FAQ & Updates

Common Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

In summer 2020, the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE) was approached by the NC Department of Public Instruction to initiate work on a common Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that could be used by school systems (also known as Public School Units or PSUs) and educator preparation programs (EPPs). This was created in the hopes of simplifying the creation of an MOU for PSUs and EPPs across North Carolina. It is important to note that these documents (see below) are a resource and are not mandated for use. 

Cover Letter MOU (introduction and instructions)

Common MOU (editable document)

For Support Regarding edTPA and PPAT Testing During COVID​​​​​​​-Impacted Times

EdTPA developed a variety of supports for candidates engaged in student teaching and the edTPA process under these covid-impacted times. They include:

• Guidance and Considerations for Completing edTPA in a VLE    
• Support for Unaffiliated Candidates   
• Support for Mentor/Cooperating Teachers 
• Support for Educator Preparation Programs 

Guidance and Considerations for Completing edTPA in a VLE 

• Guidance for edTPA in Alternative Arrangement: Virtual Learning Environment, which also includes subject-specific considerations for various handbooks (e.g., early childhood, physical education, special education).  
  • Note: If teacher candidates encounter situations in which the setting or reason prohibits video recording due to safety or security concerns or other factors that inhibit the candidate from collecting video evidence as directed in the edTPA Submissions Requirement, candidates should review how to Request an Alternative to Video Evidence. 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Completing edTPA in a VLE - The FAQs can be found here.                                  Specific information related to video permission forms can be found in question 16 on the FAQs.  For more information related to confidentiality and security of edTPA Candidate Materials and Assessment Data, please visit this document. 

• Guidance for edTPA in Alternative Arrangement: Virtual Learning Environment, which also includes subject-specific considerations for various handbooks (e.g., early childhood, physical education, special education). 

  Please note in Tasks 2 and 3, and under PE on page six, the number of required students for edTPA are outlined. “Be sure to include more students than the necessary minimum number of students (typically 4 students, dependent on handbook requirements).” While a candidate may have 25 students in their classes, edTPA provides a minimum number of students needed to be shown in the assessment. Candidates should define their group and be consistent with that group throughout the portfolio. For example, while your course roster has 23 students, but you consistently teach 10 students remotely, these 10 students should be written about in the Context for Learning, seen in Task 2 and their assessments should be used in Task 3.

  If you have changes between Tasks 2 and 3 with the number of students, the candidate should describe the difference and the reason why, according to the above document. Look at the top of page 4 for more information.  It is important that candidates read the FAQs and Guidance for edTPA in Alternative Arrangement: Virtual Learning Environment for consistent and clear guidelines.

• Completing edTPA in Virtual Learning Environments webinars provides a description of the webinar series and includes dates, times, and information for how to join the webinar series. Click here to go to the webinar information.

Support for Unaffiliated Teacher Candidates 

Many teacher candidates who were unable to complete edTPA this past academic year were provided a waiver to complete edTPA and will be doing so while teaching in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In addition, we understand that many of these teacher candidates completed their educator preparation programs (EPP) and will no longer be affiliated with an EPP. As teacher candidates begin to plan their edTPA learning segments, they may experience adjustments in schedules, learning environments, etc. due to safety precautions as a result of COVID-19. As such, SCALE and Evaluations Systems are offering support through a series of webinars. These monthly webinars will address topics such as How to Get Started; How to Access and Use edTPA Resources; Completing edTPA in a VLE and will be offered throughout the 2020-21 academic year. 

• Support for Unaffiliated Candidates webinar series: A Guide to Completing edTPA provides a description of the webinar series and includes dates, times, and information for how to join the webinar series. Click here to go to the webinar information. 
• Guidance for Candidates Unaffiliated with Educator Preparation Programs  
• On-Demand Support – Candidates may direct all inquiries to edTPA Customer Support by emailing or using the live chat feature found in the Contact Us tab of edTPA.com or by calling (866) 565-4872 or (413) 256-2889.  

Support for Mentor/Cooperating Teachers  

This webinar series is intended for mentor and cooperating teachers who are supporting teacher candidates in completing edTPA.  

• edTPA Overview for Mentor and Cooperating Teachers webinar series provides a description of the webinar series and includes dates, times, and information for how to join the webinar series. Click here to go to the webinar information.

Support for Educator Preparation Programs 

In addition to supporting unaffiliated candidates and mentor/cooperating teachers, we wanted to make you aware that SCALE and Evaluation Systems will offer the following webinars for the edTPA Community during the fall 2020 semester.  

• edTPA 101 and Task-by-Task Deep Dives webinar series provides a description of the webinar series and includes dates, times, and information for how to join the webinars. Click here to go to the webinar information. 

PPAT Support for Educator Preparation Programs

• Guidance for Completing the PPAT Assessment in a Virtual Learning Environment or Hybrid Model. Click here to go to the information. 

