for more sophisticated data analysis, including the
ability to compare performance of first-time test
takers to those who take the assessments multiple
times. Rather than introduce custom assessments
at the same time for all endorsements, TDOE is
interested in implementing assessments for reading
and secondary mathematics first.
Performance Assessments
Since 2012, Tennessee has permitted teacher
candidates to take and pass a performance
assessment known as edTPA in lieu of the Praxis PLT
assessment. The TBR’s four-year institutions, Vanderbilt
University, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville
require all teacher candidates to pass edTPA.
Custom Content Assessments
There are currently 16 states across the
country that use custom licensure assessments
that are aligned to their state standards
including Illinois, Massachusetts, and
Georgia. Many of the states implementing
these custom designed assessments have
contracts with a group known as the
National Evaluation Systems—affiliated
with Pearson. It is still too early to tell if
these custom content assessments can
better identify teaching effectiveness, but
some important implementation lessons
have emerged. For example, New York has
loosened its requirements for teachers to
pass their state-created exams due to low
pass rates, especially for candidates of color.
Between January and June 2015, approximately
1,000 teacher candidates in Tennessee, representing
about 20 percent of completers in the state, took
edTPA. These assessments typically include 15
rubrics, each of which are scored on a scale of five
points, which add up to a total maximum possible
score of 75.46 The standard-setting panel for
edTPA, which consists of educational stakeholders
from K-12 and higher education, recommend a
score of 42 points as the professional performance
standard.47 TBR institutions are required to set a
passing cut score of 37 or higher.
There are several benefits to edTPA. It creates a
common set of performance-based criteria for all
teacher candidates and, because of its use across
the country, performance of teachers in Tennessee
can be compared to teachers nationwide.
According to the TDOE, edTPA grading rubrics are
also well aligned to the TEAM teacher evaluation
rubric. Because edTPA is scored externally, the
assessment provides an unbiased perspective on
teacher candidates’ performance.
There are also concerns over reciprocity.
Twenty teachers from other states sued the
Minnesota Board of Teaching in 2015 over
delays regarding certification decisions.
What is edTPA?
The Stanford Center for Assessment,
Learning, and Equity (SCALE) in association
with the American Association for Colleges
of Teacher Education created edTPA as a
portfolio assessment for teacher education
students. It is meant to be a summative
assessment for teacher candidates before
they enter the classroom, and its rubric
has three measurement components:
Assessment, Planning, and Instruction.
Candidates submit their completed
portfolios to Pearson for scoring, for which
teachers and teacher education faculty
from across the nation receive training.
There are 27 different versions of edTPA
assessments, including subject-specific
portfolio assessments as well as elementary,
middle school, and high school areas.
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