Frequently Asked Questions: Completing edTPA in a Virtual Learning Environment

The Evidence Requirements and Considerations in a Virtual Learning Environment for Texas’ edTPA Pilot , which also includes subject-specific considerations for various handbooks (e.g., early childhood, physical education, special education), outlines the flexibility in the technical formats allowed and explains how teacher candidates may submit equivalent forms of evidence to meet all edTPA handbook instructions and requirements.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Virtual learning environments that use synchronous learning allow candidates and students to engage in instruction or learning at the same time. Synchronous learning environments may provide opportunities for candidates to record instruction, interactions with students, and assessment of student learning to use as evidence when preparing and submitting edTPA that meet the handbook and submission requirements for Task 2 Instruction and Task 3 Assessment (and Elementary Education’s Task 4 re-engagement lesson).

Other virtual learning environments use asynchronous instruction and communication for which candidates and students are not interacting at the same time and can work outside the constraints of time and place. Asynchronous learning environments do not allow candidates to capture evidence that meets the handbook or submission requirements for Task 2 Instruction. Tools supporting asynchronous learning such as email, forums, and online chat may be utilized to collect student work samples and feedback to students as evidence for Task 3 Assessment (and Elementary Education’s Task 4 learning segment).

Originally published on 9/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Within Task 1, the teacher candidate may plan a learning segment that includes both synchronous and asynchronous learning tasks, planned supports, and/or assessments. All lessons, whether synchronous or asynchronous, must have the same central focus and a progression of student learning objectives that build on one another to support student learning. Candidates need to consider whether the planned instruction, support, and assessments meet the expectations for the rubrics in Task 1. NOTE: Candidates should consider planning at least two (2) synchronous lessons in the learning segment to provide options for Task 2 video evidence.

Within Task 2, all video evidence must come from lessons with synchronous instruction and meet expectations for the rubrics in Task 2.

Within Task 3, work samples, feedback, and evidence of student language use may come from synchronous or asynchronous lessons.

Within Task 4 (Elementary Education only), evidence from the learning segment may be asynchronous, but the evidence from the re-engagement lesson must be synchronous.

Originally published on 9/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Candidates must provide opportunities for students to be seen and heard in the video(s). NOTE: Some schools or school districts may have established a policy that will not allow students’ faces to be shown/recorded in the virtual learning environment. In most cases, emojis, avatars, thumbnails, etc., will be considered as acceptable forms of evidence for the Task 2 video(s), but the teacher candidate must explain the school’s or school district’s policy in their Instruction Commentary, prompt 1.

• For learning goals that require students to perform, demonstrate, etc., (e.g., physical education), students must be seen.
• If student voices cannot be heard, the candidate must submit additional evidence showing student engagement in the lessons (e.g., chat file, IM). Please note that the additional evidence must align with the video evidence submitted for Task 2.

NOTE: A teacher candidate may encounter a situation in which the setting or reason prohibits video recording due to safety or security concerns or other factors that inhibit the candidate from collecting video evidence. Please see FAQ #15 for more information.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Yes, whether teaching in a traditional, blended (hybrid), or VLE setting, teacher candidates will plan a learning segment consisting of 3–5 lessons (or 180 minutes—per handbook requirements) that primarily represent consecutive, synchronous instruction with the group of students as indicated in Task 1 Planning. See FAQ #3 when planning to use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction for edTPA.

Regardless of the school or school district's schedule, consecutive, synchronous instruction refers to 3–5 lessons that build on one another even if they are not taught on back-to-back days. Importantly, these lessons must have the same central focus and student learning objectives that build on one another to support learning. NOTE: A group of students should include the minimum number of students when it is specified in the handbook (the minimum number of students is 4 for most handbooks).

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Once the candidate has identified the school district’s schedule, they should consult with their program and cooperating/mentor teacher to determine the appropriate time to begin planning the learning segment.

Originally published on 8/25/20

The candidate may opt to teach the originally planned learning segment but make modifications to the learning tasks, planned supports, instructional strategies, assessments, etc., to meet students' needs in the new setting (e.g., traditional, blended/hybrid, VLE). The candidate should note the modifications in the instruction and assessment commentaries where appropriate. NOTE: Artifacts and Commentaries for Tasks 2 and 3 must align with the central focus identified in Task 1.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Similar to the evidence collected in a traditional environment, teacher candidates may capture authentic evidence in a blended (hybrid) learning environment. For example, the teacher candidate convenes the whole class daily, but some of students join virtually while others join face-to-face. Based on this scenario, the teacher candidate may choose which forms of authentic evidence to submit for edTPA (i.e., face-to-face, virtual, or a combination of both).

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Yes, subject to the host school’s or district’s and/or cooperating teacher’s policies about scheduling and group size. The technical specifications regarding class size are outlined in the handbook and do allow for smaller groups as long as the minimum number of students required by the handbook is met. The candidate may select one group of students for their edTPA learning segment.

Originally published on 8/25/20

Yes, all evidence from Task 4 may occur in a traditional, blended (hybrid), or virtual learning environment, regardless of the learning environment available for Tasks 1–3. For questions about modified schedules related to Tasks 1–3, see FAQ #6.

