edTPA_MC_Math_V06.1
Middle Childhood Mathematics
Assessment Handbook
Version 06.1
edTPA stems from a twenty-five-year history of developing performance-based assessments of
teaching quality and effectiveness. The Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (Stanford
and AACTE) acknowledges the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the
Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, and the Performance Assessment for
California Teachers for their pioneering work using discipline-specific portfolio assessments to
evaluate teaching quality. This version of the handbook has been developed with thoughtful input
from over six hundred teachers and teacher educators representing various national design
teams, national subject matter organizations (ACEI, ACTFL, AMLE, CEC, IRA, NAEYC, NAGC,
NCSS, NCTE, NCTM, NSTA, SHAPE America), and content validation reviewers. All
contributions are recognized and appreciated.
This document was authored by the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE)
with editorial and design assistance from Evaluation Systems.
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The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
Use of the edTPA trademarks is permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
i
Contents
Introduction to edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics ................................................................... 1
Purpose................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview of the Assessment ................................................................................................................................... 1
Structure of the Handbook ...................................................................................................................................... 3
edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Tasks Overview ......................................................................................... 5
Planning Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment .......................................................... 8
What Do I Need to Think About? ............................................................................................................................ 8
What Do I Need to Do? ........................................................................................................................................... 8
What Do I Need to Write? ..................................................................................................................................... 10
How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ........................................................................... 13
Planni
ng Rubrics ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Instruction Task 2: Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning ........................................... 19
What Do I Need to Think About? .......................................................................................................................... 19
What Do I Need to Do? ......................................................................................................................................... 19
What Do I Need to Write? ..................................................................................................................................... 21
How Will the Evidence of M
y Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ........................................................................... 22
Instruction Rubrics ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Assessment Task 3: Assessing Student Learning ........................................................................ 28
What Do I Need to Think About? .......................................................................................................................... 28
What Do I Need to Do? ......................................................................................................................................... 28
What Do I Need to Write? ..................................................................................................................................... 29
How
Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ........................................................................... 31
Assessment Rubrics ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Professional Responsibilities ........................................................................................................... 37
Middle Childhood Mathematics Context for Learning Information .............................................. 38
Midd
le Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart ............................................................................ 41
Planning Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications .................................................................................. 41
Instruction Task 2: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications ............................................................................... 42
Assessment Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications ............................................................................ 43
Middle Childhood Mathematics Glossary ....................................................................................... 46
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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This document contains both information and definition pop-ups. To read information, use the Down Arrow
from a form field.
Introduction to edTPA Middle Childhood
Mathematics
Purpose
The purpose of edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics, a nationally available performance-
based assessment, is to measure novice teachers’ readiness to teach mathematics to
young adolescents. The assessment is designed with a focus on young adolescent learning
and principles from research and theory. It is based on findings that successful teachers
develop knowledge of subject matter, content standards, and subject-specific
pedago
gy
develop and apply knowledge of varied students’ needs
consider research and theory about how students learn
reflect on and analyze evidence of the effects of instruction on student learning
As a performance-based assessment, edTPA is designed to engage candidates in
demons
trating their understanding of teaching and student learning in authentic ways.
Overview of the Assessment
The edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics assessment is composed of three tasks:
1. Planning for Instruction and Assessment
2. Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning
3. Assessing Student Learning
For this assessment, you will first plan 3–5 consecutive mathematics lessons (or, if
teaching within a large time block, 3–5 hours of connected instruction) referred to as a
learning segment. Consistent with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
(N
CTM 2000), a learning segment prepared for this assessment should reflect a balanced
approach to mathematics. This means your segment should include learning tasks where
young
adolescents have opportunities to develop
conceptual understanding
procedural fluency
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills
precise communication skills
In addition, consistent with the recommendations provided by the Association for Middle
Level
Education (AMLE),
1
a learning segment prepared for this assessment should be
1
See the AMLE Middle Level Teacher Preparation Standards (2012) at
http://www.amle.org/AboutAMLE/ProfessionalPreparation/AMLEStandards/tabid/263/Default.aspx.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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“developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable.” While the full scope
of AMLE’s recommendations will not be feasible in a short learning segment, you should
design your lessons to provide challenging and responsive opportunities for young
adolescents to learn mathematics.
You will then teach the learning segment, making a videorecording of your interactions with
s
tudents during instruction. You will also assess, informally and formally, students’ learning
throughout the learning segment. Upon completion of the three tasks, you will submit
artifacts from the tasks (e.g., lesson plans, clips from your videorecording, assessment
materials, instructional materials, student work samples), as well as comm
entaries that you
hav
e written to explain and reflect on the Planning, Instruction, and Assessment
components of the tasks. The artifacts and commentaries for each task will then be
evaluated using rubrics
especially developed for each task.
The edTPA Tasks and the Cycle of Effective Teaching
The three edTPA tasks represent a cycle of effective teaching (i.e., teaching that is focused
on student learning). Planning Task 1 documents your intended teaching, Instruction Task
2 documents your enacted teaching, and Assessment Task 3 documents the impact of
your teaching on student learning.
The three tasks and the evidence you provide for each are framed by your understandings
of your students and their learning. As you develop, document, and teach your lessons, you
will reflect upon the cyclical relationship among planning, instruction, and assessment with a
focus on your students’ learning needs.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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Evidence of Teaching Practice: Artifacts and Commentaries
An essential part of edTPA is the evidence you will submit of how you planned, taught, and
assessed your lessons to deepen young adolescent learning in mathematics. This evidence
includes both artifacts and commentaries:
Artifacts represent authenti
c work completed by you and your students. These
include lesson plans, copies of instructional and assessment materials, video clips of
your teaching, and student work samples.
Commentaries are your
opportunity to describe your artifacts, explain the rationale
behind their choice, and analyze what you have learned about your teaching practice
and your students’ learning. Note that although your writing ability will not be scored
directly, commentaries must be clearly written and well focused.
When preparing your artifacts and commentaries
, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide
your thinking, planning, and writing. Refer to the
Middle Chi
ldhood Mathematics Evidence
Chart for
information about how your evidence should be formatted for electronic
submission.
Evaluation Criteria
The rubrics used to score your performance are included in this handbook, following the
sections describing the directions for each task. The descriptors in the five-level rubrics
address a wide range of performance, beginning with the knowledge and skills of a novice
not ready to teach (Level 1) and extending to the advanced practices of a highly
accomplished beginner (Level 5).
Structure of the Handbook
The following pages provide specific instructions on how to complete each of the three tasks
of the edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics assessment. After an overview of the tasks,
the handbook provides instructions for each task, organized into four sections:
1. What Do I Need to Think About?
This section provides focus questions for you to think about when completing the
t
ask.
2. What Do I Need to Do?
This section provides specific, detailed directions for completing the task.
3. What Do I Need to Write?
This section tells you what you need to write and also provides specific and detailed
directions for writing the commentary for the task.
4. How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed?
This section includes the rubrics that will be used to assess the evidence you provide
f
or the task.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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Additional requirements and resources are provided for you in this handbook:
Professional Responsibilities: g
uidelines for the development of your evidence
Middle Childhood Mathematics Context for Learning Information: prompts used
to collect information about your school/classroom context
Middle Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart: specifications for electronic
submission of evidence (artifacts and commentaries), including templates, supported
file types, number of files, response length, and other important evidence
specifications
Glossary: definitions
of key terms can be accessed by rolling your cursor over each
glossary term marked with a dotted underline throughout t
he handbook or by
referring to the Middle Childhood Mathematics Glossary.
You should review the Making Good Choices document prior to beginning the planning of
the learning segment. If you are in a preparation program, it will have additional resources
that provide guidance as you develop your evidence.
Review all instructions carefully before beginning to teach the learning segment to
ensure that you are well prepared for all tasks. Before you record your videos,
pay particular attention to the specific content focus of each video clip
submission; these foci are described in the What Do I Need to Do? sections in
Instruction Task 2 and Assessment Task 3. Refer to the Professional
Responsibilities section of this handbook for important information about
permissions, confidentiality, and other requirements.
If your program requires you to submit artifacts and commentaries for official
scoring, refer to www.edTPA.com for complete and current information before
beginning your work and to download templates for submitting materials. The
website contains information about the registration process, submission deadlines,
submission requirements, withdrawal/refund policies, and score reporting. It also
provides contact information should you have questions about your registration and
participation in edTPA.
Whether submitting directly to www.edTPA.com or via your program’s electronic
portfolio management system, follow the submission guidelines as documented in
the Evidence Chart and review edTPA Submission Requirements to ensure that
your materials conform to the required evidence specifications and requirements for
scoring.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Tasks
Overview
Planning Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
What to Do
Select one class as a focus for this
assessment.
Provide relevant context information.
Identify a learning segment to plan,
te
ach, and analyze student learning.
Your learning segment should include 3–
5 consecutive lessons (or, if teaching
mathematics within a large time block,
about 3–5 hours of connected
instruction).
Determine a central focus for your
l
earning segment. The central focus
should support young adolescent
learners to develop conceptual
understanding, procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-
solving skills, as well as interdisciplinary
connections.
Write and submit a lesson plan for each
l
esson in the learning segment.
Select and submit key instructional
mate
rials needed to understand what you
and the students will be doing.
