edTPA eliminated as a state requirement for teacher certification

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 05/05/2021 03:07 PM PDT

May 5, 2021

edTPA eliminated as a state requirement for teacher certification

The Washington Legislature has approved state law, 2SHB 1028, eliminating the edTPA as a state requirement for teacher certification. In support of flexible assessment policy that acknowledges individual candidates strengths, the Board will provide additional guidance and clarity for policy implementation and preparation program review in the coming months.

The edTPA is a portfolio-based performance assessment used by teacher preparation programs to assess how teacher candidates plan and teach lessons, exhibit culturally responsive instruction, and demonstrate approaches to differentiate student needs.

With the approval of 2SHB 1028, PESB-approved teacher preparation programs can now begin recommending candidates who have met all program completion requirements, with the exception of the edTPA, for a residency teacher certificate.

What about candidates who did not pass the edTPA in previous years?

For the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 academic years, programs must recommend candidates for residency teacher certification who did not pass the edTPA, but did meet all other program completion requirements. Programs must attempt to notify all candidates who are now eligible for recommendation from these academic years.

For academic years prior to 2019, programs may recommend candidates for residency teacher certification who did not pass the edTPA, but did meet all other program completion requirements.

Can a program continue using the edTPA?

Yes, a program may choose to continue using the edTPA as a formative tool as long as they include this information in all program descriptions. Programs choosing to use the edTPA would be able to set their own requirements for the assessment, such as timelines.

What do programs ensure before recommending a candidate for certification?

PESB policy requires that prior to recommendation, programs ensure that candidates can demonstrate the inTASC standards, incorporate the SEL standards, and are prepared to exhibit the knowledge and skills of culturally responsive educators. This continues to be the case under new state law.

Programs must also continue to provide a list of program completion requirements to applicants prior to admission.

Find out more

See the FAQ on elimination of the edTPA requirement
Candidates with questions about being recommended for certification should contact their program directly.
Questions about certification requirements or eCertification can be directed to the OSPI certification office at cert@k12.wa.us or (360) 725-6400.
Questions about PESB policy can be sent to pesb@k12.wa.us.

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