Securing Student and Teacher Privacy Is Goal of New Task Force Principles

Guidance responds to popularity of performance assessment in educator preparation

(April 20, 2016, Washington, D.C.) – A set of principles released today gives educators and policymakers new guidance on the secure and ethical use of video and other classroom materials gathered as part of pre-service teacher preparation. A task force of educators created the principles to ensure the privacy of those whose images and work are captured in the performance assessment of aspiring teachers.

The 27-member task force began convening last fall, meeting several times to develop the principles and supporting documents. Their brief brochure, “Securing Personal Information in Performance Assessment of Teacher Candidates,” explains the importance of videos and other artifacts in teacher performance assessment and introduces nine principles to guide those involved in creating or reviewing materials that include student images or identifying information.

The task force was convened by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Its other members are educators and officials in local, state and national roles from both PK-12 and higher education. The roster includes representatives from the Data Quality Campaign, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and AASA, the School Superintendents Organization.

“The widespread participation in the task force underscores the education community’s recognition of the importance of this issue,” said Sharon P. Robinson, president and CEO of AACTE. “As the performance assessment of teacher candidates continues to grow, every one of us is committed to making student, candidate and teacher privacy—and the public’s confidence—a top priority.”

AACTE convened the task force to help address questions and improve practices around the collection of teacher work samples from classrooms.

Such samples, particularly video recordings, are used frequently by higher education faculty to review the work of teacher candidates, or as part of state licensure or certification requirements. PK-12 schools are partners in this process, because they host student teachers in their classrooms and work with educator-preparation programs to coordinate clinical experiences for aspiring teachers.

“Teachers welcome the opportunity to work with aspiring educators and to mentor them through their clinical experience and assessment, but we want to make sure we’re incorporating new technologies appropriately and safeguarding everyone’s privacy,” said task force member Maria Leyva, Region 4 director, Arizona Education Association. “The task force put a lot of thought into creating practical guidance for teachers and educator preparation programs to promote the secure use of video and other classroom materials.”

Each year, an estimated 193,000 aspiring teachers graduate from some 2,200 preparation providers. Due to recent changes in state law, policies or local program practices, many of these candidates now must complete performance assessments that require them to demonstrate they can teach by sharing examples of their work with faculty, peers and independent reviewers. They submit evidence including lesson plans, student work samples, written reflections and classroom video of actual teaching performance.

The brochure “Securing Personal Information in Performance Assessment of Teacher Candidates” is available for download from AACTE’s web site along with support information for different audiences, including parents, cooperating PK-12 teachers and policymakers. Supporters also can download a digital badge and post it online to affirm their commitment to protecting the privacy of students, teachers and teacher candidates as part of performance assessment. For more information, visit aacte.org.

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About the AACTE Information Privacy Task Force
The following organizations are represented in the Information Privacy Task Force: AASA – The School Superintendents Association, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Federation of Teachers, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Arizona Education Association, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, Data Quality Campaign, Foresight Law + Policy, The Foundation Schools, Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Education Association, National PTA, SAS Institute Inc., Tennessee Department of Education.

AACTE: The Leading Voice on Educator Preparation
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. Its over 800 member institutions represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Through advocacy and capacity building, AACTE promotes innovation and effective practices that strengthen educator preparation. Learn more at www.aacte.org.