About Education Specialist CalTPA

Pursuant to Education Code Section 44320.2, the Education Specialist California Teaching Performance Assessment (EdSp CalTPA) meets one of the requirements for earning a Preliminary Education Specialist Teaching Credential. The Commission recently updated its Preliminary Education Specialist Teaching Credential Preconditions, Program Standards, and Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) opens in a new window and developed the EdSp CalTPA to reflect these recent changes.

Timeline of the development effort:

2016–2020: Funding received for the development of the Education Specialist CalTPA.
2019: Development and pilot study of the Education Specialist CalTPA for five credential areas: Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN), Extensive Support Needs (ESN), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), and Visual Impairments (VI).
2021: Senate Bill 488 (Chap. 678, Stats. 2021) mandated significant reforms to literacy instruction and educator preparation.
2022: Approval of PK–3 ECE regulations.
2023: Pilot of the Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA) for Multiple Subject (MS) and Education Specialist (MMSN, ESN, ECSE, DHH, VI) candidates.
2024: Field test of the Math Cycle for PK–3 and Education Specialist (ECSE, DHH, VI) programs.
2025: Field test of the Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA) for PK–3 ECE, Multiple Subject (MS) and Education Specialist (MMSN, ESN, ECSE, DHH, VI) candidates.
2025: Operational Administration of Version 1 (V1) for PK–3 ECE, Multiple Subject, Single Subject and Education Specialist (MMSN, ESN, ECSE, DHH, VI) candidates.

graphic illustrating the EdSp CalTPA cycle of plan teach reflect apply

EdSp CalTPA Design

The EdSp CalTPA is structured around two full instructional cycles based on the pedagogical sequence of plan, teach and assess, reflect, and apply, each conducted within a classroom or non-classroom environment. The complete sequence is addressed by each instructional cycle, with candidates providing evidence of instructional practice for each step. Acceptable evidence may be in a variety of forms, including video clips with written or verbal commentary. As the EdSp CalTPA is designed to address subject-specific teaching and learning, candidates are asked to respond to the instructional cycles within the context of their clinical placement.

+− Math Cycle

Math Cycle focuses on developing one engaging math-specific lesson for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) based on what they have learned about their diverse assets and/or interests, including their math-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities.

In this cycle, candidates demonstrate how they select an appropriate grade-level math-specific learning goal(s), develop academic language goals, determine what they expect students to know and be able to do, and assess that learning. Candidates will develop math-specific student activities and instructional strategies to develop their students' thorough understanding of the content they are teaching. This cycle also focuses on how candidates monitor student learning during the lesson and make appropriate adaptations to support individual student learning needs and promote equitable learning environments for students with IEPs. As candidates teach and video record the lesson, they demonstrate how they establish a positive and safe learning environment; provide social and emotional supports through positive interactions with students; use resources and materials to promote content-specific, age and/or developmentally appropriate higher-order thinking skills; and enhance deeper learning of content for students with IEPs.

+− Literacy Cycle

Literacy Cycle emphasizes the interaction among the student's(s') Individual Education Plan (IEP), grade-level standards, assessment, and instructional decision making. While standards describe what students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do, assessment is the ongoing process of gathering evidence from multiple sources to determine what each student knows, understands, and demonstrates.

In this cycle, candidates gather assessment data about their students, plan instruction that addresses students' academic and English language development (ELD) learning goals, deliver that instruction, and assess students on their learning. Candidates then analyze the assessments and use their findings to plan future instruction. Throughout, candidates provide specific, actionable feedback to the focus student(s) and their families and/or guardians about their literacy and ELD learning goals based on summative and formative assessment results.

Together, these instructional cycles and the related rubrics assess a range of the TPEs.

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