Teacher Performance Assessment Requirement Frequently Asked Questions

At its April 2022 meeting, the New York State Board of Regents voted to modify the teacher performance assessment requirement for certification by eliminating the edTPA requirement for certification and, instead, requiring that New York State-registered teacher preparation programs integrate a teacher performance assessment into the candidates’ student teaching, practicum, or similar clinical experience (e.g., residency, mentored in-service component).

The edTPA is no longer a certification requirement as of April 27, 2022. On that date, the edTPA safety net, edTPA Multiple Measures Review Process (MMRP), and the availability of the Conditional Initial certificate also ended, as these accommodations are no longer needed.

New York State-registered teacher preparation programs have until September 1, 2023 to develop or choose a teacher performance assessment that meets the criteria in the following definition and is designed to promote the professional growth of candidates seeking their first Initial teaching certificate.

• Teacher performance assessment means a multi-measure assessment where candidates demonstrate the pedagogical knowledge and skills identified in the New York State Teaching Standards, which align with the four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, and their content knowledge and skill in teaching to the State learning standards in the grade band and subject area of a certificate sought.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In the following FAQs, “programs” refers to New York State-registered teacher preparation programs and does not refer to out-of-state teacher preparation programs.

Development of Teacher Performance Assessments

1. What are the criteria for teacher performance assessments (TPAs) that must be integrated into the candidates’ student teaching, practicum, or similar clinical experience by September 1, 2023?

Registered programs must develop or choose a TPA that meets the criteria in the following definition. Programs have the flexibility to develop or choose a TPA that meets their local interests and needs.

• Teacher performance assessment means a multi-measure assessment where candidates demonstrate the pedagogical knowledge and skills identified in the New York State Teaching Standards and their content knowledge and skill in teaching to the State learning standards in the grade band and subject area of a certificate sought. The teaching standards align with the four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework.

2. What are the New York State Teaching Standards?

In the definition of a TPA (please see FAQ #1), candidates must demonstrate the pedagogical knowledge and skills identified in the New York State Teaching Standards, which align with the four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework¹. The teaching standards, elements, and performance indicators for each element are described in the New York State Teaching Standards. The seven teaching standards are listed below.

1. Knowledge of Students and Student Learning

2. Knowledge of Content and Instructional Planning

3. Instructional Practice

4. Learning Environment

5. Assessment for Student Learning

6. Professional Responsibilities and Collaboration

7. Professional Growth

3. The New York State Teaching Standards includes seven standards with several elements under each standard. Do the TPAs need to address each of the standards, each of the elements, and/or the four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework?

TPAs must address each of the seven teaching standards such that candidates are able to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills to be a teacher. Not every element needs to be addressed. The four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework must also be addressed via the standards/elements.

4. What does it mean to be a “multi-measure” teacher performance assessment?

A multi-measure teacher performance assessment would include multiple activities with distinct assessment tools that enable faculty and staff to evaluate, and provide feedback on, candidates’ performance. For example, requiring candidates to teach a lesson (activity) and assessing their teaching through an observation rating form (assessment tool) is an example of one activity with a distinct assessment tool. Other examples of TPA activities could include, but are not limited to, candidates:

• Implementing/delivering a lesson (observed in-person, remotely, or via video)
• Writing detailed lesson plans or units that address the needs of all students
• Developing and administering appropriate student assessments
• Analyzing student work and making claims about student learning
• Reflecting on their practice, including describing how they plan to change their instruction and assessment plans

Each of the TPA activities would have a distinct assessment tool appropriate for the activity, such as a rubric. A TPA could have one composite assessment tool (e.g., rubric) with different parts of the tool assessing the different activities, where each activity is identified on the tool.  

5. Can the TPA include activities from field experiences prior to student teaching?

The TPA must be integrated into the candidates’ student teaching, practicum, or similar clinical experience (e.g., residency, mentored in-service component) per regulations. Therefore, multiple TPA activities must be grounded in the student teaching (or similar) experience. However, programs could also include field experience TPA activities to supplement the student teaching TPA activities.

