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The Board of Regents today took steps to improve the process to obtain an initial teaching certificate in New York. The changes are based on the recommendations of a panel of education experts and public input, and maintain the state’s rigorous standards to ensure that candidates for certification are well-prepared to teach.

Following a lengthy and open process that sought and used public and expert input, the Regents today approved a series of changes to New York’s teacher certification process. Specifically, these changes will: phase-in a revised passing score on the edTPA teacher certification exam; extend the safety net for those candidates who do not pass the edTPA; and amend the eligibility requirements to use a Multiple Measure Review Process in certain cases.

“The changes we made today demonstrate that the Board is listening to the experts and the public,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “The new passing score on the edTPA remains among the highest of those states that require its use; at the same time, however, we continue to provide our teacher candidates with fair options to meet the exam’s requirements.”

“The Regents continue to take important steps to ensure the quality of our teaching force,” State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. “New York is facing a shortage of qualified teachers in specific subject areas and in many parts of the State. Today’s action strikes the right balance by providing fairness to those seeking to become teachers, while maintaining some of the most rigorous certification requirements in the country.”

Public Input & Task Force Recommendations Inform Changes
In May 2014, the Department released new and revised teacher certification exams. One of those new exams, the edTPA, is a subject-specific, multi-measure performance assessment that is required for initial certification. A standard setting panel of experts established a passing score of 41 on the edTPA exam. At that time, the Board of Regents also established a temporary safety net for students who do not pass the edTPA. The safety net allows these students to take and pass the Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W) in place of the edTPA.

In 2014, the Department also established an edTPA Task Force to explore possible improvements to the exam going forward. The Task Force was comprised of representatives from CUNY, SUNY, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), the Teacher Education Advisory Group, United University Professions (UUP), the Professional Staff Congress and New York State Education Department staff.

In January 2016, the edTPA Task Force reconvened at the request of members of the Board of Regents. The Task Force, led by Dr. David Cantaffa of SUNY and Dr. Jamie Dangler of UUP, was also informed by information gathered by Regents Kathleen Cashin and Catherine Collins at a series of public forums held around the state. Those meetings were attended by members of the Board of Regents, Commissioner Elia, SED staff and the public.

The edTPA Task Force presented its to the Board of Regents at the Board’s January 2017 meeting.

Changes to the edTPA

Phase-In of Revised Passing Score
The edTPA Task Force recommended that the Department establish a standard setting committee to determine if the passing score for the edTPA should be reset and gradually phased-in over several years. To address this recommendation, the Department convened a 31-member panel in June 2017 that reviewed the edTPA passing score; the panel was comprised of a diverse group of P-12 educators as well as higher education faculty with experience in teacher preparation.

The Standard Setting Panel recommended a passing score of 40 (the current passing score is 41) that would be implemented after a four-year phase-in period. Today the Board of Regents approved the recommended phase-in, as described in this Table:��