- Innovation
Pearson has launched edTPA Essentials, a streamlined modular version of the national teacher performance assessment required by many states in the U.S. As the only nationally available teacher performance assessment, edTPA (educative Teacher Performance Assessment) was originally developed by Stanford University and has been operated by Pearson since its national launch in 2013.
edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by educator preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure, and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need to be effective educators from their first day in the classroom. As part of edTPA, aspiring teachers prepare a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their knowledge and skills in planning, instruction, and assessment of student learning.
The relaunched assessment introduces a modular two-task design, reducing complexity while preserving the core evidence that states and programs rely on to support teacher credentialing decisions. edTPA Essentials asks teacher candidates to plan and teach lessons, use student learning data to further support student learning, and reflect on their instructional decisions and student learning outcomes to plan next steps, reflecting a full cycle of teaching.
edTPA Essentials also reduces the number of assessment handbooks from 32 to five and includes digitized assessment materials and a modernized portfolio platform designed to make submissions easier to complete and review. Overall, edTPA Essentials provides a clearer, more streamlined experience for candidates, educator preparation programs, and state credentialing agencies.
“The launch of edTPA Essentials is extremely exciting for Pearson as well as our educational partners. The redesign represents our commitment to the field, to being responsive to stakeholder needs, and to teacher quality,” said Dr. E. Wyatt Gordon, Senior Vice President at Pearson Professional Assessments.
Arkansas, California, Maryland, and West Virginia have already adopted edTPA Essentials, alongside a number of colleges.