Frequently Asked Questions

The following information contains answers to frequently asked questions for:

Candidates
Faculty
Institutions
Candidates using integrated platform providers

Candidates

edTPA Requirements

I don't own a video camera. How will I fulfill the edTPA requirement?

Check with your institution's preparation program or the school where the video-recording will take place to determine whether equipment may be available for your use.

If I submit two video clips, do they have to be for one lesson, or can they be for two separate lessons?

For the edTPA field test, candidates may submit video clips from two separate lessons.

The Template Instructions say that my response is limited to two pages. Can I delete the instructions to allow more room in my document?

The page limits detailed in the template directions include all template text (e.g., directions and prompts) and responses. The edTPA Program believes these page limits, font sizes, and margins provide adequate space for succinct and direct responses. For all templates, candidates may remove the Directions box and the line "[Begin response here: ]".

For the Context for Learning Information template, candidates may remove answer options that do not apply to them and may delete the lines that are not appropriate to their context. Candidates should provide brief responses and use the Planning Task commentary to expand on explanations necessary for their learning segment description of students' characteristics.

If a response goes beyond the page limit, scorers can read an additional few lines on the next page (to account for pagination or the end of a sentence/paragraph). Beyond this, scorers should stop reading and apply scores or condition codes as appropriate.

Is there a required font style, size, and color for my artifacts and commentary?

Yes. Use Arial 11-point type in black.

Which portfolio system should I use?

If you are unsure which system to use, please check with your faculty advisor.

Some of my edTPA files are in a language other than English. Am I required to submit translations?

If a portion of your files (written or verbal) includes material in a language other than English, and the edTPA field/specialty area you selected in registration is not one of the following:

a "World Language" field/specialty area
Elementary Education–Spanish
Elementary Literacy–Spanish
Elementary Mathematics–Spanish

Please contact Pearson Customer Support for detailed instructions. You will be required to provide translations/transcripts for any files (documents, videos, etc.) that are written or recorded in a language other than English.

Registration and Submission Deadlines

Is there a fee to register for the edTPA field test?

No, there is no fee. Candidates participating in the field test are required to create an account on edTPA.com and register for the field test using a voucher number assigned by their institution.

How will my answers to the biographical and demographic questions be used?

Background questions necessary for reporting purposes (e.g., Name, Date of Birth, State and Institution) will be used to report your edTPA performance to your institution. Your responses to the other background questions will be analyzed as group data only.

I started registering and I do not know the answers of some of the background questions. What should I do?

Answer the questions as best you can. You can select the "decline to answer" response where you need to. After you have begun working on the assessment you may review the answers you previously provided and update them through your account.

My institution is using another system (not Pearson's) for the edTPA field test. Do I need to register with Pearson too?

Can I change my submission deadline after I've registered?

Yes, you may change your submission deadline as long as the reservation deadline for the new submission deadline has not already passed. Once a reservation deadline has passed, candidates can no longer register for that submission deadline. Log in to your account, select Current Registrations, then Review/Change and follow the instructions in the system to select a new submission deadline. Candidates should always check with their faculty advisor before changing their submission deadline.

I was unable to submit my portfolio by the submission deadline for which I was registered. Can I still submit my portfolio?

Yes, you may select a different submission deadline as long as the reservation deadline for the new submission deadline has not already passed. Once a reservation deadline has passed, candidates can no longer register for that submission deadline. Log in to your account, select Current Registrations, then Review/Change and follow the instructions in the system to select a new submission deadline. Once you have selected a new submission deadline, you can submit your portfolio anytime before that date. Candidates should check with their faculty advisor regarding the new submission deadline.

Accessing the Pearson ePortfolio System

What are the Pearson ePortfolio system requirements?

Windows users:

Windows XP or later
High-speed Internet connection
Browser: IE 8 or later, Firefox 4 or later (Google Chrome users may experience known browser issues)
Adobe Flash 10.1 or higher, available free of charge
Adobe Reader 10.1.3 or later, available free of charge (If you are unable to update to version 10.1.3, you may use version 9.5 as an alternative. Version 10.1.2 may cause unresolved errors when attempting to view embedded documents on the edTPA field test website.)
Microsoft Word 1997–2003 or later, or OpenOffice 3

Mac users:

OS X v10.6 or later
High-speed Internet connection
Browser: Safari 5 or later (Google Chrome and Firefox users may experience known browser issues)
Adobe Flash 10.1 or higher, available free of charge
Adobe Reader 10.1.3 or later, available free of charge (If you are unable to update to version 10.1.3, you may use version 9.5 as an alternative. Version 10.1.2 may cause unresolved errors when attempting to view embedded documents on the edTPA field test website.)
Microsoft Word 1997–2003 or later, or OpenOffice 3

For additional system help, see the Troubleshooting Tips and the additional helpful resources available on this site.

