®Definition: The Teaching Skills Assessment Program is often referred to as the “TSAP®.” It is a series of seven online instruments that are designed to assess knowledge about the competency areas of teaching. The instruments all use different methodologies for measuring competencies, and every competency is measured multiple times in multiple instruments. The TSAP® assessment is heavily performance-based; the activities used to assess competencies emphasize performance and the ability to recognize what performing a particular skill or demonstrating specific knowledge would entail.
The assessments include video presentations of teaching situations, online student files, online lesson plans, scenarios, Internet research and use, and self-assessment. All responses are in a forced-choice format.
Background: The TSAP® was originally designed as a face-to-face assessment center process for participants in district-based alternative teacher certification programs in Florida. The purpose of the TSAP® was to identify the competency and skill areas in which a participant had existing knowledge in order to focus the professional development activities of the alternative certification program on appropriate developmental areas. The alternative certification programs for which the TSAP® was designed were one-year programs undertaken during a year of teaching on a temporary certificate; therefore, targeting areas of highest need was seen as prudent use of time during an intensive year of activity and learning.
The TSAP® evolved into an online process in response to difficulties associated with the face-to-face process, such as staffing requirements, scheduling complexities and facility availability. This format allows 24-hour access, flexible scheduling, and assessment of participants in any location having a computer and Internet access. These characteristics, coupled with the breadth of competency coverage, make the TSAP® appropriate for use with a wide range of teacher preparation and certification programs.
Standards Framework: The framework used for determining competencies assessed in the TSAP® was built upon the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. This framework was developed by the Florida Department of Education after extensive research on definitions and models of competency used by other states as well as national professional organizations. Consultation with educators in other states confirmed that the Accomplished Practices were consistent with their identified competencies and models and were a comprehensive foundation for a teaching skills assessment to be offered nationwide.
Questions within the TSAP® were developed to ensure that the assessment measured knowledge, skill and ability related to the specific key behavioral indicators identified for each educator practice. The TSAP® includes over 400 such questions, and each practice area is measured at least 30 times across the seven instruments.
Correlated Standards: TSAP® questions are also strongly correlated to teacher competencies identified by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and work has begun to demonstrate a link with Charlotte Danielson’s Teacher Quality Domains.
The twelve Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP) have been formally correlated to the INTASC Standards by the Florida Department of Education in the Alternative Certification Program Assessment System. Given that the FEAPs provide the framework for the TSAP®, the TSAP®-to-INTASC relationship is strong. On average, TSAP® participants have approximately 45 opportunities to demonstrate each of the INTASC Standards across the seven instruments.
Charlotte Danielson has identified four domains into which teacher quality can be organized. Colleges of education and school districts frequently use these domains to assess teacher quality. Danielson’s domains include multiple indicative behaviors, referred to as “components.” Many of these components are represented across multiple educator practices as defined in Florida. Preliminary work has begun to identify the correlation between Danielson’s four domains, the FEAPs and the TSAP® questions. The results of this work will be posted to this site upon completion.
