[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-599995-105":59,"doc-detail-599995-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","current-issues-in-middle-level-education-vol-25-article-5","Current Issues in Middle Level Education - Vol 25 - Article 5","","Concerns surround the high-stakes nature of edTPA and its tendency to drive reductionist, test-led approaches in teacher preparation. In middle level education, educators can connect AMLE standards with edTPA by improving pedagogy through reflection, inquiry, and intentional design that strengthens student learning. The article argues for defining the assessment tool’s language and focus around relationships and responsive, professionally grounded decision making. Strategies tied to each edTPA task are presented.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/current-issues-in-middle-level-education-vol-25-article-5/599995/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/current-issues-in-middle-level-education-vol-25-article-5/599995.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"nayy☆","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why is edTPA considered high-stakes in teacher preparation?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"edTPA is mandated across educator preparation programs in many states, and success is tied to licensure policy. This creates pressure that can shift instruction toward test completion rather than reflective practice.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What impact can edTPA have on teaching and preparation practices?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The assessment can devalue elements not formally assessed and narrow opportunities for candidates to imagine new possibilities in education. It may also lead faculty to “teach to the test” and emphasize procedural compliance.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does the article propose middle level educators respond to edTPA?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Teacher preparation faculty are urged to embed edTPA intentionally into course design by building connections between AMLE standards and the edTPA process. The focus should remain on relationships, responsiveness, and professionally grounded decision making, supported by strategies aligned with edTPA tasks.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},599995,1792274023,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962090893153,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Current Issues in Middle Level Education  \n\n| Volume 25  Issue 1 | Article 5 |\n| --- | --- |\n| 2020\u003Cbr>We don't teach to the edTPA: Maintaining authenticity and attaining high edTPA scores\u003Cbr>Holly J. Thornton\u003Cbr>Appalchian State University, [thorntonhj@appstate.edu](thorntonhj@appstate.edu)\u003Cbr>Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle)\u003Cbr> Part of the Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons |  |\n\nRecommended Citation  \nThornton, Holly J. (2020) \"We don't teach to the edTPA: Maintaining authenticity and attaining high edTPA scores,\" Current Issues in Middle Level Education: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article 5.  \nDOI: 10.20429/cimle.2020.250105  \nAvailable at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss1/5](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss1/5)  \nThis best practices is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current Issues in Middle Level Education by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu](digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu).  \nWe Don't Teach to the edTPA: Maintaining Authenticity and Attaining High edTPA  \nScores  \nHolly Thornton  \nAppalachian State University  \nAbstract  \nConcerns have been raised about the high-stakes nature of edTPA potentially leading to  \nreductionist, test-driven approaches to teacher preparation. This has come to fruition in practice  \nwithin many teacher preparation classrooms. EdTPA can devalue anything that is not formally  \nassessed and limit opportunities for faculty and teacher candidates to imagine new possibilities  \nfor education (Madeloni & Gorlewski, 2013) . In middle level teacher preparation, we can build  \nupon the connections found between AMLE standards (AMLE, 2012) and edTPA. This includes  \nthe goal of improving pedagogy through reflection, inquiry, and intentional design to positively  \nimpact student learning. As middle level education professors, we can define the language and  \nfocus of the edTPA assessment tool for ourselves and our teacher candidates. We can focus on  \nrelationships, responsiveness and professionally grounded decision making, instead ofthe rote  \nprocedures of didactic teaching, or the technical steps of “doing” the edTPA. Strategies to  \naccomplish this as related to each of the tasks within edTPA are discussed in this article.  \nConcerns about High Stakes Assessment  \nEdTPA has become a mandated part of teacher preparation programs nationally. As of  \nthis writing, 927 Educator Preparation Programs in 41 states and the District of Columbia  \nparticipate in edTPA, with 18 states requiring success on edTPA as part of their teacher licensure  \npolicy (AACTE, 2020) . Concerns have been raised about the high-stakes nature of edTPA  \npotentially leading to reductionist, test-driven approaches to teacher preparation. This has come  \nto fruition in practice within many teacher preparation classrooms. The implementation of  \nedTPA has led to some faculty and clinical educators “teaching to the test”. The shift of student  \nteaching seminars to focus heavily on completing edTPA rather than reflection on practice has  \nexacerbated these concerns (Madeloni & Gorlewski, 2013). Along with the shift in student  \nteaching experiences, test preparation consumes more instructional time in courses that should be focused on methods and instruction (Greenblatt & O’Hara, 2015) . EdTPA can devalue anything that is not formally assessed and limit opportunities for faculty and teacher candidates to imagine  \nnew possibilities for education (Madeloni & Gorlewski, 2013) . Opportunities for student  \nteachers to reflect about themselves, their students, schools, and the larger sociopolitical context  \nof schooling can be limited by the prompts","cbCaisBNv0qto9DX","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisBNv0qto9DX","pdf",82126,"English","# Abstract\n## Concerns about High Stakes Assessment\n## Teaching as a Technical Act\n## Pushing Back through Our Standards and Practices","[{\"question\":\"Why is edTPA considered high-stakes in teacher preparation?\",\"answer\":\"edTPA is mandated across educator preparation programs in many states, and success is tied to licensure policy. This creates pressure that can shift instruction toward test completion rather than reflective practice.\"},{\"question\":\"What impact can edTPA have on teaching and preparation practices?\",\"answer\":\"The assessment can devalue elements not formally assessed and narrow opportunities for candidates to imagine new possibilities in education. It may also lead faculty to “teach to the test” and emphasize procedural compliance.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the article propose middle level educators respond to edTPA?\",\"answer\":\"Teacher preparation faculty are urged to embed edTPA intentionally into course design by building connections between AMLE standards and the edTPA process. The focus should remain on relationships, responsiveness, and professionally grounded decision making, supported by strategies aligned with edTPA tasks.\"}]","Current Issues in Middle Level Education - Vol 25 - Article 5 | PDF",1792089830,15]