DATE:
Thursday, March 4, 2021
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Kim Gibson, Licensed Administrator, Elementary
Wyatt Bentley, Licensed Administrator, Secondary
SUBJECT:
Pedagogical Performance Assessment Parental Permission Forms
To become a teacher licensed by the State of Utah, student teachers, intern teachers, and teacher candidates must submit to a pedagogical performance assessment (PPA) (see R277-502-3-(4)). A PPA assesses the basic competencies of all newly licensed Utah teachers regardless of their university preparation program, thus ensuring that all K-12 students have access to competent teachers. The PPA requires the teacher candidate to submit the following:
- A video of the teacher candidate providing instruction to students
- Written commentaries and analysis of the instruction
- Student artifacts and work samples from regular classroom activities
Whenever students are part of a video recording or their classroom work is given to a third party outside of the school district, we are required to obtain parent signed permission (see R277-487-3). As of the date of this memo, there are two state-approved programs that provide a pedagogical performance assessment product:
- ETS provides the PPAT
- Pearson provides the edTPA
ETS uses their own permission form, which satisfies the requirement to obtain signed parent permission (sample copy attached with this memo). Pearson, and perhaps other vendors that are eventually approved by the state, rely upon districts to use their own forms. As such, a new Teacher Pedagogical Performance Assessment (PPA) for Pre-service Teacher Candidates parent permission form has been created to fill that need. This form is attached with this memo and should be used unless the ETS form is being used.
All permission forms for a pedagogical performance assessment should be kept, either physically or digitally, on file by the school for three years.
For any questions about teacher candidate licensure or pedagogical performance assessments, please contact Wyatt Bentley at 801-567-8215 or wyatt.bentley@jordandistrict.org or Kim Gibson at 801-567-8216 or kim.gibson@jordandistrict.org For any questions about permission forms or student data privacy, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243 or ben.jameson@jordandistrict.org.
