Forty-one states and 928 teacher preparation programs across the United States are using the Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA) as an evaluation tool to determine teacher readiness and/or meet licensure requirements. Nationwide, pre-service special education teachers struggle to demonstrate proficiency in specific areas of the edTPA (i.e.,…

This article examines the edTPA, an assessment for teacher candidates in the United States that, in traditional teacher education programs, is completed within a student teaching placement. Exploring literature that highlights the function of the placement and the role of the teacher education program and cooperating teacher in shaping the…

Teachers are a critical factor in K-12 students' literacy performance. From the very first day of class, a teacher's instruction affects students' literacy achievement. Thus the quality and content of preservice teacher preparation programs features prominently in student success. This report summarizes information about U.S. preservice teacher…