Choose one language function and other
l
anguage demands important to
understanding middle childhood
mathematics in your learning segment.
Identify a learning task where students
are supported to use this language.
Respond to commentary prompts prior
to teaching the learning segment.
Submit copies of all written assessments
an
d/or clear directions for any oral or
performance assessments from the
learning segment.
What to Submit
Part A: Context for Learning
Information
Part B: Lesson Plans for
L
earning Segment
Part C: Instructional
Mate
rials
Part D: Assessments
Part E: Planning
Commen
tary
Evaluation Rubrics
Planning Rubrics
Rubric 1: Planning for
Math
ematical Understandings
Rubric 2: Planning to Support
V
aried Student Learning Needs
Rubric 3: Using Knowledge of
S
tudents to Inform Teaching and
Learning
Rubric 4: Identifying and
S
upporting Language Demands
Rubric 5: Planning Assessments to
Mon
itor and Support Student
Learning
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Instruction Task 2: Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning
What to Do
Obtain required permissions for
videorecording from parents/guardians of
your students and other adults appearing
in the video.
Identify lessons from the learning
segment you planned in Planning Task 1
to be videorecorded. You should choose
lessons that show you interacting with
young adolescents to develop their
conceptual understanding, procedural
fluency, AND mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving skills.
Videorecord your teaching and select 1
or 2
video clips (no more than 20
minutes in total, but not less than 3
minutes).
Analyze your teaching and your students’
l
earning in the video clip(s) by
responding to commentary prompts.
What to Submit
Part A: Video Clips
Part B: Instruction
Commentary
Evaluation Rubrics
Instruction Rubrics
Rubric 6: Learning Environment
Rubr
ic 7: Engaging Students in
Learning
Rubric 8: Deepening Student
L
earning
Rubric 9: Subject-Specific
P
edagogy: Using Representations
Rubric 10: Analyzing Teaching
E
ffectiveness
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Assessment Task 3: Assessing Student Learning
What to Do
Select one assessment from the learning
segment that you will use to evaluate
your students’ developing knowledge and
skills. Attach the assessment used to
evaluate young adolescent performance
to the end of the Assessment
Commentary.
Define and submit the evaluation criteria
you wi
ll use to analyze young adolescent
learning.
Collect and analyze young adolescent
work from the selected assessment to
identify quantitative and qualitative
patterns of learning within and across
learners in the class.
Select 3 student work samples to
il
lustrate your analysis of patterns of
learning within and across learners in the
class. At least 1 of the samples must be
from a young adolescent with specific
learning needs. These 3 students will be
your focus students.
Summarize the learning of the whole
class,
referring to work samples from the
3 focus students to illustrate patterns in
young adolescent understanding across
the class.
Submit feedback for the work samples for
the 3
focus students in written, audio, or
video form.
Analyze evidence of young adolescents
lan
guage use from (1) the video from
Instruction Task 2, (2) an additional video
clip of one or more students using
language within the learning segment,
AND/OR (3) the student work samples
from Assessment Task 3.
Analyze evidence of young adolescent
learning, and plan for next steps by
responding to commentary prompts.
What to Submit
Part A: Student Work
Samples
Part B: Evidence of
Feedb
ack
Part C: Assessment
Commentar
y
Part D: Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Rubrics
Assessment Rubrics
Rubric 11: Analysis of Student
Lear
ning
Rubric 12: Providing Feedback to
Gu
ide Learning
Rubric 13: Student
Under
standing and Use of
Feedback
Rubric 14: Analyzing Students
Lang
uage Use and Mathematics
Learning
Rubric 15: Using Assessment to
Infor
m Instruction
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Planning Task 1: Planning for Instruction
and Assessment
What Do I Need to Think About?
In Planning Task 1, you will describe your plans for the learning segment and explain how
your instruction is developmentally appropriate for young adolescents and the content you
are teaching. As you develop your plans, you need to think about the following:
What do your students know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do?
What do you want your students to learn? What ar
e the important understandings,
core concepts, and interdisciplinary connections you want students to develop within
t
he learning segment?
How will you use your knowledge of your students’ assets to inform
your plans?
What instructional strategies, learning task
s, and assessments will you design to
s
upport young adolescent learning and language use?
How will your learning segment support students to develop and use language that
deepens
content understanding?
How is the teaching you propose supported by research and theory about how
s
tudents learn?
What Do I Need to Do?
Select a class. If you teach more than one class, select one focus class for this
assessment. If your placement for mathematics has you responsible for a group rather
than a whole class, plans should describe instruction for that group (minimum of 4
students). That group will constitute “the whole class” for edTPA.
Provide context information. The Middle Childhood Mathematics Context for Learning
Information form is provided later in this handbook and must be submitted in a template.
T
his form provides essential information about your students and your school/classroom.
The context information you submit should be no more than 4 pages, including
prompts.
Identify a learning segment to plan, teach, and analyze. Review the curriculum with
your cooperating teacher and select a learning segment of 3–5 consecutive lessons. (If
teaching mathematics within a large time block, select a learning segment of about 3–5
hours of connected instruction.)
Identify a central focus. Identify the central focus along with the content standards and
obj
ectives you will address in the learning segment. The central focus should support
young adolescents in developing
conceptual understanding
procedural fluency
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills
interdisciplinary connections as relevant
Identify and plan to support language demands. Select a key language function from
your learning objectives. Choose a learning task that provides opportunities for students
to practice using that language function. Identify additional language demands
associated with that task. Plan targeted supports that address the identified language
demands, including the language function.
Write a lesson plan for each lesson in the learning segment. Your lesson plans should
be detailed enough that a substitute or other teacher could understand them well enough
to use them.
Your lesson plans must include the following information, even if your teacher
preparation program requires you to use a specific lesson plan format:
State-adopted student academic content standards that are the target of student
learning (Note: Please include the number and text of each standard that is being
addressed. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the part
or parts that are relevant.)
Learning objectives (subject-specific and, as relevant, interdisciplinary) associated
with the content standards
Informal and formal assessments used to monitor student learning, including type(s)
of assessment and what is being assessed
Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will
be doing) that support diverse student needs
Instructional resources and materials used to engage young adolescents in learning
Each lesson plan must be no more than 4 pages in length. You will need to
condense or excerpt lesson plans longer than 4 pages. Any explanations or rationale for
decisions should be included in your Planning Commentary and deleted from your plans.
Respond to the commentary prompts listed in the Planning Commentary section
prior to teaching the learning segment.
Submit your original lesson plans. If you make changes while teaching the learning
segment, you may offer reflection on those changes in the Instruction Task 2 and
Assessment Task 3 Commentaries.
Select and submit key instructional materials needed to understand what you and
the students will be doing (no more than 5 additional pages per lesson plan). The
instructional materials might include such items as class handouts, assignments, slides,
and interactive whiteboard images.
Submit copies of all written assessments and/or directions for any oral or
performance assessments. (Submit only the blank assessment given to students; do
not submit student work samples for this task.)
Provide citations for the source of all materials that you did not create (e.g.,
published texts, websites, and material from other educators). List all citations by lesson
number at the end of the Planning Commentary. Note: Citations do not count toward the
commentary page limit.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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See the Planning Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications in the Middle
Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart for instructions on electronic submission of
evidence. The evidence chart identifies templates, supported file types, number of
files, response length, and other important evidence specifications. Your evidence
cannot contain hyperlinked content. Any web content you wish to include as part of
your evidence must be submitted as a document file, which must conform to the file
format and response length requirements.
What Do I Need to Write?
In Planning Task 1, you will write
a description of your Context for
Learning (see “What Do I Need to Do?” above for
di
rections)
lesson plans (see “What Do I Need to Do?” above for directions)
a commentary
explaining your plans (see “Planning Commentary” below for
directions)
Planning Commentary
In Planning Task 1, you will write a commentary, responding to the prompts below. Your
commentary should be no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including the prompts.
1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and purpose of the content you will teach in the
l
earning segment.
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives
w
ithin your learning segment address
conceptual understanding,
pr
oc
edural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
bet
ween concepts, computations/procedures, AND mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving strategies to build understanding of mathematics.
d. Explain how you will help young adolescents make interdisciplinary or integrative
connections between the central focus of the learning segment and other subject
areas.
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2a–d), describe what you know about your students
w
ith respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
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Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language
learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focusCite
evidence of what young adolescents know, what they can do, and what
they are still learning to do.
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focusWhat do
you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural and
language backgrounds and practices, and interests?
c. Young adolescent developmental assets related to the central focusWhat do
you know about your students’ cognitive, physical, and
social and
emotional development?
d. Mathematical dispositionsWhat do you know about the extent to which
your students
perceive mathematics as “sensible, useful, and worthwhile”
2
persist in applying mathematics to solve problems
believe in their own ability to learn mathematics
3. Supporting StudentsMathematics Lea
rning
Respond to prompts 3a–d below. To support your justifications, refer to the
instructional materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning Task
1. In addition, support your justifications using principles from research and/or
theory, including how the research/theory reflects elements of young
adolescent development.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning (from
prompt 2a above) guided your choice or adaptation of learning tasks and
materials. Be explicit about the connections between the learning tasks and
students’ prior academic learning and research/theory.
b. Justify how your understanding of your students’ personal, cultural, community,
and developmental assets (from prompts 2bc above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections
between the learning tasks and students’ assets and research/theory.
c. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports
are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and groups of young
adolescents with specific learning needs.
