The UTC School of Education has hit a major milestone — a 100 percent pass rate for students taking the Tennessee licensure test for teachers.
Known as the edTPA—Educative Teacher Performance Assessment— the exam is taken in students’ final semester of student teaching and must be passed for them to teach in the state.
This spring, 51 UTC students took the test, which assesses a teaching candidate’s by demonstrating knowledge and skills in:
- Planning for instruction.
- Instruction and engaging students in learning.
- Assessing students’ learning.
“UTC’s performance indicates that our teacher candidates will have a positive impact on K-12 student achievement from the very first day they enter the classroom as licensed educators,” said Kendra Duncan, clinical supervisor in the School of Education.
The pass rate for UTC students has been steadily increasing over the past two years. In fall semester 2018, 97.9 percent passed the edTPA.
Since fall semester 2017, UTC teacher candidates’ performance on edTPA has consistently met or exceeded Tennessee and national averages fornnearly every UTC education program, including Early Childhood, Exceptional Education, Performing Arts (Music/Theatre Education), Visual Art, Middle Grades English Language Arts and Mathematics, Secondary Mathematics and Science (STEM) and Secondary History/Social Studies.