Candidate Success

Abstract

edTPA is a rigorous teaching performance assessment that requires preservice candidates in 27 content areas to demonstrate their ability to plan, instruct, and assess. A primary consideration in these lessons is meeting the needs of diverse students, planning lessons that engage, and using assessments to inform instruction. Preservice candidates submit evidence in the form of commentaries and artifacts for each of the three tasks. This evidence includes written commentary, lesson plans, instructional materials, video clips, assessments, feedback, and reflective analysis. This chapter will provide teacher preparation programs strategies for effective candidate support that can lead to faculty engagement, program improvement, and candidate success. It is written from the perspective of a teacher preparation program that has supported thousands of candidates through the edTPA submission process and learned valuable lessons along the way.