Troubling the edTPA: Illusions of Objectivity and Rigor. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dover, Alison G.; Schultz, Brian D.
• Is Part Of: Educational forum. Volume 80:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 95
• Page End: 106
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: accountability -- edTPA -- teacher education/certification -- teacher performance assessment -- teacher preparation; Education -- Periodicals; 370.5
• DOI: 10.1080/00131725.2015.1102368
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-1725

Abstract

Abstract: High-stakes, standardized teacher performance assessments (TPAs) are dramatically shifting the landscape of educator preparation. In this article, we examine illusions of objectivity and rigor embedded in edTPA, focusing on the reductive nature of standardized teacher assessments and the corrosive impact of the burgeoning TPA industry. We assert that TPAs corrupt the preparation process by discouraging authentic, multifaceted, longitudinal evaluations of candidate readiness, thereby undermining the very rigor and accountability they purport to ensure.