edTPA Cooperating Teachers FAQs
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Where did the edTPA come from?
edTPA® was developed by the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) in partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE).
It’s modeled after the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ assessments of accomplished veteran teachers and was developed with input from teachers and teacher educators across the country.
While SCALE is responsible for the edTPA handbooks, rubrics, and scorer training materials, they have partnered with partner Pearson Corp. to manage candidate registration and scoring of the edTPA. More information.
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How do candidates use video to complete the edTPA?
Teacher candidates are required to videotape their instruction during a learning segment, comprised of a series of three to five lessons that aligns with their edTPA focus area. You’re encouraged to videotape all of these learning segments in order to have a better opportunity to select and reflect upon the instructional practices they demonstrate.
You’ll only be able to videotape students whose parents sign a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction approved permission form, provided by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Students who are unable to be filmed will be situated outside of the videotaped area in the classroom, but will still engage in all instruction opportunities. This system is only accessible by faculty, teacher candidates and Pearson Corp.
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What should school districts and cooperating teachers know when accepting a teacher candidate?
Candidates must have the ability to complete the edTPA. It is essential that the placement give the candidate the opportunity to satisfy the requirements in the relevant edTPA handbook.
You must be able to take sole responsibility for planning, instruction, and assessment of a particular class during the edTPA learning segment.
The time to practice with the video camera, positioning of the camera and teaching with the camera before the focus learning segment, as well as the videotaping of the learning segments, is essential for success.
In addition to planning, instructing and filming the focus learning segment, student teachers are required to collect evidence of learning in the form of written or oral assessments. Multiple examples of this evidence are recommended, though only one formal example is required for submission.
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What is a co-teaching model of student teaching? How can it be used for the edTPA?
Many educator preparation programs are incorporating a co-teaching model of student teaching, where the cooperating teacher and student teacher plan collaboratively and share teaching responsibilities. Co-teaching can take a variety of forms.
- One person teaching while the other observes or assists students.
- One person teaching while the other works with a small group needing extra support or a challenge.
- Both teaching as a team or in parallel at different stations.
- Both taking turns with the teaching of particular classes, units, lessons, or activities.
Co-teaching provides extensive modeling and feedback for the student teacher while boosting student learning and sustaining a high quality of instruction in the cooperating teacher’s classes. Student teachers are still responsible for writing their own plans for instruction and may often teach on their own while the cooperating teacher attends to other duties. Student teachers will also be responsible for planning, instructing, and assessing the class during the edTPA learning segment.
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How do I, as a cooperating teacher, support the candidate?
You can help the candidate get to know the students, build their confidence as a teacher, and choose a class, topic, and focus students for the edTPA learning segment. During the learning segment, you should give the candidate full responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessing the class. In the week or two after the learning segment, you should be aware that the candidate will need time to select video clips, write commentaries, and submit the edTPA for scoring, in addition to normal teaching duties.
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Where do I get more information?
- AACTE edTPA provides numerous resources and an online community for edTPA coordinators.
- Pearson edTPA is the official source of information for all candidates and faculty.
- Learn more about edTPA requirements specific to Wisconsin.
- Further questions can be directed to edTPA@uwplatt.edu.