The Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) you complete during demonstration teaching is a major component of your demonstration teaching experience, intended to provide credible evidence that you can:
- Construct and deliver an instructional unit or learning segment,
- Construct challenging, meaningful classroom assessments,
- Effect student pre- to post-test learning gains,
- Analyze and reflect on your experience to promote your professional growth, and
- Become a strong contributing member of the teaching profession.
Your state’s licensure requirements and program requirements determine the version of TPA you will complete. The appropriate TPA will populate on your degree plan based on these requirements.
If you are completing demonstration teaching in a state that requires edTPA for licensure, but licensing in a state that does not, you must complete an edTPA. Please contact Teacher Success with questions if you are in that situation.
For more information on the required TPA - edTPA or Teacher Work Sample (TWS), visit the TPA Support Site (opens new window) and review the chart below.
All the TPAs require you to design and implement high quality instruction that employs a range of strategies. The TPAs allow you to document your planning, instruction, and student outcomes. You document, reflect, and build upon your teaching experiences. You demonstrate that you can deliver an effective instructional unit, employ meaningful classroom assessments, and have a positive impact on student learning.
All students who complete demonstration teaching in an edTPA state must complete the assessment, even if they plan to license in a different state that does not require the edTPA. If you plan to license in a state that requires the edTPA for licensure, yet you are physically completing demonstration teaching in a state that does not require that specific assessment, you will complete the edTPA. Teacher candidates licensing in an edTPA state who are placed in a setting where video recording is prohibited (psychiatric facilities, juvenile correctional facilities, court schools, hospitals or DOD schools) will submit a request to edTPA@wgu.edu for the non-video alternative materials.
A third-party vendor (Pearson) scores the edTPA. You will need to meet specific scoring window deadlines to be successful with the edTPA. Your TPA Facilitator will provide additional information about scoring deadlines during the cohort seminar. It takes 3-6 weeks to receive your score back from the third-party vendor. You will collaborate with your mentor to plan your term accordingly.
Important note for Early Childhood Education Candidates
WGU Early Childhood Education candidates do not have a TPA requirement in their program during demonstration teaching. However, if you are licensing in an edTPA identified state, you complete the TPA required for licensure in your state. To ensure you complete the TPA to satisfy the licensure requirement, Teacher Success will not pass the cohort seminar until the TPA has officially passed.
TPA Fees
State or program requirements may dictate students complete a Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) that requires third-party scoring fees. These fees are the student's responsibility to pay directly to the third-party provider. In states that require the edTPA, there is a $300 fee for Pearson scoring. WGU provides a voucher to cover the TPA scoring fees for students who meet specific deadlines and assessment requirements. Please visit the TPA Support Site (opens new window) for additional information.
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State or Territory
|
Required TPA
|
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Alabama
|
edTPA
|
|
Alaska
|
TWS
|
|
Arizona
|
TWS
|
|
Arkansas
|
edTPA
|
|
California
|
edTPA
|
|
Colorado
|
TWS
|
|
Connecticut
|
edTPA
|
|
Delaware
|
edTPA
|
|
District of Columbia
|
TWS
|
|
Florida
|
TWS
|
|
Georgia
|
edTPA
|
|
Guam
|
TWS
|
|
Hawaii
|
edTPA
|
|
Idaho
|
TWS
|
|
Illinois
|
edTPA
|
|
Indiana
|
TWS
|
|
Iowa
|
edTPA
|
|
Kansas
|
TWS
|
|
Kentucky
|
TWS
|
|
Louisiana
|
TWS
|
|
Maine
|
TWS
|
|
Maryland
|
edTPA
|
|
Massachusetts
|
TWS
|
|
Michigan
|
TWS
|
|
Minnesota
|
edTPA
|
|
Mississippi
|
TWS
|
|
Missouri
|
TWS
|
|
Montana
|
TWS |
|
Nebraska
|
TWS |
|
Nevada
|
TWS |
|
New Hampshire
|
TWS |
|
New Jersey
|
edTPA
|
|
New Mexico
|
TWS
|
|
New York
|
edTPA
|
|
North Carolina
|
edTPA
|
|
North Dakota
|
TWS
|
|
Ohio
|
edTPA
|
|
Oklahoma
|
TWS
|
|
Oregon
|
edTPA
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
TWS
|
|
Puerto Rico
|
TWS
|
|
Rhode Island
|
TWS
|
|
South Carolina
|
edTPA
|
|
South Dakota
|
TWS
|
|
Tennessee
|
edTPA
|
|
Texas
|
TWS |
|
Utah
|
TWS
|
|
Vermont
|
TWS
|
|
Virginia
|
TWS
|
|
Virgin Islands
|
TWS
|
|
Washington
|
edTPA
|
|
West Virginia
|
edTPA
|
|
Wisconsin
|
edTPA
|
|
Wyoming
|
edTPA
|