In the Pearson ePortfolio system, the links to the Evidence Chart just open the handbook. Where is the Evidence Chart?

The Evidence Chart is in the handbook. Certain browsers and settings prevent the handbook from opening directly to the Evidence Chart. You can find the Evidence Chart at the end of the handbook, immediately preceding the glossary.

I am unable to open some PDF documents in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox (version 19). What should I do?

Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (version 19) have built-in PDF viewers which are not supported by the Pearson ePortfolio system. You need to have Adobe Reader 10.3.1 or later installed. Once you have installed Adobe Reader, you can disable the built-in PDF viewer in your browser. In Google Chrome, type about:plugins in the address bar and hit enter. Once on the Plug-ins page, scroll down until you see Chrome PDF Viewer and select Disable.

In Mozilla Firefox 19 click the Firefox button at the top of the window and then selection Options. Select the Applications panel. Find Portable Document Format (PDF) in the list and click on it. In the Actions column select "Use Adobe Reader (default)". Then exit your browser and open it again, and the new settings will be applied.

Uploading Files

Why is there a 500 MB limit on file uploads?

The Pearson ePortfolio system has a 500 MB file size limit for each file that is uploaded. There is no limit on the number of megabytes (MB) uploaded for an entire portfolio. A 500 MB limit was set to encourage the compression of large videos before candidates attempted an upload. The success of an upload through any application is heavily dependent on the type of network, the size of the file, and the capacity of the network at upload time. A file size of 200MB is recommended.

Note that this limit also applies to the files transferred from the integrated edTPA Platform Providers. However, please check with your edTPA Platform Provider regarding any additional constraints, limits, or considerations for upload file size and format.

I am having difficulty uploading my documents. What should I do?

If you are experiencing issues uploading a document, you may wish to save the document as a PDF file before uploading. There are various ways to save a document as a PDF. Please check the instructions for the version of the software you are using.

If you are a Mac user and encountering transcode errors, please refer to Tips for Mac Users for additional information.

If you have additional questions about uploading your materials to the Pearson ePortfolio system, please see the Troubleshooting Tips and the additional helpful resources available on this site.

How many times can I upload a revised file?

There is no limit to the number of times you can upload revisions prior to submission.

Please review the Troubleshooting Tips and the additional helpful resources available on this site for more information.

Requesting Feedback

How do I request feedback from my Faculty Reviewer in the Pearson ePortfolio system?

First, upload your file(s) to the Pearson ePortfolio system. Then use the Request Feedback button available on the Portfolio Summary page and on the Task Part pages. For detailed instructions, refer to the Requesting and Receiving Feedback with the Pearson ePortfolio system tutorial or the online instructions for Using the Pearson ePortfolio system.

I cannot find my Faculty Reviewer(s) names in the dropdown list when I create a feedback request. What should I do?

Check with your institution's edTPA Coordinator. It is possible that the Faculty Reviewer has not been entered into the system yet, or that your institution has not opted to use the Pearson ePortfolio system's feedback feature.

System Errors

I am unable to open some video files and PDF documents. What should I do?

Please refer to the system requirements provided above, under Accessing the Pearson e-Portfolio System.

I received an error when uploading a file, my file upload didn't complete, and I'm not able to submit my edTPA for scoring. Where can I get help?

If you have additional questions about uploading your materials to the Pearson ePortfolio system, please see the Troubleshooting Tips

and the additional helpful resources available on this site for more information.

Scoring

I don't have one of the required documents or video files. Can I still submit my portfolio for scoring?

No. In order to submit your portfolio, you must include the specified number of files. The system will not allow you to submit for scoring until you have uploaded the required amount of files.

I submitted my edTPA for scoring but realized one of my documents was incorrect/I forgot a document/I need to submit my portfolio for feedback. How can I do this?

The "Final Submission Agreement" screen during the submission of an edTPA portfolio states, "If you have participated in the formative feedback process with faculty reviewers, your faculty reviewers will no longer be able to send feedback through the Message Center."

Additionally, in order to submit your edTPA portfolio materials for scoring, you must acknowledge the following statement: "I understand that by submitting my portfolio to Pearson, my submission is final and I will no longer have access to my files through the Pearson ePortfolio system for any edits or reviews."

As stated, once your materials have been submitted for scoring, you will be unable to make any revisions, replace any files, or request feedback on your files through the Pearson ePortfolio system.

Will I be able to view my files after I submit them for scoring?

No. Candidates will not be able to access their files in the Pearson ePortfolio system after submitting them for scoring.

What is the deadline for submitting my portfolio?

Check with your institution's edTPA Coordinator for information on specific submission deadlines. For additional information, refer to the Reservation and Submission Deadlines.

