BUFFALO, N.Y. ― Franchesca Moreno’s work as a student teacher didn’t end when the kids went home for the day.
Instead, she spent hours analyzing video and writing commentary of her teaching, which she had to submit as part of a new test New York state will require for certification in 2015.
“On top of lesson planning and teaching and all of that I would go to the library and stay there for a while every day. It was a lot,” said Moreno, who is among the first aspiring teachers to take the performance-based exam, called the edTPA. “I’m just hoping I pass.”
Seven states now require state-approved performance assessments for graduation or accreditation, following calls by organizations including the American Federation of Teachers and Council of Chief State School Officers for more authentic measures of a teacher’s readiness.
Supporters say it is only fair to raise the bar for teachers at a time when students are being challenged by new Common Core learning standards that are changing how and what they learn.
“What it comes back to is the reliance on these paper and pencil, multiple-choice assessments to determine whether the candidates are ready to be in classrooms are just not robust enough, that they don’t give us enough information about their readiness,” said Saroja Barnes, senior director for professional issues at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Barnes said the best way to know whether a candidate is ready is to watch them in action.
