Relates to certain candidates for an initial teaching certificate

1 Co-sponsor

• Timothy M. Kennedy

BILL NUMBER:S7080

Title of bill

An act in relation to certain candidates for an initial teaching certificate

Purpose

To provide teacher candidates with an alternate route to certification if the edTPA is required and a candidate fails the assessment on his or her first attempt.

Summary of provisions

Section one would permit a new teacher candidate who meets all requirements for initial teacher certification by August 31, 2014, except for attaining a passing score on his or her first attempt on the teacher performance assessment (edTPA), to complete the elementary or secondary written assessment of teaching skills (ATS-W) examination in lieu of the edTPA.

Section two provides for an immediate effective date retroactive to May 1, 2014.

Justification

The Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is a new assessment that the Board of Regents is requiring for teacher certification beginning May 1, 2014. Concerns have been expressed over the State Education Department's (SED) implementation of this new requirement, which it has already delayed one year. Other legislation has been introduced that would require the continued use of the current exam for certification - the ATS-W - until July 1, 2015, but permit candidates with passing scores on the edTPA to submit those scores in place of the ATS-W, thereby providing teacher candidates with the option of taking either exam for an additional year.

This legislation would neither require that teacher candidates take the edTPA, nor prohibit the Board of Regents from requiring that students take the edTPA, but allow those who fail the edTPA on their first attempt to take and submit passing scores from the ATS-W in its place. This "safety net" approach is designed to address the concerns of those who believe that the pace at which the requirement is being implemented has undermined preparation for, and consequently, performance on, the edTPA.

There are significant benefits to having all teacher candidates take the edTPA this year. First, this would mean that a full cohort of candidates will have taken the assessment, instead of a partial, self-selected group. Second, it would allow teacher preparation programs to receive more reliable feedback on how their students fared on the assessment, given that the results would be reflective of a full cohort. Third, it would allow teacher preparation programs to begin making programmatic adjustments based on the scores and feedback provided.

Creating a safety net for students who fail the edTPA in their first attempt, without eliminating the Board of Regents' requirement that students take the edTPA, will ensure that candidates harmed by the rushed implementation of the edTPA requirement have an alternative route to certification. It will also assist teacher preparation programs in the coming months as they seek to improve the quality of

teachers entering the profession by using data and feedback from the initial cohort of edTPA test takers.

Legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

None

Effective date

Immediately and shall be deemed to have been in effect on and after May 1, 2014