Emerging Issues With Consequential Use of the edTPA: Overall and Through a Special Education Lens

Abstract

The purpose of teacher preparation programs is to ensure that teachers are adequately equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to support the various educational needs of their students. Nevertheless, a call for a uniform process through which teacher candidates can demonstrate their ability to meet their students’ educational needs using authentic learning environments has been called for. To that end, the American Association of College for Teachers Education (AACTE) partnered with the Stanford Center for Assessment to create a form of assessment that encompasses the three levels of teaching: planning, instruction, and assessment. This multileveled evaluation process is known as the Teacher Performance Assessment or the edTPA. The purpose of this article is to discuss some challenges that have arisen in connection with the implementation of the edTPA. The authors discuss issues such as time commitment, variability of school environments, inconsistent national implementations, and issues specific to special education.