6. Can programs within an institution have different teacher performance assessments?

Yes. Registered programs could have teacher performance assessments that are the same as, or different from, other programs at their institution.

7. Which candidates need to complete the teacher performance assessment implemented by their program?

Candidates seeking their first Initial teaching certificate in all teacher certification subject areas, including educational technology and speech and language disabilities, must complete a teacher performance assessment. The assessment must be designed to promote the professional growth of candidates seeking their first Initial teaching certificate. Candidates who already hold a teaching certificate and are seeking an additional certificate do not need to complete the assessment.

8. What is the “content knowledge and skill in teaching to the State learning standards” that need to be addressed by the TPAs in speech and language disabilities programs?

The content knowledge and skill for teaching students with speech and language disabilities is addressed in the programs’ content core and in the pedagogical core requirements. The content core requirement is “study to acquire knowledge, understanding, and skills in the field of speech and language disorders.” The pedagogical core requirement is “study to develop comprehensive knowledge, understanding, and skills for teaching students with [speech, language and hearing] disabilities and specialized study to prepare for working with general education teachers in terms of the impact of speech, language, and hearing disabilities on learning in the general curriculum areas of the State learning standards for students, which are prescribed in Part 100 of this Title.” Therefore, the TPA in speech and language disabilities programs should focus on the candidates’ knowledge, understanding, and skills in: (1) the field of speech and language disorders, and (2) teaching students with speech and language disabilities and working with general education teachers in terms of the impact of these disabilities on learning in the general curriculum.

Implementing Teacher Performance Assessments

9. Do candidates need to complete the edTPA while their program is developing or choosing a teacher performance assessment?

Candidates do not need to complete the edTPA for certification purposes on or after April 27, 2022. Since registered programs have until September 1, 2023 to implement their new teacher performance assessment (TPA), there may be a transition period where candidates are not required to complete the edTPA for certification or a TPA implemented by the registered program. However, once programs implement their TPA, either on or before September 1, 2023, candidates will be required to complete the TPA in their program.

10. For students who plan to teach in states that are still requiring edTPA, can we offer that as an option in lieu of the institutions TPA, or would they need to complete both?

The edTPA meets the NYS definition of a TPA (above) and therefore, institutions may allow candidates to complete the edTPA in lieu of a TPA developed by the institution

11. Would institutions create TPAs only for programs leading to Initial certification, or would they also need to create TPAs for graduate programs leading to Initial/Professional certification?

A TPA should be developed for every program that enrolls candidates who may be seeking their first Initial teaching certificate. Graduate programs that require certification for admission or lead only to the Professional certificate do not need to create a TPA.

Submitting Teacher Performance Assessments

12. What do programs need to submit to the Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE) to demonstrate that they meet this new teacher performance assessment requirement?

Registered programs must develop or choose a teacher performance assessment (TPA) that meets the criteria in the TPA definition, and must integrate the assessment into the candidates’ student teaching, practicum, or similar clinical experience by September 1, 2023 (please see FAQ #1). A memo regarding the TPA submission process for registered teacher preparation programs was sent to Deans and Directors on June 29, 2022 and is posted on the Office of College and University Evaluation website. The submission includes a completed Statement of Assurance form and a representative sample of TPAs, as outlined in the memo.

13. What should be included in the TPAs that are submitted to the Office of College and University Evaluation?

Registered programs should submit the description of the TPA activities and their corresponding assessment tools. Institutions should also provide contextual information about the TPA, such as how and when it would be implemented. Please see FAQ #4 for examples of TPA activities and assessment tools. The submitted TPAs should not include candidate data or student data.

 

Note: For information on the elimination of the edTPA as a certification requirement visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives edTPA FAQ here

 

¹ The four principles of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework are: welcoming and affirming environment, high expectations and rigorous instruction, inclusive curriculum and assessment, and ongoing professional learning.