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (e.g., young adolescents with IEPs or 504 plans,
English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those
with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
2
From the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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d. Describe common mathematical preconceptions, errors, or misunderstandings
within your central focus and how you will address them.
4. Supporting Mathematics Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4ad, consider the range of students’ language assets
and needswhat do students al
ready know, what are they struggling with, and/or
what is new to them?
a. Language Function. Using i
nfo
rmation about your students’ language assets
and needs, identify one language function essential for young adolescents to
develop conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and mathematical
reasoning or problem-solving skills within your central focus. Listed below are
some sample language functions. You may choose one of these or another more
appropriate for your learning segment.
Compare/contrast Describe Expla
in Justify Prove
Please see additional examples and non-examples of language functions in the
glossary.
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides young adolescents with
opportunities to practice using the language function. Identify the lesson in which
the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or
oral) young adolescents need to understand and/or use:
Vocabulary and/or symbols
Mathematical precision (e.g., using clear definitions, labeling axes, specifying
units of measure, stating meaning of symbols), appropriate to your students’
mathematical and language development
3
Plus at least one of the following:
Syntax
Discourse
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as
needed in your response to the prompt below.
Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to
the learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the
identified language demands (function, vocabulary and/or symbols,
mathematical precision, syntax, or discourse).
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of
the materials for Planning Task 1.
3
For an elaboration of “precision,” refer to the Standards for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards for
Mathematics (June 2010), which can be found at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence of young adolescents’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency,
AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills throughout the
learning segment.
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows young
adolescents with specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the vari
ety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (e.g., young adolescents with IEPs or 504 plans,
English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those
with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be
Assessed?
For Planning Task 1, your evidence will be assessed using rubrics 15, which appear on the
following pages. When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics
frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing.
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Planning Rubrics
Rubric 1: Planning for Mathematical Understandings
How do the candidate’s plans build young adolescents’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1
4
Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate’s plans for
instruction focus solely on
facts and/or procedures with
no connections to
concepts OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
OR
There are significant content
ina
ccuracies that will lead to
young adolescent
misunderstandings.
OR
Standards, objectives,
learning t
asks, and materials
are not aligned with each
other.
Candidate’s plans for
instr
uction support learning
of facts and procedures with
vague connections to
concepts AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Candidate’s
plans for
instruction build on each
other to support learning of
facts and procedures with
clear connections to
concepts AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Candidate’s plans for
i
nstruction build on each other
to support learning of facts and
procedures with clear and
consistent connections to
concepts AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Plans support
mathematics
learning and imply
interdisciplinary
connections.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate explains how s/he
will use
learning tasks and
materials to lead young
adolescents to make clear
and consistent connections
within mathematics, as well
as explicit and relevant,
interdisciplinary
connections.
4
Text representing key differences between adjacent score levels is shown in bold. Evidence that does not meet Level 1 criteria is scored at Level 1.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
Planning Rubrics continued
15 of 51
Rubric 2: Planning to Support Varied Student Learning Needs
How does the candidate use knowledge of his/her students to target support for young adolescents to develop
conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
There is no evidence of
planned supports.
OR
Candidate does not attend to
ANY
INSTRUCTIONAL
requirements in IEPs and 504
plans.
Planned supports are loosely
t
ied to learning objectives or
the central focus of the
learning segment.
Planned supports are tied
to learning objectives and
the central focus with
attention to the
characteristics of the
class as a whole.
Planned supports are tied to
learning objectives and the
central focus. Supports
address the needs of specific
individuals or groups with
similar needs.
Level 4 plus:
Supports include specific
strategies to identify and
respond to preconceptions,
common errors, and
misunderstandings.
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Planning Rubrics continued
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Rubric 3: Using Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching and Learning
How does the candidate use knowledge of his/her students to justify instructional plans?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate’s justification of
learning tasks is either
missing OR represents a
deficit view of young
adolescents and their
backgrounds.
Candidate justifies learning
ta
sks with limited attention to
young adolescents
prior academic learning
OR
personal, cultural,
community, or
developmental assets.
Candi
date justifies why
learning tasks (or their
adaptations) are appropriate
using examples of young
adolescents
prior academic learning
OR
personal, cultural,
community, or
developmental assets.
Candidat
e makes superficial
connections to research
and/or theory.
Candidate justifies why
l
earning tasks (or their
adaptations) are appropriate
using examples of young
adolescents
prior academic learning
AND
personal, cultural,
community, or
developmental assets.
Candi
date makes
connections to research
and/or theory, including young
adolescent development.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate’s justification is
supported by principles
from research and/or theory,
including young adolescent
development.
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Planning Rubrics continued
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Rubric 4: Identifying and Supporting Language Demands
How does the candidate identify and support language demands associated with a key mathematics learning
task?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Language demands
5
identified
by the candidate are not
consistent with the selected
language function
6
OR task.
OR
Language supports are
mis
sing or are not aligned
with the language
demand(s) for the learning
task.
Language supports primarily
address
one language
demand (vocabulary and/or
symbols, function,
mathematical precision,
syntax, discourse).
General language supports
address use of two or more
language demands
(vocabulary and/or symbols,
function, mathematical
precision, syntax, discourse).
Targeted language supports
address use of
vocabulary and/or
symbols,
language function, AND
one or more additional
language demands
(mathematical precision,
syntax, discourse).
Level 4 plus:
Langua
ge supports are
designed t
o meet the needs
of young adolescents with
different levels of language
learning.
5
Language demands include: language function, vocabulary and/or symbols, mathematical precision, syntax and discourse (organizational structures, text structure, etc.).
6
Language function refers to the learning outcome (verb) selected in prompt 4a (e.g., compare/contrast, conjecture).
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Rubric 5: Planning Assessments to Monitor and Support Student Learning
How are the informal and formal assessments selected or designed to monitor young adolescents’ conceptual
understanding, procedural fluency, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
The assessments only
provide evidence of students’
procedural skills and/or
factual knowledge.
OR
Candidate does not attend to
ANY
ASSESSMENT
requirements in IEPs and 504
plans.
The assessments provide
lim
ited evidence to monitor
young adolescents’
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills
during the lea
rning segment.
The assessments provide
e
vidence to monitor young
adolescents’
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills
dur
ing the learning segment.
The assessments provide
m
ultiple forms of evidence
to monitor young adolescents’
progress toward developing
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills
throughout
the learning
segment.
Level 4 plus:
The assessments are
strategically designed to
allow individuals or groups
with specific needs to
demonstrate their learning.
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Instruction Task 2: Instructing and
Engaging Students in Learning
What Do I Need to Think About?
In Instruction Task 2, you will demonstrate how you support and engage young adolescents
in learning. Before you begin your instruction, you need to think about the following:
What kind of learning environment do you want to develop in order to establish
respect and rapport, and to support young adolescents’ engagement in learning?
What kinds of learning tasks actively engage young adolescents in the central focus
of the learning segment?
How will you elicit and build on young adolescents’ responses in ways that develop
and deepen c
ontent understanding?
In what ways will you connect new content to young adolescentsprior academic
l
earning and personal, cultural, community, or developmental assets during your
i
nstruction?
How will you use evidence from your instruction to examine and change your
t
eaching practices to more effectively meet a variety of young adolescent learning
needs?
What Do I Need to Do?
Obtain required permission for videorecording. Before you record your video, ensure
that you have the appropriate permission from the parents/guardians of your students
and from adults who appear in the video. Adjust the camera angle to exclude individuals
for whom you do not have permission to film.
Examine your plans for the learning segment and identify challenging learning tasks
in which you and young adolescents are actively engaged. The video clip(s) you select
for submission should provide a sample of how you interact with young adolescents to
support them to develop
conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
Identify lessons to videorecord.
Provide 1–2 video clips (no more than 20 minutes total, but not less than 3
m
inutes) that demonstrate how you interact with young adolescents in a positive
learning environment to develop
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
(Optional) Provide evidence of students’ language use. You may provide evidence
of language use with your video clip(s) from Instruction Task 2, as an additional video
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clip of one or more students using language within the learning segment (no more than
5 minutes in length), AND/OR through the student work samples analyzed in
Assessment Task 3.
Determine whether you will feature the whole class or a targeted group of young
adolescents (minimum of 4 students) within the class.
Videorecord your classroom teaching. Tips for videorecording your class are
available from your teacher preparation program.
Select video clip(s) to submit and verify that the clip(s) meet the following
requirements:
Check the video and sound quality to ensure that you and your students can be seen
and heard on the video clip(s) you submit. If most of the audio in a clip cannot be
understood by a scorer, submit another clip. If there are occasional audio portions
of a clip that cannot be understood that are relevant to your commentary
responses,
do one of the following: 1) provide a transcript with time stamps of the inaudible
portion and refer to the transcript in your response; 2) embed quotes with time-stamp
references in the commentary response; or 3) insert captions in the video (captions
for this purpose will be considered permissible editing).
A video clip must be continuous and unedited, with no interruption in events.
