Teacher Education at a Crossroads? Examining the edTPA as a Professionalization or Deprofessionalization Policy Tool

• In Event: Examining the Intersections of Federal Policy, State Policy, and Professionalization

Abstract

The edTPA—a performance-based teacher assessment system—is designed to strengthen teacher professionalization at scale. Since 2009, one third of all teacher preparation programs (TPPs) across 41 states are now using edTPA. However, such rapid adoption has been met with praise and critique. Our paper seeks to illustrate these rhetorical stances in practice. Examining the sensemaking of TPP administrators, faculty, and staff in two states (N = 69), we find a strong dichotomy between how the field views and implements edTPA—either as a professionalization or deprofessionalization policy tool. This dichotomy is related to enduring issues of how the field defines “good” teaching and how best to measure it.

Authors

• Craig W. De Voto, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Jessica Gottlieb, Texas Tech University

• Jennifer D. Olson, University of Illinois at Chicago