This information, prepared by Pearson and Stanford University, describes the policies and procedures related to the confidentiality and security of candidate edTPA submissions and assessment data for each phase of the process:
This information applies to Pearson and Stanford University handling of materials and data for candidates who register for edTPA at tx.nesinc.com and submit their assessment for official scoring.
Teacher candidates own the content they create and submit for each edTPA portfolio. Neither Stanford University nor Pearson owns the candidates' edTPA portfolios.
The use of the portfolio video by candidates is restricted by the parameters of the release forms obtained for children and/or adults who appear in the video. Because parents/guardians and/or adults have not typically granted permission for public use of the videos in which they or their children appear, videos should NOT be displayed publicly (e.g., personal websites, YouTube, Facebook) without express permission for this purpose from those featured in the video.
Because of laws protecting confidentiality and privacy, only candidates can register themselves for edTPA. Information about registration or submission status may be provided to the educator preparation program in which the candidate is currently enrolled. Given the consequential nature of operational edTPA and associated program policies, programs and candidates will bear responsibility for reviewing program information and ensuring candidates meet appropriate timelines established by their educator preparation programs.
Prior to candidate submission of edTPA assessment materials for scoring, the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website provides information for candidates related to the creation, review, and handling of candidate assessment materials, including video recordings. These include:
These guidelines address the need to maintain confidentiality of video participants and direct candidates to obtain appropriate permission from parents/guardians for students who appear in video recordings and from adults who appear in video recordings. In order to assist candidates in obtaining the appropriate releases, the program website and edTPA membership platform (edtpa.org ) include information describing the nature of the assessment and how assessment materials may be used. A sample release form is also provided for reference. Candidates should consult with their program for other specific information that may be required to include in the release form.
Authorized Access
Prior to submitting assessment materials for scoring, candidates may request authorized faculty reviewers at their educator preparation program to provide feedback on their edTPA materials (including video recordings) prior to submission. Faculty at educator preparation programs that are using the Pearson ePortfolio system's feedback feature may provide feedback directly within this system. Some programs may use other platforms or systems to support edTPA on their campus. Candidates should follow their campus directions for receiving feedback. In the Pearson ePortfolio system faculty do not have access to candidate edTPA materials unless authorized by a candidate. While candidates own the content they create and submit for the edTPA portfolio, once the candidate submits the assessment materials to Pearson for scoring, neither the candidate nor authorized faculty have access to the candidate's submitted materials in the Pearson ePortfolio system. If a candidate wants to retain a copy of their submission and share with program faculty with appropriate permission, the files should be saved outside the Pearson ePortfolio system prior to submission. edTPA materials, once submitted, cannot be returned to candidates or educator preparation programs.
Authorized faculty are required to abide by Guidelines for Video Confidentiality for Faculty, which prohibit the sharing, copying, or posting of candidate assessment materials, including video recordings, in any public way.
Attestations
When candidates are ready to submit their assessment materials to Pearson for scoring, they are presented with candidate attestations, which include requiring confirmation that they have obtained the necessary video releases and that they have not posted and will not post video recordings in any location other than the Pearson ePortfolio system, an approved integrated edTPA Platform Provider system, or another secure system designated by the candidate's educator preparation program to support edTPA. Candidates must keep their edTPA video recordings under secure conditions and share with programs only when appropriate permissions are granted.
Candidate assessment materials, including video recordings, enter the Pearson ePortfolio system in one of two ways:
Transmission of assessment materials via these methods is protected using industry standard encryption practices.
Once materials have been transferred from an approved, integrated edTPA Platform Provider system or uploaded directly into the Pearson ePortfolio system, they must be reviewed and verified by the candidate in the Pearson ePortfolio system and submitted for official scoring.
Storage
The assessment materials are stored by Pearson in secure repositories and areas accessible only to authorized users via unique, secure log-in credentials for specific actions and for limited periods of time.
Access
By using industry-standard security software (encrypted protocols and encrypted and expiring tokens), the system ensures that access to view the stored assessment materials/videos is granted only to authorized users.
Access
Authorized scorers access the candidate assessment materials, including video recordings, through Pearson's password-protected secure Scoring System. Candidate assessment materials are available only for the period in which scoring occurs. Scorer access to the Pearson Scoring System is disabled after the scorer's activities are completed.
Access to edTPA Data
Candidate scores will be reported to the candidate, to TEA, and to the educator preparation program (if applicable).
Other Uses of Candidate Materials
Other Use or Disclosure of Information
It is Pearson's practice not to transmit personally identifiable information to third parties, except as provided in this Privacy Policy posted on this website. We may disclose personally identifiable information in the following situations:
By using this website and the Pearson ePortfolio system, candidates give their consent for personal information to be transmitted in the situations outlined above.
edTPA Retention and Destruction
The standard retention period for edTPA submissions, including videos, is four years, after which submissions will be destroyed. There may be exceptions to the standard retention period for extenuating circumstances, such as a score void or other challenge.
After the retention period, edTPA artifacts, including videos, are disposed of through a set of automated processes that identify and physically delete the artifacts from their repository locations. These processes are executed on a regular, periodic basis and render the artifacts inaccessible and irretrievable.
Candidate edTPA scores and associated identifying information will be retained indefinitely, supporting the reproduction of edTPA score reports for candidates as requested.