Many times when we think about assessment we gravitate towards thinking about students and their testing. Rarely, however, do we discuss the tests that teachers need to take in order to be teachers. For many years teachers were required to take content tests on the subject they would teach and pass a licensure program in order to teach. However, in 2014 the US made a shift towards additionally requiring students to complete a portfolio of their student teaching experience. Known as EducativeTeacher PerformanceAssessment or the edTPA this test is described as "a system of subject-specific standardized assessment of teaching performance used by hundreds of educator preparation programs (EPPs) across the United States for preservice teacher (PST) development and initial teaching licensure (Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity [SCALE], 2018c). Student teachers, during their student teaching, complete lesson planning and evaluations of these lessons and then record themselves teaching. They submit 3 recordings of no more than ten minutes with the lesson plans and analysis. 

The below video explains in more detail how the EdTPA works and it scored. 

The reasoning for creating such an assessment was initially positive: "The assessments were initially conceptualized and used as formative assessment tools to support the development of better and more consistent teaching practices in teacher education programs. They were also intended to support the development of common teaching practices and a shared language within and across teacher education institutions and, more generally, to inform efforts to improve teacher education programs. (Getomir et all, 2019). This intention can be seen through the request of pre-service teachers to create lesson plans, evaluate how they are supporting students of different background and by having them reflect on their own teaching. 

However, this assessment has not come without its issues: Many argue "that standardized assessments such as edTPA are inherently limited, counterproductive, or inappropriate" (Getomir et al, 2019). Others argue "that in measuring first-year teacher readiness, edTPA weighed heavily on data analysis skills and de-emphasized skills such as adaptability, relating to students’ interests, and fostering a cooperative environment" and Moreover, it requires students to take focus from preparing to the teacher to preparing for an inauthentic testing situation. (Zhao, 2018). While the intentions of the test are valiant, it appears to be doing more harm than good for student teachers in general and therefore for their future students. 

edTPA: A Peek into the Process with Real Classroom Video. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BenmNu0CnlM

Guzzomi, Andrew L., et al. “Students’ Responses to Authentic Assessment Designed to Develop Commitment to Performing at Their Best.” European Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 42, no. 3, Jan. 2017, pp. 219–40. Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals.

Zhou, M. (2018). edTPA as a Tool to Measure Teacher Readiness: A Case Study on First Year Teachers. Georgia Educational Researcher, 14(2), 51–68.