How do I confirm my portfolio has been submitted for scoring?

After you have agreed to the Submission attestations, a confirmation box will display stating "Your portfolio has been successfully submitted for scoring." You will need to click 'Okay' in order to close this box.

Once your portfolio has been successfully submitted, an email confirmation will be generated and sent to the email you indicated when creating your account on the edTPA field test website.

You may also confirm your portfolio has been submitted at any time by logging into your account and navigating to your Portfolio Summary screen. A yellow banner will be displayed across the top of the screen stating, "You have submitted your portfolio successfully."

Please see the Using the Pearson ePortfolio System document, or the Submitting your Assessment video overview, available in the Preparation section of the edTPA field test website, for more information and visual instructions.

When will I receive my score report?

Candidates participating in the 2013 field test will not receive individualized score information for their edTPA materials. Reports will be sent to the Score Report Contact at your institution. Please see your institution's edTPA Coordinator for more information.

For additional information, refer to Field Test Reporting.

Faculty

Accessing the Pearson ePortfolio System

I created an account and am looking to provide feedback on a student's portfolio materials. How do I access this area of the website?

In order to provide feedback on candidate edTPA materials, you must be invited to access the formative feedback system by the edTPA Administrator at your institution. Please contact the edTPA Administrator or your institution's on-site edTPA Coordinator for more information about providing formative feedback through the Pearson ePortfolio system.

I've been invited to join as a Faculty Reviewer. How do I access the Pearson ePortfolio system?

Click on the link provided in the e-mail invitation to become a Faculty Reviewer. On the sign-in screen you must follow the instructions provided in order to create an account, if you have not already done so.

Providing Feedback

I received an e-mail message from "eportfolio.support@pearson.com" stating that a candidate has requested my feedback. What should I do?

Open the e-mail and click on the link provided to go the Pearson ePortfolio system. If you are not already signed in, sign in to the system and follow the online instructions. Please see the Providing Feedback on Documents and Providing Feedback on Video and Audio Files video tutorials, available on the Faculty Resources page, for more information.

What kind of feedback is appropriate to provide to candidates?

Refer to Guidelines on Assistance to Candidates

for information on acceptable forms of feedback.

Can I enter my feedback directly into the candidate's files?

No. When you open the feedback request message, click on the document name and enter your feedback in the text window provided.

How do I enter feedback for a video or audio file?

When you open the feedback request, click on the filename. A system player will open. Use the controls to play the file. When you are ready to enter feedback, pause the player, click the Add Annotation button, type your feedback in the Compose Annotation window, then click Save. Please see the Providing Feedback on Video and Audio Files video tutorial, available on the Faculty Resources page, for more information.

While I was working on a feedback response, the Pearson ePortfolio system timed out, and I had to sign in again. Why does this happen?

While working on feedback, click on the Save Feedback as Draft button at least every 5 minutes to prevent system timeouts which may cause you to lose your work. The Pearson ePortfolio system timeout is set to protect the privacy of the assessment material if a computer is left unattended.

Will I be able to view candidate files in the system after the candidate has submitted them for scoring?

After a candidate has submitted an assessment portfolio for scoring, any faculty reviewer who previously received a request for feedback will no longer be able to provide feedback to the candidate. The faculty reviewer will be able to view their prior feedback and the candidate's final portfolio up until the close of the field test (July 2013).

Is there a deadline for providing feedback?

Check with your institution's edTPA Coordinator for information on specific submission deadlines. For additional information, refer to the Reservation and Submission Deadlines.

As a Faculty member, where can I find handbooks, templates and instructions?

You can obtain edTPA assessment materials from your institution. Please contact your institution's edTPA Coordinator.

Some of my candidates submitted their portfolios for scoring before I could review their materials and/or provide feedback. How do I review their files now?

During submission, candidates must agree to the following statement, "If you have participated in the formative feedback process with faculty reviewers, your faculty reviewers will NO LONGER be able to send feedback through the Message Center."

As stated, once a portfolio has been submitted for scoring these files will no longer be available to view through the Pearson ePortfolio system and faculty reviewers will be unable to provide feedback to a candidate.

How can I confirm a student has submitted their portfolio for scoring?

Once a portfolio has been successfully submitted, an email confirmation will be generated and sent to the email the candidate indicated when creating their account on the edTPA field test website.

We recommend asking candidates to provide you with these confirmations as proof their materials have been submitted for scoring.

If you were invited to be a faculty reviewer for your institution, you may also confirm a candidate's portfolio has been submitted for scoring if they had previously requested you provide feedback on their files. When attempting to access their files through your Message Center, you will encounter a warning stating "You cannot enter feedback for this portfolio as the candidate has submitted it for scoring." This message will appear only when the candidate's edTPA materials have been successfully submitted for scoring and may serve as confirmation of their submission.

