Documenting Student Growth in EdTPA Capstone Projects

Documenting student growth is an essential part of the EdTPA Capstone Project, as it demonstrates the effectiveness of your teaching and shows how students develop throughout the lesson.

4.1 Establish Baseline Data

Start by collecting baseline data on students’ prior knowledge or skills before the lesson. This could include a pre-assessment, a class discussion, or an initial task that provides insight into students’ starting points.

4.2 Use Formative Assessments to Track Progress

Use formative assessments throughout the lesson to track how students are progressing. These can include quizzes, exit tickets, or group discussions. Formative assessments allow you to adjust your instruction and provide immediate feedback to students.

4.3 Analyzing Student Work

As students complete tasks, analyze their work and document their growth. Compare early work samples with later samples to track improvement. Look for:

• Improvements in accuracy or depth of understanding.
• The application of new strategies or skills learned during the lesson.

4.4 Reflecting on Growth

In your reflective commentary, discuss how students have shown growth over the course of the lesson. Reflect on how your teaching strategies contributed to that growth, and identify areas where students may still need support.

4.5 Showcasing Evidence of Learning

Provide evidence of student growth by showcasing student work, such as pre- and post-assessment comparisons or a progression of student projects or essays. This demonstrates how students met the lesson’s learning objectives over time.