If you have inadvertently included individuals for whom you do not have permission
to film in the video clip(s) you plan to submit, you may use software to blur the faces
of these individuals. This is not considered editing. Other portions of the submitted
video clip(s), including the classroom, your face, and the faces of individuals for
whom you have obtained permission to film, should remain unblurred.
Do not include the name of the state, school, or district in your video. Use first names
only for all individuals appearing in the video.
Respond to the prompts listed in the Instruction Commentary section below after
viewing the video clip(s).
Determine if additional information is needed to understand what you and the
students are doing in the video clip(s). For example, if there are graphics, texts, or
images that are not clearly visible in the video, or comments that are not clearly heard,
you may insert digital copies or transcriptions at the end of the Instruction Commentary
(no more than 2 pages in addition to the responses to commentary prompts).
See the Instruction Task 2: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications in the Middle
Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart for instructions on electronic submission of
evidence. This evidence chart identifies templates, supported file types, number of
files, response length, and other important evidence specifications. Your evidence
cannot contain hyperlinked content. Any web content you wish to include as part of
your evidence must be submitted as a document file, which must conform to the file
format and response length requirements.
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What Do I Need to Write?
Instruction Commentary
In Instruction Task 2, you will write a commentary, responding to the prompts below. Your
commentary should be no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including the prompts. If
needed, insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation for the
videorecordings at the end of the commentary (e.g., digital copies of indiscernible materials
or transcriptions of inaudible comments). These additional pages do not count toward the
commentary page limit noted above.
1. Wh
ich lesson or lessons are shown in the video clip(s)? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson
plan number.
2. Pr
omoting a Positive Learning Environment
Re
fer to scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
young adolescents with varied needs (academic and developmental) and
backgrounds, and challenge young adolescents to engage in learning?
3. Engagi
ng Students in Learning
Ref
er to examples from the video clip(s) in your responses to the prompts.
a. Ex
plain how your instruction engaged young adolescents in developing
conc
eptual understanding
procedural fluency
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills
b. Des
cribe how your instruction linked young adolescents’ prior academic learning and
personal, cultural, community, or developmental assets with new learning.
4. Deepeni
ng Student Learning during Instruction
Ref
er to examples from the video clip(s) in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
develop
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
b. Ex
plain how you used representations to support young adolescents’ understanding
and use of mathematical concepts and procedures.
5. Analyzing Teaching
Ref
er to examples from the video clip(s) in your responses to the prompts.
a. Wh
at changes would you make to your instructionfor the whole class and/or for
young adolescents who need greater support or challengeto better support student
learning of the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?
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Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English
language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps
in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
b. Why do you think these changes would improve young adolescent learning? Support
your explanation with evidence of young adolescent learning AND principles from
theory and/or research, including young adolescent development.
How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be
Assessed?
For Instruction Task 2, your evidence will be assessed using rubrics 610, which appear on
the following pages. When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics
frequently to guide your thinking, instruction, and writing.
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Instruction Rubrics
Rubric 6: Learning Environment
How does the candidate demonstrate a respectful learning environment that supports young adolescents’
engagement in learning?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
The clip(s) reveal evidence of
disrespectful interactions
between teacher and young
adolescents or between young
adolescents.
OR
Candidate allows disruptive
beha
vior to interfere with
young adolescent learning.
The candidate demonstrates
re
spect for young
adolescents.
AND
Candidate provides a learning
env
ironment that serves
primarily to control young
adolescent behavior, and
minimally supports the
learning goals.
The candidate demonstrates
rapport with and respect for
young adolescents.
AND
Candidate provides a
posit
ive, low-risk learning
environment that reveals
mutual respect among
young adolescents.
The candidate demonstrates
rapport with and respect for
young adolescents.
AND
Candidate provides a
c
hallenging learning
environment that promotes
mutual respect among young
adolescents.
The candidate demonstrates
rapport with and respect for
young adolescents.
AND
Candidate provides a
ch
allenging learning
environment that provides
opportunities to express
varied perspectives and
promotes mutual respect
among young adolescents.
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Instruction Rubrics continued
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Rubric 7: Engaging Students in Learning
How does the candidate actively engage young adolescents in developing conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND/OR mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Young adolescents are
participating in tasks that are
vaguely or superficially related
to
mathematical concepts,
procedures, OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Yo
ung adolescents are
participating in learning tasks
focusing primarily on
mathematical procedures
with little attention to
understanding of
mathematical concepts OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Young adolescents are
engaged in learning tasks that
address understanding of
mathematical concepts,
procedures, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Young
adolescents are
engaged in learning tasks that
develop understanding of
mathematical concepts,
procedures, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Young
adolescents are
engaged in learning tasks that
deepen and extend their
understanding of
mathematical concepts,
procedures, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Ther
e is little or no evidence
that the candidate links
young adolescents’ prior
academic learning or
personal, cultural,
community, or
developmental assets with
new learning.
Candidate makes vague or
superficial links between
prior academic learning and
new learning.
Candidate links prior
academic learning to new
learning.
Candidate links prior
academic learning AND
personal, cultural,
community, or
developmental assets to new
learning.
Candidate prompts young
adolescents to link prior
academic learning AND
personal, cultural, community,
or developmental assets to
new learning.
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Instruction Rubrics continued
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Rubric 8: Deepening Student Learning
How does the candidate elicit responses to promote thinking and to develop conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate does most of the
talking and young
adolescents provide few
responses.
OR
Candidate responses include
signif
icant content
inaccuracies that will lead to
student misunderstandings.
Candidate primarily asks
surf
ace-level questions and
evaluates young adolescents
responses as correct or
incorrect.
Candidate elicits young
adolescents’ responses
related to understanding
mathematical concepts,
procedures, OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Candi
date elicits and builds
on young adolescents’
responses to develop
understanding of
mathematical concepts,
procedures, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate facilitates
int
eractions among young
adolescents so they can
evaluate their own abilities
to understand and apply
mathematical concepts,
procedures, AND
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
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Instruction Rubrics continued
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Rubric 9: Subject-Specific Pedagogy: Using Representations
How does the candidate use representations to develop young adolescents understanding of mathematical
concepts and procedures?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate stays focused on
facts or procedures with little
or no attention to
mathematical concepts.
OR
Candidate uses
m
athematically inappropriate
representations or uses
representations in ways that
will lead to young
adolescents’
misunderstandings.
Candidate makes vague or
supe
rficial use of
representations to help
young adolescents understand
mathematical concepts and
procedures.
Candidate uses
representations in ways that
address young adolescents
understanding of
mathematical concepts and
procedures.
Candidate provides
opportunities for students to
use representations in ways
that deepen young
adolescents’ understanding
of mathematical concepts
and procedures.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate facilitates
interactions among young
adolescents so they can
evaluate their own abilities
to use representations to
represent and understand
mathematical concepts and
procedures.
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Instruction Rubrics continued
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Rubric 10: Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness
How does the candidate use evidence to evaluate and change teaching practice to meet young adolescents’
varied learning needs?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate suggests changes
unrelated to evidence of
young adolescent learning.
Candidate proposes changes
to teacher practice that are
superficially related to
student learning needs (e.g.,
task management, pacing,
improving directions).
Candidate proposes changes
that address young
adolescents’ collective
learning needs related to the
central focus.
Candidate makes superficial
conne
ctions to research
and/or theory.
Candidate proposes changes
th
at address individual and
collective learning needs
related to the central focus.
Candidate makes
connections to research
and/or theory, including young
adolescent development.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate justifies changes
using principles from
research and/or theory,
including young adolescent
development.
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Assessment Task 3: Assessing Student
Learning
What Do I Need to Think About?
In Assessment Task 3, you will analyze both student learning and student use of language.
Before you begin the analysis, you need to think about the following:
How will you gather evi
dence and make sense of what students have learned?
How will you provide meaningful feedback to your students?
How will you use evidence of what students know and are able to do to plan next
s
teps
in instruction?
How will you identify evidence of and expl
ain students’ use of language that
demonstrates the development of content understanding?
What Do I Need to Do?
Select one assessment from your learning segment you will use to evaluate your
students’ developing knowledge and skills. It should be an assessment that is completed
by the whole class featured in the learning segment. (If you are teaching only a group
within the class for the learning segment, that group will be “the whole class.”) The
assessment should reflect the work of individuals, not groups, but may be individual
work from a group task. The assessment should provide opportunities for young
adolescents to demonstrate
conceptual understanding
procedural fluency
mathematical reasoning and/or
problem-solving skills
Define and submit
the evaluation criteria you will use to analyze young adolescent
l
earning related to the mathematical goals described above.
Collect and analyze student work from
the selected assessment to identify
quantitative and qualitative patterns of learning within and across learners in the class.
Y
ou may submit text files with scanned student work, a video or audio file of a student’s
oral work, OR a student-created video or multimedia file. For each focus student, a video
or audio work sample must be no more than 5 minutes in total running time.
Select 3 student work samples that
represent the patterns of learning (i.e., what
individuals or groups generally understood and what a number of young adolescents
were still struggling to understand) you identified in your assessment analysis. These
young adolescents will be your focus students for this task. At least one of the focus
students must have specific learning needs, for example, a student with an IEP
(Individualized Education Program) or 504 plan, an English language learner, a
struggling reader, an underperforming student or a student with gaps in academic
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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knowledge, and/or a gifted student needing greater support or challenge. Note:
California candidates must include one focus student who is an English language
learner.
