The Consequences of edTPA

Depending on where you work, you may have heard whispers about the edTPA in the hallways of your school. You may have seen perplexed student teachers huddled in a corner of the teachers' lounge trying to decode the language and prompts. You may have heard cries of frustration when "focus students" were absent, videos failed to save, or a fire drill disrupted a lesson. If you work directly with a student teacher, you may have spent prep periods wrestling with how your school's mandated curriculum can be used within the confines of the edTPA.

As a clinical supervisor for student teachers, I spend much of my time in schools throughout New York City. When I mention edTPA to most classroom teachers and administrators, I get one of three responses: a blank stare (from those who have never heard of it); a sigh (from those who have seen student teachers battling with it); or a one-liner along the lines of "Thank goodness I didn't have to do that to be certified." For that first group, here is a little background.