edTPA Student Teacher FAQs
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What is an edTPA handbook?
The edTPA handbook is your guide to the structure, language and rubrics of the edTPA. Handbooks are available in every licensure area and your program will decide which handbook you will complete.
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Why am I required to complete an edTPA?
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) and is required for certification as an initial educator in Wisconsin. It’s modeled after the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ assessments of accomplished veteran teachers and was developed with input from teacher and teacher educators across the country.
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What does the edTPA cost?
The cost of edTPA is $300 that includes official scoring and score reporting to the candidate and to the program designated by the candidate during registration. Additional score reports are $50 and retake costs are $100 for a single task or $300 for a complete edTPA.
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How do I register for edTPA?
Register at www.edtpa.com and pay the registration fee.
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Which edTPA will I complete?
The Educator Preparation Program will select the edTPA based on your student teaching placement (class, level, and subject matter) and the list of allowable handbooks provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
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When should I start my edTPA during student teaching?
You should know your classes well and be confident in your teaching ability before completing the edTPA, but you should also submit the edTPA early enough to allow for remediation as needed.
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What is a learning segment in the edTPA?
A learning segment is defined as a series of three to five lessons that build one upon another toward a central focus with a clearly defined beginning and end.
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Which class and topic should I choose for my edTPA learning segment?
If you are an elementary educator, you will be teaching a mathematics learning segment. If you are a middle-level educator, high school educator, or K-12 educator you will be teaching a learning segment that aligns with your placement. As you will be teaching more than one group of students, you will need to choose one group of students to focus upon for this process.
In all placements, focus students will need to be chosen. Your cooperating teacher and University of Wisconsin-Platteville supervisor can help you with these decisions.
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What is academic language? What role does it play in the edTPA?
Academic language includes the words and phrases (vocabulary), sentence structures (syntax), and argument, presentation, and paper structures (discourse) that PK-12 students need to expand learning and perform successfully. You are expected to demonstrate the instruction of academic language, providing opportunities for student engagement with the academic language.
While you may use terms and definitions in your instruction, students must demonstrate this understanding through use and application related to this understanding. In addition, there might be terms and context embedded in lessons that students in a class are “assumed to know and understand.”
For example, if second-graders are asked to complete a timed multiplication test, you need to ensure that all of the students understand the term “multiply,” and the term “timed” in the context of the expectation. For some students this language will be familiar, while for others (especially English language learners) it may not be.
In the edTPA, you must show how your planning, instruction, and assessment support the development of academic language related to a particular objective and task in your learning segment.
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What should I record for their edTPA learning segment?
You should record all of the lessons in the defined learning segment, so you are able to select the required number of unedited video clips that demonstrate the evidence called for in the rubrics.
It’s helpful to have one video focus more on you delivering instruction while another focuses more on students engaging in learning activities with your guidance and feedback. Students should be seated where they will be visible during recording.
For instruction, the camera should be zoomed in just enough to make visual aids legible while keeping some students in the frame, while for student work, the camera should zoom in enough to pick up video and audio of the students in focus.
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How should I prepare to video record my classes?
You should follow the procedures of the educator preparation program to secure permission to video record during your student teaching placement. Classroom videos may be viewed only by school district personnel, education faculty, and official scorers.
Under no circumstances may they be shared or posted online, and those who violate this restriction risk losing their teaching license.
Once permissions are secured, you should practice video recording before the edTPA to learn how to capture clear video and audio in a classroom setting and to get students acclimated to having a video camera in the room.
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How can my cooperating teacher support me in completing the edTPA?
The cooperating teacher can help you get to know the students, build your confidence as a teacher, and choose a class, topic, and focus students for the edTPA learning segment.
During the learning segment, cooperating teachers should give you full responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessing the class. In the week or two following the learning segment, cooperating teachers should be aware that you 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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How can my educator preparation program support me in completing the edTPA?
Your program preparation will expose you to elements, language and structure of the edTPA. The program will provide you with support materials such as the Making Good Choices guide and your edTPA handbook.
Programs cannot tell you which videos to use or what to write, and under no circumstances can faculty edit or upload your materials. Examples of appropriate and inappropriate support are spelled out in the document Guidelines for Supporting Candidates.
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How long will it take until I get my results?
It can take approximately three weeks to receive scores after submission. You will be notified of your scores by email. Your teacher preparation program will also receive your results.
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What is the passing score for the edTPA?
Scores range from 15 to 75 (15 rubrics with ratings one to five). The state of Wisconsin has determined a passing score of 38 for handbooks with 15 rubrics and a passing score of 32 for handbooks with 32 rubrics. All candidates who complete an educator preparation program will have to achieve the state passing score on the edTPA to be eligible for initial licensure.
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What if I don’t pass the edTPA?
See UW-Platteville’s edTPA resubmission policies and procedures for detailed information.
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Where do I get more information?
- 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.