HPU Education Students Score 100% Pass Rate on Teacher Performance Exam for Fifth Consecutive Year
Pictured are education majors walking outside the Stout School of Education.
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 6, 2026 – Students in High Point University’s Stout School of Education undergraduate teacher licensure programs earned a 100% pass rate for a fifth consecutive year on the national licensure assessment, the edTPA. Students in the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) programs also achieved a perfect pass rate on the exam.
Julia Attanasio, a senior middle grades education major with a minor in mathematics, said she was thrilled and filled with joy for her classmates when she learned all of them had passed the edTPA along with her.
“With full-time student teaching and edTPA at the same time, my cohort was there for one another and became so close, which made everyone passing an even better feeling,” said Attanasio, who is from Staten Island, New York. “Another year of 100% pass rate not only speaks about us students but speaks highly of the program and faculty that guided and led us to this point. It is as much of a win on their part as it is on ours, and I am so proud of everyone on this achievement.”
The faculty does an amazing job of showing various teaching styles and pedagogy while also encouraging high standards, Attanasio said. Through this program, she learned the ins and outs of what it means to be an educator and how she can have a positive impact on a student’s life. She hopes to land a job teaching math to middle school students and said she feels extremely prepared to start her career.
Crystal Miller, a senior middle grades education major with minors in special education and history, said her reaction included a sense of relief.
“When going through the process and I saw the 100% pass rate, I still had an internal fear that I could be the one who could break the 100%,” said Miller, who is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “That is such a high standard to live up to, but with the help of my teachers and the confidence that I’ve built here, that really helped me to know that I will be fine.”
Dr. Katy Field, assistant professor of educator preparation, said she was thrilled to see how well HPU’s teacher preparation students performed on their national licensure exams. This lengthy process requires students to compile a comprehensive portfolio while simultaneously teaching full-time in local K-12 schools.
“Our students’ final scores reflect a successful partnership between students committed to embracing the challenges of classroom teaching and faculty committed to preparing students with the life skills necessary to lead in those classrooms,” Field said. “Our students are supported by dedicated faculty who themselves have served as teachers in K-12 classrooms. We are fortunate that our faculty have the opportunity to engage with student teachers to prepare for success with edTPA.”
The future teachers will soon start working in the classroom. In April, the Stout School of Education held a career fair in which representatives from 18 school districts from across North Carolina and 16 area principals met with senior education majors looking for teaching positions after graduation.