Originally published on 8/25/20

The cooperating/mentor teacher can be seen and heard in the Task 2 video evidence, but the teacher candidate must be the lead teacher for the lessons documented in the learning segment and submit original commentaries. The candidate may also choose to incorporate help from other classroom personnel during the learning segment (e.g., teacher's aides or parent helpers) but, again, the candidate must be the lead teacher and these strategic decisions should be addressed in the commentaries.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Although asynchronous lessons or learning tasks may be part of the learning segment and included in Task 1, asynchronous learning environments do not allow the teacher candidate to capture evidence that meets the handbook or submission requirements for Task 2 Instruction (and Task 4 re-engagement lesson). See FAQ #3, above, for a learning segment that is a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Tools supporting asynchronous learning such as email, forums, and online chat may be utilized to collect student work samples and feedback to students as evidence for Task 3 (and Elementary Education’s Task 4 learning segment).

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

No, in order to meet the technical requirements for the Task 2 video evidence, the teacher candidate must submit only synchronous instruction. If the candidate is unable to capture synchronous instruction for Task 2, they should contact their educator preparation program for guidance on meeting state licensure requirements.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Prior to planning the edTPA learning segment, teacher candidates should ensure they are able to meet the technical specifications and requirements of the handbook. If they are not able to capture evidence of synchronous instruction due to school or district restrictions or instructional delivery platforms, the candidate should consult with their program about how licensing requirements can be met. In all cases, teacher candidates should consult the Evidence Requirements and Considerations in a Virtual Learning Environment for Texas’ edTPA Pilot that was developed and released by SCALE and Pearson.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

A video recording is the most authentic evidence of teaching and learning. However, teacher candidates may encounter situations in which the setting or reason prohibits video recording due to safety or security concerns or other factors that inhibit candidates from collecting evidence for Task 2, Part A video evidence as directed in the edTPA Submission Requirements. NOTE: These guidelines and instructions also apply to video evidence for Task 3. For more information regarding Alternative to Video Evidence, please go to Requesting an Alternative to Video Evidence.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Teacher candidates should remove all names on any typed or written material (e.g., commentaries, lesson plans, student work samples) that could identify individuals or programs. In the event that students' names are visible in an online platform (e.g., Zoom), teacher candidates may use online tools to de-identify (e.g., blur) students' names. Within evidence for Task 2, it is possible that students' names are seen or heard—this will not impact scoring.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Some schools or school districts may have policy indicating that students are not required to make their home environment visible (as it is a violation of privacy). To work around this, some online learning platforms allow a user to select from a variety of backgrounds which will not show the home environment. The candidate will need to consult with their cooperating/mentor teacher on school or district policy. See FAQ #4 above for alternative ways to show that students are present when their face cannot be shown.

Originally published on 8/25/20

The candidate should follow the guidance provided by their program and/or the school district about communication regarding edTPA; the letter accompanying the video permission form can be modified to note that it will be completed in a virtual learning environment. NOTE: Family/caregiver consent for video recording is still required in a virtual learning environment.

Originally published on 8/25/20

Yes, when providing synchronous instruction, the teacher candidate should consider engaging families/caregivers in the learning environment to assist with maintaining camera angles and audio to ensure children may be seen and heard, provide any required materials children need to engage in the learning experience(s), and assist with the technical features (e.g., chat box).

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Teacher candidates should respond to virtual absences in the same way they respond to physical absences in face-to-face settings. NOTE: For Task 4 in Elementary Education: Literacy with Mathematics, the focus students identified from the learning segment to re-engage in a lesson must be the same students. For Special Education, the focus learner needs to remain the same throughout the tasks. Select a focus learner that has consistent attendance and access to the instructional platform, especially if the learner is taught in a group setting.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Teacher candidates may find that not all students have access to the Internet. Some districts may take steps to enable access, (e.g., distribute hot spots to enable access; allow students to work with the students who can access the internet); other situations may arise where families have one device that multiple children share, allowing only one student online at a time. Situations such as these are beyond the candidate's control and can be reflected in the Context for Learning. In addition, not all students who have internet access will log into the instructional platform; that too is beyond the candidate's control and can be noted in the Context for Learning or an appropriate Commentary prompt response. In many of these cases, the candidate can select a small group of students for their edTPA learning segment (for most handbooks the minimum number of students is 4 for the Task 2 video clips and Task 3 analysis) rather than the whole class. NOTE: The number of students may vary between Tasks 2 and 3 due to internet access; if this occurs, the candidate may note this in the appropriate Commentary prompt response. However, the minimum number of students must be represented in both tasks.

• For Task 4 in Elementary Education: Literacy with Mathematics, the focus students identified from the learning segment to re-engage in a lesson must be the same students.
• For Special Education, the focus learner cannot be replaced with another student in Tasks 2 and 3 as the lesson plans, instructional materials, etc., from Task 1 Planning are based on the focus learner’s IEP, strengths, and needs.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21

Prior to teaching the learning segment, the candidate (or cooperating/mentor teacher) will need to familiarize students with the features of the online platform the school district is using and allow time for them to practice using the features.

Originally published on 8/25/20; revised on 11/19/21