7
Document the feedback you gave to each of the 3 focus students on the work sample
itself, as an audio clip, or as a video clip. You must submit evidence of the actual
feedback provided to each focus student, and not a description of the feedback.
If you submit a student work sample or feedback as a video or audio clip and comments
made by
you or your focus student(s) cannot be clearly heard, do one of the following: 1)
attach a transcription of the inaudible comments (no more than 2 additional pages) to
the end of the Assessment Commentary; 2) embed quotes with time-stamp references in
the commentary response; or 3) insert captions in the video (captions for this purpose
will be considered permissible editing).
If you submit a student work sample or feedback as a video or audio clip and additional
st
udents are present, clearly identify which students are your focus students in the
relevant prompts (1d and 2a) of the Assessment Commentary (in no more than 2
sentences).
Respond to the prompts listed in the Assessment Commentary section below after
analyzing student work from the selected assessment.
Include and submit the chosen assessment, including the directions/prompts provided to
st
udents. Attach the assessment (no more than 5 additional pages) to the end of the
Assessment Commentary.
Provide evidence of young adolescents’ understanding and use of the targeted
academi
c language function and other language demands. You may choose
evi
dence from the video clip(s) submitted in Instruction Task 2, an additional video clip of
one or more students using language within the learning segment (no more than 5
minutes in length), AND/OR student work samples submitted in Assessment Task 3.
7
California candidatesIf you do not have any English language learners, select a student who is challenged by academic
English.
See the Assessment Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications in the Middle
Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart for instructions on electronic submission of
evidence. This evidence chart identifies templates, supported file types, number of
files, response length, and other important evidence specifications. Your evidence
cannot contain hyperlinked content. Any web content you wish to include as part of
your evidence must be submitted as a document file, which must conform to the file
format and response length requirements.
What Do I Need to Write?
Assessment Commentary
In Assessment Task 3, you will write a commentary, responding to the prompts below. Your
commentary should be no more than 10 single-spaced pages, including the prompts.
Attach the assessment used to evaluate student performance (no more than 5 additional
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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pages) and, if necessary, a transcription of inaudible portions of a video or audio clip of
feedback or a student work sample (no more than 2 additional pages) to the end of the
Assessment Commentary. These additional pages do not count toward the commentary
page limit noted above.
1. Analyzing Student Learning
a. Identify the specific learning objectives measured by the assessment you chose
for analysis.
b. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes student learning
for your whole class. Be sure to summarize student learning for all evaluation
criteria submitted in Assessment Task 3, Part D.
c. Use evidence found in the 3 student work samples and the whole class
summary to analyze the patterns of learning for the whole class and
differences for groups or individual learners relative to
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
Consider what young adolescents understand and do well, and where they
continue to struggle (e.g., preconceptions, common errors, common struggles,
confusions, need for greater challenge).
d. If a video or audio work sample occurs in a group context (e.g., discussion),
provide the name of the clip and clearly describe how the scorer can identify the
focus student(s) (e.g., position, physical description) whose work is portrayed.
2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning
Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations.
a. Identify the format in which you submitted your evidence of feedback for the 3
focus students. Choose one of the following:
Written directly on work samples or in separate documents that were
provided to the focus students
In audio files
In video clip(s) from Instruction Task 2 (provide a time-stamp reference) or in
separate video clips
If a video or audio clip of feedback occurs in a group context (e.g., discussion),
clearly describe how the scorer can identify the focus student (e.g., position,
physical description) who is being given feedback.
b. Explain how feedback provided to the 3 focus students addresses their individual
strengths and needs relative to the learning objectives measured.
c. Describe how you will support each focus student to understand and use this
feedback to further their learning related to learning objectives, either within the
learning segment or at a later time.
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3. Evidence of Language Understanding and Use
When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the clip(s)
and/
or student work samples as evidence. Evidence from the clip(s) may focus on
one or more students.
You may provide evidence of students’ language use from ONE, TWO, OR ALL
TH
REE of the following sources:
1. Use
the video clip(s) from Instruction Task 2 and provide time-stamp
references for evidence of language use.
2. Subm
it an additional video file named “Language Use” of no more than 5
minutes in length and cite language use (this can be footage of one or more
students’ language use). Submit the clip in Assessment Task 3, Part B.
3. Us
e the student work samples analyzed in Assessment Task 3 and cite
language use.
a. Explain and provide concrete examples for the extent to which your students
w
ere able to use or struggled to use the
sel
ected language function,
vocabulary and/or symbols, AND
mathematical precision, syntax, or discourse
to develop content understandings.
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
a. Bas
ed on your analysis of young adolescent learning presented in prompts 1b–c,
describe next steps for instruction to impact student learning:
For
the whole class
For the 3 focus students and other individuals/groups with specific needs
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
di
fferent strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language
learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and/or gifted students needing greater support or challenge).
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of young adolescent
learning. Support your explanation with principles from research and/or theory as
well as young adolescent development.
How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be
Assessed?
For Assessment Task 3, your evidence will be assessed using rubrics 1115, which appear
on the following pages. When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics
frequently to guide your thinking, planning, instruction, assessment, and writing.
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Assessment Rubrics
Rubric 11: Analysis of Student Learning
How does the candidate analyze evidence of young adolescent learning of conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
The analysis is superficial or
not supported by either work
samples or the summary of
young adolescent learning.
OR
The evaluation criteria,
l
earning objectives, and/or
analysis are not aligned with
each other.
The analysis focuses on what
young a
dolescents did right
OR wrong.
OR
The analysis focuses solely
on
young adolescents’ ability
to apply procedures and/or
their factual knowledge.
The analysis focuses on what
young adolescents did right
AND wrong.
AND
Analysis includes some
dif
ferences in whole class
learning.
Analysis uses specific
examples from work samples
to demonstrate patterns of
learning consistent with the
summary.
AND
Patterns of learning are
des
cribed for whole class.
Analysis uses specific
e
vidence from work samples to
demonstrate the connections
between quantitative and
qualitative patterns of learning
for individuals or groups.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
Assessment Rubrics continued
33 of 51
Rubric 12: Providing Feedback to Guide Learning
What type of feedback does the candidate provide to focus students?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Feedback is unrelated to the
learning objectives OR is
developmentally
inappropriate.
OR
Feedback contains
signif
icant content
inaccuracies.
OR
No feedback is provided to
one or m
ore focus students.
Feedback is general and
addre
sses needs AND/OR
strengths related to the
learning objectives.
Feedback is specific and
addresses either needs OR
strengths related to the
learning objectives.
Feedback is specific and
addresses both strengths
AND needs related to the
learning objectives.
Level 4 plus:
Feedback for one or more
f
ocus students
provides a strategy to
address an individual
learning need OR
makes connections to
prior learning or
experience to improve
learning.
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Assessment Rubrics continued
34 of 51
Rubric 13: Student Understanding and Use of Feedback
How does the candidate support focus students to understand and use the feedback to guide their further
learning?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Opportunities for
understanding or using
feedback are not described.
OR
Candidate provides limited or
no f
eedback to inform
student learning.
Candidate provides vague
des
cription of how focus
students will understand or
use feedback.
Candidate describes how
focus students will understand
or use feedback related to the
learning objectives.
Candidate describes how s/he
will support focus students to
understand and use feedback
on their strengths OR
weaknesses related to the
learning objectives.
Candidate describes how s/he
will support focus students to
understand and use feedback
on their strengths AND
weaknesses related to the
learning objectives.
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Assessment Rubrics continued
35 of 51
Rubric 14: Analyzing Students’ Language Use and Mathematics Learning
How does the candidate analyze young adolescentsuse of language to develop content understanding?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Candidate identifies young
adolescent language use
that is superficially related
or unrelated to the language
demands (function,
8
vocabulary and/or symbols
and additional demands).
OR
Candidate’s description or
explanation of
language use
is not consistent with the
evidence submitted.
Candidate describes how
young adolescents
use only
one language demand
(vocabulary and/or symbols,
function, mathematical
precision, syntax, or
discourse).
Candidate explains and
provides evidence of young
adolescents’ use of
the language function
AND
one or more additional
language demands
(vocabulary and/or
symbols, mathematical
precision, syntax,
discourse).
9
Candidate explains and
provides evidence of young
adolescents’ use of
the language function,
vocabulary and/or
symbols, AND
additional language
demand(s) (mathematical
precision, syntax,
discourse)
in ways that develop content
understandi
ngs.
Level 4 plus:
Candidate explains and
provides evidence of
language use and content
learning for young
adolescents with varied
needs.
8
Previous footnote is now obsolete and has been deleted.
9 Previous footnote is now obsolete and has been deleted.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
Assessment Rubrics continued
36 of 51
Rubric 15: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
How does the candidate use the analysis of what young adolescents know and are able to do to plan next steps
in instruction?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Next steps do not follow from
the analysis.
OR
Next steps are not relevant to
t
he learning objectives
assessed.
OR
Next steps are not described
in s
ufficient detail to
understand them.
Next steps primarily focus on
cha
nges to teaching practice
that are superficially related
to student learning needs,
for example, repeating
instruction, pacing, or
classroom management
issues.
Next steps propose general
support that improves
young adolescent learning
related to assessed learning
objectives.
