By Toni Marek in edTPA — Jun 19, 2019

edTPA Uncovered: Sample Submissions that Passed (5 examples)

Since 2014, an increasing number of states are requiring teachers to pass the edTPA, a subject-specific performance assessment, for initial certification. We reached out to our candidates and asked for sample submissions.

Since 2014, an increasing number of states are requiring teachers to pass the edTPA, a subject-specific performance assessment, for initial certification. The assessment has several lengthy written components, and requires submission and self-analysis of an instructional video. It can take months to complete, and this can feel overwhelming for some teachers. Thankfully, when all is said and done, most find that the overall experience was valuable and helped prepare them for their new career.

Before approaching any daunting task, it can be helpful to look at an example of a finished product. We reached out to our candidates and asked for sample submissions, and thanks to five amazing teachers, we have samples in the following subjects: TESOL K-12, Elementary Education K-6, Secondary Special Education 7-12, Secondary Mathematics 7-12, and Early Childhood Education B-2. All of these candidates passed the edTPA and are currently certified. We recommend that you browse the sample most similar to your aspiring certification, and dig into what others wish they'd known before taking the edTPA.

Our hope is that looking at samples will give you a better idea of what is expected. Enjoy - and best of luck!

Task 1: Lesson Planning Overview

Teachers provide an overview of their student population and the content they intend to teach.

Part A: Context for Learning

In this task, teachers are asked to provide information about the current needs of the population of students they plan to teach, current teaching practices, services and structures already in place for the students, and an explanation of how their content is appropriate for the population they intend to teach.

Part B: Lesson Plans

Lesson plans are created based on the needs of the students, and these lesson plans form the foundation of the entire assessment.

❤️ Receive all Sample edTPA Submissions in a single PDF! 📨

Part C: Materials

Teachers submit all handouts, charts, texts and other student materials associated with the lessons.

Part D: Assessment

Documents are provided that relate to student assessment including worksheets, rubrics and checklists.

Part E: Planning Commentary

This section can be up to nine pages single-spaced, and requires a substantial amount of input from teachers. Teachers are asked to:

Describe the central focus of student learning
Provide details about how they will monitor student learning
Use knowledge of students to inform teaching
Enlist language supports
Deepen students’ conceptual understanding
Address students with specific learning needs
Anticipate student misconceptions
Explain how plans build on each other
Include research and/or theory to support their justifications

Samples

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

Teachers analyze their video and explain how they support and engage students in learning. Essential components of the rubric include creating a positive environment, using prior knowledge, analyzing teaching, deepening student learning, and using evidence from instruction to plan next steps.

Task 3: Assessing Student Learning

Teachers gather evidence of learning and use it to plan next steps, provide feedback, and determine patterns of learning.

Task 4: (Elementary Math Only)

This teacher analyzes student work samples to identify a targeted learning objective and uses this information to plan a re-teach lesson.

Elementary Education 1-6 Math

Attention, Certified Teachers!

Have you taken the edTPA recently and passed? Help aspiring teachers by allowing us to post your test as an example! Email hello@getselected.com for more information.

About Selected: For Teachers

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edTPA Uncovered: Sample Submissions that Passed (5 examples)