Essential Elements of CAP
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP)
The Massachusetts Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) is a system designed to assess the overall readiness of a teacher candidate at the conclusion of their preparation experience. The state of Massachusetts aims to ensure that teachers enter the classroom prepared to make a difference with their students starting on day one, through requiring candidates to demonstrate their readiness by creating a bridge from preparation to practice based on the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework. [6]
Teacher Candidates must reach a level of proficiency in all seven elements of CAP in order to be declared "ready to teach" as determined by their Supervising Practitioners and Program Supervisors. The Quality, Scope, and Consistency of the teacher candidate is measured for each element of CAP. Quality includes the ability to perform the skill, action, or behavior. Scope covers the scale of impact (e.g., one student, subset of students, all students) to which the skill, action, or behavior is demonstrated with quality. Consistency involves the frequency (e.g., all the time, sometimes, once) that the skill, action, or behavior is demonstrated with quality. Candidates are evaluated on each element based on the CAP rubric and to allow the Supervising Practitioner and Program Supervisor to provide targeted feedback to the candidate.
The Seven Essential Elements of CAP include:
1.A.1: Subject Matter Knowledge
1.A.3: Well-Structured Units and Lessons
1.B.2: Adjustments to Practice
Anna Eng
WPI Teacher Preparation Program
aeeng@wpi.edu