Next steps are loosely
c
onnected with research
and/or theory.
Next steps provide targeted
s
upport to individuals or
groups to improve their
learning relative to
conceptual
understanding,
procedural fluency,
AND/OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Next steps a
re connected with
research and/or theory,
including young adolescent
development.
Next steps provide targeted
su
pport to individuals AND
groups to improve their
learning relative to
conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency,
AND/OR
mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving
skills.
Next steps a
re justified with
principles from research
and/or theory, including young
adolescent development.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
37 of 51
Professional Responsibilities
Refer to the following table for an overview of your professional responsibilities in
developing evidence for edTPA. If you are submitting artifacts and commentaries for official
scoring, refer to www.edTPA.com, for complete and current information before beginning
your
work. Included here are important information and policies such as submission
requirements and deadlines, registration agreements, attestations, permissions, and
confidentiality. Whether or not you are submitting for official scoring, you should fulfill the
professional responsibilities described below.
Responsibility Description
Protect
confidentiality
To protect confidentiality, please remove your name and use pseudonyms or general
references (e.g., “the district”) for your state, school, district, and cooperating teacher. Mask or
remove all names on any typed or written material (e.g., commentaries, lesson plans, student
work samples) that could identify individuals or institutions. During videorecording, use
students’ first names only.
To ensure confidentiality of your students and yourself, do not share your video on any publicly
acc
essible platforms or websites (YouTube, Facebook, etc.).
Acquire
permissions
Before you record your classroom instruction, ensure that you have the appropriate permission
from the parents/guardians of your students and from adults who appear in the videorecording.
Your program will provide you with procedures and necessary forms to obtain these
permissions, according to agreements with the school or district in which you are student
teaching or completing your internship.
If your program does not provide the necessary forms, you may refer to the sample forms found
on www.edTPA.com
.
The release forms are not to be submitted with your materials, but you should follow your
cam
pus policy for retaining them.
Cite sources
Provide citations for the source of all materials that you did not create (e.g., published texts,
websites, and material from other educators). List all citations by lesson number at the end of
the Planning Commentary. Note: Citations do not count toward the commentary page limit.
Align instruction
with state
standards
As part of the assessment, you will document the alignment of your lesson plans with state-
adopted academic content standards that are the target of student learning. Refer to the
education agency website for your state to obtain copies of relevant standards for this
assessment.
Follow the
guidelines for
candidate
support at
www.edTPA.com
Follow the guidelines for candidate support found at www.edTPA.com as you develop your
evidence for edTPA. Although you may seek and receive appropriate support from your
university supervisors, cooperating/master teachers, university instructors, or peers during this
process, the ultimate responsibility for completing this assessment lies with you.
Therefore,
when you submit your completed work, you must be able to confirm your adherence
with certain statements, such as the following:
I have primary responsibility for teaching the students/class during the learning segment
prof
iled in this assessment.
I have not previously taught this learning segment to the students/class.
The video clip(s) submitted are unedited (continuous) and show me teaching the
st
udents/class profiled in the evidence submitted.
The student work included in the documentation is that of my students, completed during
the l
earning segment documented in this assessment.
I am author of the commentaries and other written responses to prompts in this
asse
ssment.
Appropriate citations have been made for all materials in the assessment whose sources
are f
rom published text, the Internet, or other educators.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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38 of 51
Middle Childhood Mathematics
Context for Learning Information
Use the Context for Learning Information to supply information about your school/classroom
context.
About the School Where You Are Teaching
1. In what type of school do you teach? (Type an “X” next to the appropriate
description; if “other” applies, provide a brief description.)
Elementary school (K6):
Middle school (68):
K–8:
7–9:
Other (please describe):
2. Where is the school where you are teaching located? (Type an “X” next to the
appropr
iate description.)
10
City:
Suburb:
Town:
Rural:
3. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-
teaching, themed magnet, remedial course, honors course) that will affect your
teaching in this learning segment.
4. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements, or expectations
that
might affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula,
pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, interdisciplinary teaming, or
standardized tests.
10
If you need guidance when making a selection, reference the NCES locale category definitions
(https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ruraled/definitions.asp) or consult with your placement school administrator.
About the Class Featured in this Learning Segment
1. What is the name of this course?
2. What is the length of the course? (Type an “X” next to the appropriate description; if
“other” applies, provide a brief description.)
One semester:
One year:
Other (please describe):
3. What is the class schedule (e.g., 50 minutes every day, 90 minutes every other
day)?
4. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in mathematics? If so, please describe how it
af
fects your class.
_
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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39 of 51
5. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for mathematics
instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.
6. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, graphing calculators, online
res
ources) you use for mathematics instruction in this class.
About the Young Adolescents in the Class Featured in this
Learning Segment
1. Grade level:
Age range of students:
2. Number of
students in the class:
males: females:
3. Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports,
acc
ommodations, or modifications for your students that will affect your instruction in
this learning segment. As needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete
the charts. Some rows have been completed in italics as examples. Use as many
rows as you need.
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may
re
quire different strategies/supports or accommodations/modifications to
instruction or assessment. For example, students
With Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans
With specific language needs
Needing greater challenge or support
Who struggle with reading
Who are underperforming students or have gaps in academic
know
ledge
For Assessment Task 3, you will choose work samples from 3 focus
st
udents. At least one of these students must have a specified learning need.
Note: California candidates must include one focus student who is an English
language learner.
11
11
California candidatesIf you do not have any English language learners, select a student who is challenged by academic
English.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
40 of 51
Students with IEPs/504 Plans
IEPs/504 Plans:
Classifications/Needs
Number of
Students
Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Example: Visual processing 2 Close monitoring, translating
information in word problems into
sketches
Students with Specific Language Needs
Language Needs Number of
Students
Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Example: English language
learners with only a few
words of English
2 Pre-teach key words and phrases
through examples and graphic
organizers (e.g., word cluster,
manipulatives, visuals)
Have students use pre-taught key
words and graphic organizers to
complete sentence starters
Example: Students who
speak a variety of English
other than that used in
textbooks
5 Make connections between the
language students bring and the
language used in the textbook
Students with Other Learning Needs
Other Learning Needs Number of
Students
Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Example: Struggling readers 5 Provide oral explanations for
directions and simplified text for word
problems
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
41 of 51
Middle Childhood Mathematics Evidence Chart
Your evidence must be submitted to the electronic portfolio management system used by your teacher preparation program. Your
submission must conform to the artifact and commentary specifications for each task. This section provides instructions for all
evidence types as well as a description of supported file types for evidence submission, number of files, response lengths, and
other information regarding format specifications. Note that your evidence cannot contain hyperlinked content. Any web content
you wish to include as part of your evidence must be submitted as a document file, which must conform to the file format and
response length requirements. If you have materials that must be translated into English as per the
edTPA Submission
Requi
rements, those translations should be added to the original materials as part of the same file or, if applicable, to the end of
t
he commentary template. There is no page limit for required translations into English.
Planning Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications
What to
Submit
Supported File
Types
Number of Files
Response
Length
Additional Information
Min Max
Part A: Context for
Learning
Information
(template provided)
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1 No more than
4 page
s, including
prompts
Use Arial 11-poin
t type.
Single space with 1" margins on all sides.
Part B: Lesson
Pl
ans for Learning
Segment
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1 No more than 4
page
s per lesson
Submit 35 lesson plans in 1 file.
Within the fi
le, label each lesson plan (Lesson 1, Lesson 2, etc.).
All rationale or explanation for plans should be written in the
Pl
anning Commentary and removed from lesson plans.
Part C:
Instr
uctional
Materials
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1 No more than
5 pages of KE
Y
instructional materials
per lesson plan
Submit all material
s in 1 file.
Within the file, label materials by corresponding lesson (Lesson 1
Instr
uctional Materials, Lesson 2 Instructional Materials, etc.).
Order materials as they are used in the learning segment.
Part D:
Asse
ssments
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1
No limit
Submit assessments in 1 file.
Within the file, label assessments by corresponding lesson
(Le
sson 1 Assessments, Lesson 2 Assessments, etc.).
Order assessments as they are used in the learning segment.
Part E: Planning
Commentar
y
(template provided)
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1 No more than
9 pages o
f
commentary,
including prompts
Use Arial 11-poin
t type.
Single space with 1" margins on all sides.
Respond to prompts before teaching the learning segment.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
42 of 51
Instruction Task 2: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications
What to
Submit
Supported File
Types
Number of Files
Response
Length
Additional Information
Min Max
Part A: Video
Clips
12
flv, asf, qt, mov, mpg,
mpeg, avi, wmv, mp4,
m4v
1 2 No more than
20 minutes total
running time (but not
less than 3 minutes)
Before you record your video, obtain permission from the
parents/guardians of your students and from adults who appear in
the video.
Refer to Instruction Task 2, What Do I Need to Do? for vi
deo clip
content and requirements.
When naming each clip file, include the number of the lesson
shown
in the video clip.
Part B: Instruction
Commentar
y
(template
pro
vided)
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf
1 1 No more than
6 pages of
co
mmentary,
including prompts
If needed, no more
than 2
additional
pages of supporting
documentation
Use Arial 11-point type.
Single space with 1" margins on all sides.