When will I receive score information for my institution?

Please note edTPA score reports will be sent to the contact identified as the Score Report Contact at the institution. If you are unsure who the Score Report Contact is for your institution, please contact IHE Support for further information.

For additional information, refer to Field Test Reporting.

The posted score report date has passed and I haven't received any score information for my institution. Why were our scores not reported?

Please note edTPA reports will be sent to the contact identified as the Score Report Contact at the institution. If you are unsure who the Score Report Contact is for your institution, please contact IHE Support for further information.

System Errors

I need to provide feedback on a candidate's documents, but when I click on the file name nothing displays/only a gray box displays. What does this mean?

This error could occur in one or both of the following scenarios:

If you are attempting to view document files in the Pearson ePortfolio system, this error indicates that either the Adobe Reader plug-in is not installed in your web browser, or needs to be updated. You may install or update the Adobe Reader plug-in here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: If you are experiencing this error while using Google Chrome you may need to take additional steps after installing or updating the Adobe Reader plug-in. Google Chrome contains a native PDF viewer that is currently incompatible with the edTPA field test website. In order to view embedded documents in the Pearson ePortfolio system you will need to disable the Chrome PDF Viewer. Please contact Customer Support if you require assistance with Google Chrome.
If you are attempting to view video files, this error indicates the Adobe Flash Player is not installed in your web browser, or needs to be updated. You may install or update Adobe Flash Player here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Mac Users: Please refer to Tips for Mac Users for additional information about known errors that may be experienced previewing files in the Pearson ePortfolio system.

Institutions

How do I change my contact information?

A user with an institution role assignment (Administrator, edTPA Coordinator, edTPA Score Report Contact) should contact edTPA-program-policy@pearson.com to notify the edTPA program of their new contact information.

I am the institution's Administrator for the Pearson ePortfolio system, and I will be unavailable for a while. How do I designate a backup?

You can use the Manage Institution Users tool accessible from the Institution page to assign an Admin role to the individual who is designated as a backup.

What is the role of an institution's edTPA Coordinator?

The edTPA Coordinator will receive information on downloading final field test materials from the secure Pearson site (i.e., final handbooks and templates). The edTPA Coordinator may be a faculty member, program coordinator, associate dean, or other personnel who maintains regular communication and works closely with faculty from the preparation and the Arts and Sciences programs, clinical supervisors, and others who will support candidates to complete edTPA.

What is the role of an institution's edTPA Score Report Contact?

The edTPA Score Report Contact will receive candidate score results via a secure reporting site, will be responsible for retrieving the roster of candidate scores and for distributing results per campus policy, and will receive the final field test aggregate reports (campus, state, and national results). Refer to Field Test Reporting for additional information.

What is the role of an institution's Administrator for the edTPA field test?

The Administrator will have access to secure materials on the edTPA field test website. For institutions using the faculty feedback feature, the Administrator will have access and authority to indicate which program faculty will be designated as formative reviewers of candidate portfolios.

How can I confirm a student has submitted their portfolio for scoring?

Once a portfolio has been successfully submitted, an email confirmation will be generated and sent to the email the candidate indicated when creating their account on the edTPA field test website.

We recommend asking candidates to provide you with these confirmations as proof their materials have been submitted for scoring.

If you were invited to be a faculty reviewer for your institution, you may also confirm a candidate's portfolio has been submitted for scoring if they had previously requested you provide feedback on their files. When attempting to access their files through your Message Center, you will encounter a warning stating "You cannot enter feedback for this portfolio as the candidate has submitted if for scoring." This message will only appear once the candidate's edTPA materials have been submitted for scoring and may serve as confirmation of their submission.

When will I receive score information for my institution?

For additional information, refer to Field Test Reporting.

The posted score report date has passed and I haven't received any score information for my institution. Why were our scores not reported?

Candidates Using Integrated Platform Provider Systems

I am using a portfolio system other than Pearson's, and I have a question. How do I get help?

Refer to the Contact Us page.

Where can I find handbooks, templates, and instructions?

Candidates may obtain edTPA assessment materials from their institution, or they can download them directly from the system they are using to submit their portfolio.

When I will receive my score report?

All edTPA field test scores will be made available to the institution-designated score report recipient through a secure reporting site (scores will not be located on the Pearson ePortfolio site). Individual candidates should contact their institution's edTPA Score Report Contact for information on scores.

For additional information, refer to Field Test Reporting.

How do I confirm my portfolio has been submitted for scoring?

Once your portfolio has been successfully submitted, an email confirmation will be generated and sent to the email you indicated when creating your account on the edTPA field test website.