• The Important Updates page contains a link to guidance materials for candidates who may be submitting their PPAT® assessment tasks while working in a virtual learning environment.

• The PPAT Assessment Task 4 Library of Examples page has been updated to include a virtual learning response for each textbox. 

EPP Dashboard Webinar Questions 

Click on the link above to learn more about the upcoming EPP Dashboard.

Student Complaint Form 

According to § 115C-269.55., the State Board of Education shall adopt and establish a process for students to report an alleged violation by an Educator Preparation Program (EPP). This form provides explicit instructions for this process and the form in which a student may file that complaint. 

Policy and Legislative Updates

The following summarizes recent State Board of Education policies and rules and North Carolina General Assembly legislation that may be helpful to assist Educator Preparation Programs and Institutions of Higher Education. For complete lists of all policies and legislation, please refer to the State Board of Education Policy Manual and the North Carolina General Assembly website. For rules, use the link below to visit the Administrative Code webpage.

Key Website Links:

State Board of Education Rules in the Administrative Code

• Current rules approved on September 17, 2020 
  • NCAC .06C .0334-.0397 

State Board of Education Policy Manual

• Key areas of reference for EPPs and IHEs will likely be:
  • TCED – Teacher Education
  • LICN – Licensure

North Carolina General Assembly

For a list of all approved EPPs in North Carolina and other related information, please go to the Approved Programs tab on this website.

Link to NCGA for Session Law 2017-189, Excellent Educator in Every Classroom (aka Senate Bill 599)

Educator Preparation Program Area Updates

NC Student Support Personnel & Administrative Programs List

Teaching Programs 

At the July 2018 State Board of Education (SBE) meeting, updates to the SBE policies that inform pathways for licensure of teaching areas contained in LICN-001: General Licensure Requirements were approved. Please refer to the SBE Policy Manual to obtain the full copy of this updated policy. The legislative reference for this policy is Session Law 2017-189, Senate Bill 599. The short title of this law is Excellent Educators for Every Classroom. This law may be found on the North Carolina General Assembly website.

For additional information about pathways to licensure, please refer to the Licensure section of this website.

School Counselor Programs

The provisional licensure requirements for School Counseling was approved for revisions at the July 2018 State Board of Education (SBE) meeting. The details of provisional licensure for this student support personnel area is contained in the State Board of Education LICN-001: General Licensure Requirements policy, section 1.55.

Currently active in the NC General Assembly is House Bill 934 informs the role/work of a school counselor, school administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker in the k-12 schools. The short title of this bill is "Threat Assessment Teams". This is, "an act to codify the North Carolina center for safe schools; to require the establishment of threat assessment teams in public schools; and to establish peer-to-peer student support programs."

School Administrator Programs

All approved Educator Preparation Programs who offer a School Administrator training program (degree or licensing/add-on) of specific curriculum requirements that must be satisfied in compliance with State Board of Education Policy TCED-015: School Administrator Preparation Programs. Reference the complete policy for all details required. Please review your program’s curriculum and specific courses to ensure that these requirements are clearly met. If modifications are required, begin this process immediately within your institutional system to request and approve changes to courses and/or curriculums. Make note of all program and curriculum updates as that information will also be needed as a part of your program/licensure area renewal process required by the NCDPI.

Currently active in the NC General Assembly is House Bill 934 informs the role/work of a school counselor, school administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker in the k-12 schools. The short title of this bill is “Threat Assessment Teams”. This is, “an act to codify the North Carolina center for safe schools; to require the establishment of threat assessment teams in public schools; and to establish peer-to-peer student support programs.”

School Psychology Programs

Currently active in the NC General Assembly is House Bill 933. The short title of this bill is “Reciprocity/School Psychologist Licensure”. This is “an act directing the state board of education to grant a license to practice as a school psychologist to any individual who holds the nationally certified school psychologist credential establishing a psychological inter-jurisdictional compact (PSCYPACT), allowing insurers to provide stop-loss insurance to small business, and allowing certain nonprofit organization to sponsor self-funded health benefit plans.”

Currently active in the NC General Assembly is House Bill 934 informs the role/work of a school counselor, school administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker in the k-12 schools. The short title of this bill is “Threat Assessment Teams”. This is, “an act to codify the North Carolina center for safe schools; to require the establishment of threat assessment teams in public schools; and to establish peer-to-peer student support programs.”

School Social Work Programs

Currently active in the NC General Assembly is House Bill 934 informs the role/work of a school counselor, school administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker in the k-12 schools. The short title of this bill is “Threat Assessment Teams”. This is, “an act to codify the North Carolina center for safe schools; to require the establishment of threat assessment teams in public schools; and to establish peer-to-peer student support programs.”