400to600 words in which you:
- state the student learning objective for this lesson;
- identify prerequisite knowledge and skills that students will need to understand new content in this lesson;
- describe, in detail, an instructional strategy that will promote student progress toward the learning objective, including the use of relevant technology and other resources;
- explain how the selected strategy will support students' knowledge and skills as they progress toward the objective;
- describe how the lesson will be conducted to inclusively access the assets and meet the needs of all learners; and
- describe a method of assessing students' progress toward the stated objective.
Sample Strong Response to Constructed-Response Item 1
Coming Fall 2025
Sample Constructed-Response Item 2
Competency 0005
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
start bold Use the information below to complete the task that follows. end bold
You are a computer science teacher preparing a lesson to address the following standard from the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards2 to the identified grade band.
Algorithms and Programming 9-12.CT.7
Design or remix a program that utilizes a data structure to maintain changes to related pieces of data.
Prepare a response of approximately 400to600 words in which you:
- state the student learning objective for this lesson;
- identify prerequisite knowledge and skills that students will need to understand new content in this lesson;
- describe, in detail, an instructional strategy that will promote student progress toward the learning objective, including the use of relevant technology and other resources;
- explain how the selected strategy will support students' knowledge and skills as they progress toward the objective;
- describe how the lesson will be conducted to inclusively access the assets and meet the needs of all learners; and
- describe a method of assessing students' progress toward the stated objective.
Sample Strong Response to Constructed-Response Item 2
Coming Fall 2025
Sample Constructed-Response Item 3
Competency 0005
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
start bold Use the information below to complete the task that follows. end bold
You are a computer science teacher preparing a lesson to address the following standard from the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards3 to the identified grade band.
Safeguards 9-12.CY.4
Evaluate applications of cryptographic methods.
Prepare a response of approximately 400to600 words in which you:
- state the student learning objective for this lesson;
- identify prerequisite knowledge and skills that students will need to understand new content in this lesson;
- describe, in detail, an instructional strategy that will promote student progress toward the learning objective, including the use of relevant technology and other resources;
- explain how the selected strategy will support students' knowledge and skills as they progress toward the objective;
- describe how the lesson will be conducted to inclusively access the assets and meet the needs of all learners; and
- describe a method of assessing students' progress toward the stated objective.
Sample Strong Response to Constructed-Response Item 3
Coming Fall 2025
Performance Characteristics for Constructed-Response Item
The following characteristics guide the scoring of the response to a constructed-response item.
| Completeness | The degree to which the response addresses all parts of the assignment |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | The degree to which the response demonstrates the relevant knowledge and skills accurately and effectively |
| Depth of Support | The degree to which the response provides appropriate examples and details that demonstrate sound reasoning |
Score Scale for Constructed-Response Item
A score will be assigned to the response to a constructed-response item according to the following score scale.
| Score Point | Score Point Description |
|---|---|
| 4 |
The "4" response reflects a thorough command of the relevant knowledge and skills:
|
| 3 |
The "3" response reflects a general command of the relevant knowledge and skills:
|
| 2 |
The "2" response reflects a partial command of the relevant knowledge and skills:
|
| 1 |
The "1" response reflects little or no command of the relevant knowledge and skills:
|
| U | The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic or off task, unreadable, written in a language other than English or contains an insufficient amount of original work to score. |
| B | No response. |
Acknowledgments
1acknowledgement 1 9-12.CT.7 From New York State Department of Education. New York Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (2020). Internet. Available from https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/standards-instruction/computer-science-digital-fluency-standards-k-12.pdf. Accessed on February 12, 2025