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State education committee sets norming year for edTPA/PPAT, advances two regulation items to consent agenda
Summary
MSDE told the Education Policy Committee it will treat 7/1/2025–8/31/2026 as a norming year for edTPA/PPAT submissions while Maryland-specific data are collected; the committee also agreed to place two COMAR amendments on next week's consent agenda (reportable offenses and contracts).
At its meeting, the Education Policy Committee heard an informational briefing from MSDE on edTPA and PPAT, the two nationally recognized, portfolio-based assessments Maryland will accept to demonstrate pedagogical knowledge for teacher licensure under Education Article §6-126.
MSDE staff said the department plans to use 07/01/2025 through 08/31/2026 as a norming year, during which any scorable submission on either assessment will satisfy the demonstration-of-pedagogical-knowledge requirement while MSDE collects Maryland-specific data and consults a technical advisory committee. "We are recommending that we set the passing score as any scorable entry on either of those assessments for a period of a norming year," Miss Meadows said.
MSDE explained the norming year will allow educator preparation programs to aggregate and disaggregate scores by race, gender, district and pathway, and to develop remediation and supports for candidates who need them. Committee members pressed MSDE on how Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will be monitored if they opt to use induction as an alternative route; MSDE said LEAs must submit induction plans that MSDE will review and, where applicable, the appropriate bodies will also review those plans.
On regulatory items, Mary Gable of MSDE reviewed public comment and MSDE responses for COMAR 13A.08.01.17 (School Use of Reportable Offenses). She recapped prior permission to publish, two Maryland Register publication windows and three substantive recommended amendments based on comments, then recommended adoption by the State Board. The committee agreed without objection to place that item on the consent agenda for next week's Board meeting.
Miss Meadows also briefed the committee on COMAR 13A.07.02.01 (contracts). She said the single public comment from Montgomery County Public Schools raised concerns that the term "license" could be misinterpreted in some contexts; MSDE said it is not recommending substantive changes to the published language and that guidance or the educator licensure regulations (chapter 13A.12) can resolve role/license clarifications. The committee agreed without objection to add the contracts amendment to the consent agenda.
MSDE also provided data context for the reportable offenses regulation: for the 2022–23 school year, MSDE reported that 86.7% of students accused of reportable offenses were retained in their regular school program, with smaller percentages placed in virtual instruction (3.4%), home and hospital (3.8%), alternative schools (2.3%), night school (0.6%) or transferred (0.3%). MSDE said guidance will further clarify safety determinations, appeal notice requirements and placement review intervals (45 days minimum).
What's next: The committee will forward the consent-agenda items and the Praxis recommendation to the full State Board at the next meeting; MSDE will continue norming-year data collection and consult its technical advisory committee before returning with a recommended passing score.