IMPORTANT:
Insert documentation at the end of the commentary file if
you or the students are using graphics, texts, or images that
are
not clearly visible in the video
you chose to submit a transcript for occasional inaudible
por
tions of the video
If submitting documentation, include the video clip number, lesson
numbe
r, and explanatory text (e.g., “Clip 1, lesson 2, text from a
whiteboard that is not visible in the video,” “Clip 2, lesson 4,
transcription of a student response that is inaudible”).
12
Video file size requirements: The target file size is 200300 MB or less. The Pearson ePortfolio System file size limit is 500 MB. Please note that each integrated platform
provider portfolio system may have additional constraints or requirements regarding video formats and file sizes. You may need to use video tools to compress or transcode your
video into smaller file sizes to facilitate uploading of the video. Refer to Recommended Video Formats and Settings on www.edtpa.com
for the current requirem
ents.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
(Continued on next page)
43 of 51
Assessment Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications
What to
Submit
Supported File
Types
Number of Files
Response
Length
Additional Information
Min Max
Part A: Student
Work Samples
13
For written work
samples: .doc; .docx;
.odt; .pdf
For audio work
sample
s: flv, asf,
wmv, qt, mov, mpg,
avi, mp3, wav, mp4,
wma
For video work
sample
s: flv, asf, qt,
mov, mpg, mpeg, avi,
wmv, mp4, m4v
3 3
No page limit for
written
work samples
No more than 5
minutes per f
ocus
student for video or
audio student work
samples
Use correction fluid, tape, or a felt-tip marker to mask or remove
student
s’ names, your name, and the name of the school
before copying/scanning any work samples. If your students’
writing is illegible, write a transcription directly on the work sample.
On each work sample, indicate the student number (Student 1
Work Sample, Student 2 Work Sample, or Student 3 Work
Sample). If more than one focus student appears in a video or
audio work sample, upload the same work sample separately for
each focus student who is seen/heard and label appropriately.
Describe how to recognize each of the focus students in the clip
and provide the label associated with the clip in prompt 1d of the
Assessment Commentary.
When naming each work sample file, include the student number.
If you submit a student work sample or feedback as a video or
audio
clip and comments made by you or your focus student(s)
cannot be clearly heard, do one of the following: 1) attach a
transcription of the inaudible comments (no more than 2
additional pages) to the end of the Assessment Commentary; 2)
embed quotes with time-stamp references in the commentary
response; or 3) insert captions in the video (captions for this
purpose will be considered permissible editing).
13
Video file size requirements: The target file size is 200300 MB or less. The Pearson ePortfolio System file size limit is 500 MB. Please note that each integrated platform
provider portfolio system may have additional constraints or requirements regarding video formats and file sizes. You may need to use video tools to compress or transcode your
video into smaller file sizes to facilitate uploading of the video. Refer to Recommended Video Formats and Settings on www.edtpa.com
for the current requirements.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
Assessment Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications (continued)
What to
Submit
Supported File
Types
Number of Files
Response
Length
Additional Information
Min Max
(Continued on next page)
44 of 51
Part B: Evidence
of Feedback
14
And, if included,
video evidence of
academic
language use
For written feedback
not written on the
work samples: .doc;
.docx; .odt; .pdf
For audio feedback:
flv, asf, wmv, qt, mov,
mpg, avi, mp3, wav,
mp4, wma
For video clips
(feedback and/or
language use): flv,
asf, qt, mov, mpg,
mpeg, avi, wmv, mp4,
m4v
0 4
No page limit for
written feedback
No more than 3
minutes per focus
student for video or
audio feedback
No more than 5
minutes for video
evidence of
student language
use
Document the location of your evidence of feedback in the
Assessment Commentary.
If feedback is not included as part of the student work samples or
recorded on the video clip(s) from Instruction Task 2, submit only 1
file for each focus studenta document, video file, OR audio file
and label the file with the corresponding student number (Student 1
Feedback, Student 2 Feedback, or Student 3 Feedback).
If more than one focus student appears in a video or audio clip of
feedback, upload the same clip separately for each focus student
who is seen/heard and label appropriately.
When naming each feedback file, include the student number.
If you submit a student work sample or feedback as a video or
audio clip and comments made by you or your focus student(s)
cannot be clearly heard, do one of the following: 1) attach a
transcription of the inaudible comments (no more than 2
additional pages) to the end of the Assessment Commentary; 2)
embed quotes with time-stamp references in the commentary
response; or 3) insert captions in the video (captions for this
purpose will be considered permissible editing).
For Academic LanguageIf you choose to submit a video clip of
student language use, it should be no more than 5 minutes. You
may identify a portion of a clip provided for Instruction Task 2 or
submit an entirely new clip.
14
Video file size requirements: The target file size is 200300 MB or less. The Pearson ePortfolio System file size limit is 500 MB. Please note that each integrated platform
provider portfolio system may have additional constraints or requirements regarding video formats and file sizes. You may need to use video tools to compress or transcode your
video into smaller file sizes to facilitate uploading of the video. Refer to Recommended Video Formats and Settings on www.edtpa.com
for the current requirements.
Copyright © 2019 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
All rights reserved.
edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
Assessment Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications (continued)
What to
Submit
Supported File
Types
Number of Files
Response
Length
Additional Information
Min Max
45 of 51
Part C:
Assessment
Commentary
(template
provided)
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf 1 1 No more than 10
pages of commentary,
including prompts
Plus
no more than 5
additional pages
for the chosen
assessment
if necessary, no
more than 2
additional total
pages of
transcription of
video/audio
evidence for a
work sample,
feedback, and/or
video evidence of
language use
Use Arial 11-point type.
Single space with 1" margins on all sides.
IMPORTANT: Insert a copy of the chosen assessment, including
directions/prompts provided to students.
Part D: Evaluation
Criteria
.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf 1 1
No limit
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
46 of 51
Middle Childhood Mathematics Glossary
Source citations for glossary entries are provided as footnotes in this section.
academic language: Oral and written language used for academic purposes. Academic
language is the means by which students develop and express content understandings.
Academic language represents the language of the discipline that students need to learn
and use to participate and engage in the content area in meaningful ways. There are
language demands that teachers need to consider as they plan to support student learning
of content. These language demands include language functions, vocabulary,
discourse, and syntax.
language demands:
15
Specific ways that academic language (vocabulary, functions,
discourse, syntax) is used by students to participate in learning tasks through
reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking to demonstrate their disciplinary
understanding.
language functions: The content and language focus of the learning task,
represented by the active verbs within the learning outcomes. Common language
functions in mathematics include describing mathematical phenomena, predicting
from models and data, comparing based on common attributes, summarizing
mathematical information, justifying conclusions, evaluating data and mathematical
representations, classifying based on attributes, explaining how or why certain
strategies work, drawing conclusions based on data, representing mathematical
information, and so on. Some specific mathematics verbs are non-examples of
language functions because they focus on a mathematical action, not a language-
based action. Examples of mathematical functions that ARE NOT language functions
include solve problems, simplify the expressions, calculate the answers, and
estimate the answers.
vocabulary: Includes words and phrases that are used within disciplines including:
(1) w
ords and phrases with subject-specific meanings that differ from meanings used
in everyday life (e.g., table); (2) general academic vocabulary used across disciplines
(e.g., compare, analyze, evaluate); and (3) subject-specific words defined for use in
the discipline.
16
discourse: Discourse includes the structures of written and oral language, as well as
how members of the discipline talk, write, and participate in knowledge construction.
Discipline-specific discourse has distinctive features or ways of structuring oral or
written language (text structures) that provide useful ways for the content to be
communicated.
17
In mathematics, language structures include symbolic
representations such as numbers, equations, two-column proofs (which can be
15
O'Hara, S., Pritchard, R., & Zwiers, J. (2012). Identifying academic language demands in support of the common core
standards. ASCD Express, 7(17). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol7/717-ohara.aspx
16
Quinn, H., Lee, O., & Valdés, G. (2012). Language demands and opportunities in relation to next generation science
standards for ELLs. Retrieved from http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic-papers/03-
Quinn%
20Lee%20Valdes%20Language%20and%20Opportunities%20in%20Science%20FINAL.pdf
17
Quinn, H., Lee, O., & Valdés, G. (2012). Language demands and opportunities in relation to next generation science
standards for ELLs. Retrieved from http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic-papers/03-
Quinn%
20Lee%20Valdes%20Language%20and%20Opportunities%20in%20Science%20FINAL.pdf
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
47 of 51
_______ _______
translated into words), graphic representation (which is shorthand language for
complex sets of data), and narrative (e.g., to describe or compare). If the language
function is to prove, then appropriate language structures include formal two-column
proofs as well as informal explanations that begin with a statement of the problem
and known information, followed by a series of statements, such as, “And then, I
know because ,” ending with what is to be proved.
syntax: The set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, and phrases together
into structures (e.g., sentences, graphs, tables).
18
language supports: The scaffolds, representations, and pedagogical strategies
teachers provide to help learners understand, use, and practice the concepts and
language they need to learn within disciplines (Santos, Darling-Hammond, Cheuk,
2012).
