HPU Education Students Again Score 100% Pass Rate on Teacher Performance
High Point University’s Stout School of Education received a 100% pass rate on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for a third consecutive year. Pictured are education students outside the Stout School of Education on campus.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 22, 2024 – High Point University’s Stout School of Education received a 100% pass rate on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for a third consecutive year.
The HPU Class of 2024 from the Bachelor of Arts teacher licensure programs recorded a perfect pass rate on the edTPA, compared to the national average pass rate of 72% for this multi-part assessment, which is required for teacher licensure.
“Kudos go to our exceptional faculty who have prepared these students for success,” said Dr. Amy Holcombe, dean of the Stout School of Education. “The 100% pass rate signifies that our faculty are among the most effective in the country in preparing future teachers to be highly effective in the classroom.”
To become licensed in North Carolina, all teachers must pass the edTPA, which is considered the gold standard for measuring the performance of teacher candidates. This rigorous, performance-based portfolio assessment calls on candidates to showcase their planning, instruction and assessment of K-12 student learning during their final teaching practicum.
The Stout School of Education has long been recognized for its excellence. The teacher education programs meet the requirements for both the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and the North Carolina State Board of Education. Students successfully completed the edTPA in licensure areas, including elementary mathematics, elementary literacy, special education, middle school mathematics, secondary social studies and secondary English.
Lizzie Mathie, a senior elementary education major with a minor in athletic coaching, said the Stout School of Education prepared her with a comprehensive understanding of educational theories, pedagogical practices and classroom management strategies essential for effective teaching. Through coursework, practical experiences and mentorship, she has gained the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in both the performance-based portfolio assessment and her future career as a K-12 teacher.
“I believe Stout School of Education at High Point University has received a 100% pass rate for the third consecutive year because of the dedicated, knowledgeable professors and staff and the teacher preparation program and courses that SSOE offers to undergrad students going through the teacher prep program,” said Mathie, who is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “High Point offers high quality preparation for their future teachers through specific courses that prepare their teachers for the edTPA process and expectations. These preparation courses walk students through what edTPA is, what the expectations are for edTPA, the whole entire edTPA notebook and guidelines, and the specifics of academic vocabulary that may not be familiar to us prior to the edTPA process. The professors and advisors at Stout also offer their students and advisees resources, support and probing questions that have made us think about the planning process and instruction to be successful with edTPA. Last, being reflective of our own work has been a task we have been taught that has made us successful.”
The school’s commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment ensures that students feel supported and motivated to achieve their academic goal, said Kendall Clarke, a senior elementary education major and psychology minor from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
The 100% pass rate will result in a boost for surrounding school districts. Stout School of Education students are offered many opportunities beginning in their freshman year to practice their skills in local schools. A number of those students go on to become teachers in the area.
“Many of our graduates accept jobs in the Piedmont Triad region and will begin their first year of teaching already prepared to positively impact student outcomes,” said Holcombe. “We are proud to produce such well-prepared teachers and to serve our K-12 partners as a resource.”
In 2022, HPU’s Stout School of Education received more than $20 million in federal grants, including nearly $10.4 million through the Supporting Educator Development (SEED) grant. HPU is using its SEED grant to fund an Executive Education Program for senior-level leaders in 18 partner school districts, said Holcombe. That award was in addition to a nearly $10 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant, which had set the record for the largest competitive grant ever awarded to HPU.