"The unit must ensure each candidate, prior to completing an initial licensure program, completes a board-adopted teacher performance assessment if an assessment exists that is aligned with the license sought."

All candidates in each of UED’s initial licensure programs must complete the edTPA during student teaching. This requirement is a topic of discussion during UTP Progress Check #2 (pg. 2), and work during student teaching seminars because completing the edTPA is required to pass student teaching. No matter how well a candidate performs during student teaching, they receive an Incomplete grade if their edTPA is not submitted in TaskStream (and to Pearson except during the COVID-19 pandemic when PELSB allowed local scoring only as not all student teachers throughout the state had in-person placements.)

Completion of the edTPA is tracked in TaskStream by the student teacher’s university supervisor and the Director of Field Experiences who submits Pass/Incomplete/No Credit grades for student teaching and is also the UED Licensure Officer. 

The UED makes candidates aware of this requirement for program completion through a variety of means:

• The top of each program requirements page on the University’s website
• Section VIII. Graduation, Program Completion & Licensure in the UTP Student Handbook
• Coursework where practice with parts of the edTPA are backmapped and scaffolded throughout programs
• UTP Progress Check #2 (bottom of pg 2) and EDU 450 Advanced Urban Teaching Practicum and Seminar
• Student teaching seminars