19
The language supports planned within the lessons in edTPA should directly
support learners to understand and use identified language demands (vocabulary
and/or symbols, language function, and discourse or syntax) to deepen content
understandings.
aligned: Consistently addressing the same/similar learning outcomes for students.
artifacts: Authentic work completed by you and your students including lesson plans,
copies of instructional and assessment materials, video clips of your teaching, and student
work samples. Artifacts are submitted as part of your evidence.
assessment (formal and informal): “[R]efer[s] to all those activities undertaken by
teachers and by their students . . . that provide information to be used as feedback to modify
teaching and learning activities.”
20
Assessments provide evidence of students’ prior
knowledge, thinking, or learning in order to evaluate what students understand and how they
are thinking. Informal assessments may include such things as student questions and
responses during instruction and teacher observations of students as they work or perform.
Formal assessments may include such things as quizzes, homework assignments, journals,
projects, and performance tasks.
assets (knowledge of students):
personal: Refers to specific background information that young adolescents bring to
the learning environment. Students may bring interests, knowledge, mathematical
dispositions, everyday experiences, backgrounds, and so on, which a teacher can
draw upon to support learning.
cultural: Refers to the cultural backgrounds and practices that students bring to the
learning environment, such as traditions, languages and dialects, worldviews,
literature, art, and so on, that a teacher can draw upon to support learning.
community: Refers to common backgrounds and experiences that students bring
from the community where they live, such as resources, local landmarks, community
events and practices, and so on, that a teacher can draw upon to support learning.
18
Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
19
Santos, M., Darling-Hammond, L., & Cheuk, T. (2012). Teacher development to support English language learners in the
context of common core state standards. Stanford University Understanding Language. Available at
http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic-papers/10-Santos%20LDH%20Teacher%20Development%20FINAL.pdf
20
Black, P., &
Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan,
80(2), 139148.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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developmental: Refers to specific background information about cognitive, physical,
social, and emotional development that a teacher can draw upon to support student
learning. See below for definitions of each aspect of development.
central focus: A description of the important understandings and core concepts that you
want students to develop within the learning segment. The central focus should go beyond a
list of facts and procedures, align with content standards and learning objectives, and
address the subject-specific components in the learning segment. For example, the subject-
specific components for middle childhood mathematics are: conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills. A central
focus for the learning segment might be relationships between symbolic expressions and
graphs of lines. The learning segment would focus on conceptual understanding of linear
functions, slope, and intercepts, and the associated procedures and mathematical reasoning
and/or problem-solving skills.
cognitive development: Refers to the changes and advancement that occur in intellectual
development during adolescence, such as the shift from concrete operational thinking to
formal abstract thinking.
commentary: Submitted as part of each task and, along with artifacts, make up your
evidence. The commentaries should be written to explain the rationale behind your teaching
decisions and to analyze and reflect on what you have learned about your teaching practice
and your students’ learning.
conceptual understanding: “Students demonstrate conceptual understanding in
mathematics . . . when they recognize, label, and generate examples of concepts; use and
interrelate models, diagrams, manipulatives, and varied representations of concepts; identify
and apply principles; know and apply facts and definitions; compare, contrast, and integrate
related concepts and principles; recognize, interpret, and apply the signs, symbols, and
terms used to represent concepts.”
21
engaging students in learning: Using instructional and motivational strategies that
promote students’ active involvement in learning tasks that increase their knowledge, skills,
and abilities related to specific learning objectives. Engagement in learning contrasts with
student participation in learning tasks that are not well designed and/or implemented and do
not increase student learning.
evaluation criteria: Performance indicators or dimensions that are used to assess evidence
of student learning. They indicate the qualities by which levels of performance can be
differentiated and that anchor judgments about the learner’s degree of success on an
assessment. Evaluation criteria can be represented in various ways, such as a rubric, a
point system for different levels of performance, or rules for awarding full versus partial
credit. Evaluation criteria may examine correctness/accuracy, cognitive complexity,
sophistication or elaboration of responses, or quality of explanations.
evidence: Consists of artifacts that document how you planned and implemented
instruction AND commentaries that explain your plans and what is seen in the
videorecording(s) or examine what you learned about your teaching practice and your
students’ learning. Evidence should demonstrate your ability to design lesson plans with
21
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). (2003). Conceptual understanding. In What Does the NAEP
Mathematics Assessment Measure? Retrieved from: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/abilities.asp
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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instructional supports that deepen student learning, use knowledge of your students to
inform instruction, foster a positive learning environment that promotes student learning,
monitor and assess student progress toward learning objectives, and analyze your teaching
effectiveness. Your evidence must be submitted electronically using the electronic portfolio
management system used by your teacher preparation program.
integrative: The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) encourages middle grades
teachers to design curriculum and select materials that are integrative, challenging, and
grounded in the ideas, interests, and experiences of all young adolescents. In an integrative
curriculum, a problem or issue, often initiated by the learners, is the driving force for
organizing the curriculum.
interdisciplinary: An interdisciplinary curriculum makes connections across several
disciplines through a theme that crosses curricular lines. The learning experiences require
that knowledge from several disciplines be utilized to explore the concepts and skills of the
curriculum.
learning environment: The designed physical and emotional context, established and
maintained throughout the learning segment to support a positive and productive learning
experience for students.
learning objectives: Student learning outcomes to be achieved by the end of the lesson or
learning segment.
learning segment: A set of 35 lessons that build one upon another toward a central focus,
with a clearly defined beginning and end.
learning task: Includes activities, discussions, or other modes of participation that engage
students to develop, practice, and apply skills and knowledge related to a specific learning
goal. Learning tasks may be scaffolded to connect prior knowledge to new knowledge and
often include formative assessment. A sample mathematical learning task for algebra II
might be to give students an equation ax
2
+ bx + c. Show them how to use graphic
calculators to find a graph for y = 2x
2
+ 3x + 5. Then ask them to plug in different values for
a, b, and c, selecting positive and negative rational numbers, and record conjectures about
how the value of each affects the graph.
mathematical reasoning: “[T]he capacity to think logically about the relationships among
concepts and situations. Such reasoning is correct and valid, stems from careful
consideration of alternatives, and includes knowledge of how to justify the conclusions. One
uses it to navigate through the many facts, procedures, concepts, and solution methods and
to see that they all fit together in some way, that they make sense.
22
patterns of learning: Includes both quantitative and qualitative patterns (or consistencies)
for different groups of students or individuals. Quantitative patterns indicate in a numerical
way the information understood from the assessment (e.g., 10 out of 15 students or 20% of
the students). Qualitative patterns include descriptions of understandings,
misunderstandings, and/or partial understandings that could explain the quantitative
patterns (e.g., “given that most students were able to . . . it seems that they understand”).
22
National Research Council. (2001). Adaptive reasoning. In Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics (p. 151).
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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physical development: Refers to the growth and development of skeletal, structural, and
muscular systems that includes the changes brought about by puberty.
planned supports: Instructional strategies, learning tasks and materials, and other
resources deliberately designed to facilitate student learning of the central focus.
prior academic learning and prerequisite skills: Includes students’ content knowledge
and skills as well as academic experiences developed prior to the learning segment.
problem-solving skills: Skills to engag[e] in a task for which the solution method is not
known in advance.
23
procedural fluency: Procedural fluency is a critical component of mathematical proficiency.
Procedural fluency is the ability to apply procedures accurately, efficiently, and flexibly; to
transfer procedures to different problems and contexts; to build or modify procedures from
other procedures; and to recognize when one strategy or procedure is more appropriate to
apply than another. To develop procedural fluency, students need experience in integrating
concepts and procedures and building on familiar procedures as they create their own
informal strategies and procedures. Students need opportunities to justify both informal
strategies and commonly used procedures mathematically, to support and justify their
choices of appropriate procedures, and to strengthen their understanding and skill through
distributed practice.
24
rapport: A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups understand
each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well with each other.
representation: The term representation refers both to process and to productin other
words, to the act of capturing a mathematical concept or relationship in some form and to
the form itself. . . . Moreover, the term applies to processes and products that are
observable externally as well as to those that occur internally,in the minds of people doing
mathematics. All these meanings of representation are important to consider in school
mathematics. (From National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [
2000]. Principles and
Standards for School Mathematics, p. 67)
respect: A pos
itive feeling of esteem or deference for a person and specific actions and
conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the
actual qualities of the one respected. It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of
respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, disrespect,
whereas actions that honor somebody or something indicate respect. Note that respectful
actions and conduct are culturally defined and may be context dependent.
rubrics: Subject-specific evaluation criteria used to score your performance on edTPA.
These rubrics are included in the handbook following the directions for each task. The
descriptors in the five-level rubrics address a wide range of performance, beginning with the
knowledge and skills of a novice not ready to teach (Level 1) and extending to the advanced
practices of a highly accomplished beginner (Level 5).
23
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics (p. 52).
Reston, VA: NCTM.
24
From "Procedural Fluency in Mathematics". Downloaded from www.nctm.org on February 9, 2016.
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edTPA Middle Childhood Mathematics Assessment Handbook
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social and emotional development: Refers to the ways in which adolescents develop
understandings of self and others. Milestones at various levels of development include
identity formation, self-awareness/self-concept, pro-social behavior, peer relationships,
social responsibility, and moral reasoning.
variety of young adolescent learners: Students in your class who may require different
strategies or support. These young adolescents include but are not limited to students with
IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students
or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students.
Copyright © 2019 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
All rights reserved.