edTPA

What is edTPA?

The Education Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA) was developed at Stanford University, and has been a ‘grass-roots’ response to concerns about PRAXIS II and other exams not reasonably determining the likelihood that a new teacher would be able to do the work needed to successfully support student learning in the classroom.  

In MD, many programs have opted in to using it, and through this opt-in, we are creating a momentum/pressure on the state to revisit its certification requirements and adopt better instruments.

The edTPA requirement in the MAT

Beginning this year, all members of the cohort must participate in edTPA as a requirement for EDUC 701.  You cannot earn a passing grade in Seminar if you do not complete edTPA. Passing edTPA is not a requirement for earning the passing grade in Seminar; however, we certainly expect a good faith effort.

This requirement is in addition to the STATE requirement for credentialing exams—PRAXIS II.  With the exception of certain K-12 areas, all cohort members must take and pass both the content and pedagogy PRAXIS II exams as a graduation/certification requirement. 

We have elected to require edTPA participation for the following reasons:

1. It is a robust, research-based assessment tool that requires you to DEMONSTRATE what you can do as a teacher.  It is aligned with the standards for National Board Certification, which you can pursue after 5 years in the classroom.

2. The components of edTPA (briefly explained as a ‘learning profile of your class,’ ‘video evidence of your instruction of a learning segment,’ and ‘evaluation of student assessment data’) have ALWAYS been a part of our MAT program.  For us, we see edTPA as “catching up” to where we’ve always been with expectations for our students.

3. edTPA is gaining currency in the country.  You can’t teach in NY or NJ as a new teacher without it, and other states are following suit.  edTPA will allow you to be as marketable as possible. 

4. Thus, if you pass edTPA, you’re several steps ahead of many first year teachers and that much more marketable.

Funding edTPA

The edTPA timeline

There is a separate document (which follows) that outlines key timetables for prepping for edTPA.

What does my mentor need to do for edTPA?

Very little.  edTPA is really about what YOU do as a teacher intern; your mentor cannot help you with the actual work on the edTPA.  You’ll need the mentor’s help in ensuring that students return the media release form we need to use (that form will be shared with you soon after the start of the year) to allow the filming that’s required.  You’ll work with the mentor to identify when you’ll teach your sequences (which you already have to do), and establish the filming schedule. The mentor will, as always, give you general feedback about your lesson planning, implementation, and use of student assessment data; these feedback area are critical to the tasks that you do for edTPA.  He/she may help with the technical aspects of filming, but that’s the extent of his/her direct work with edTPA.