Please use the following answers to Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you through Module 2 – Teachscape.
Those users who have registered for the Teacher Evaluator training in ECS were sent links via email on June 11, 2012 with login information for Module 2 – Teachscape. These users should begin the Teachscape training even though they have not yet been given access to Module 1.
The emails sent to these users contain a link to complete Teachscape registration and begin training. Please use the following documents to get an overview of the program and troubleshoot any potential technical issues:
Teachscape, a Growth Through Learning Illinois partner, is an online learning platform that assists evaluators in developing skills in observing, collecting and analyzing evidence of practice. Teachscape is self-paced and includes 12-15 hours of training content and 2 assessments (stage 1 and stage 2 approximately 3 hours each) including observer training, practice using The Danielson Framework For Teaching (Domains 2 and 3) and detailed rater training on each component with performance level. Teachscape includes extensive scoring practice with 100’s of master scored videos and 2 assessments (stage 1 and stage 2) to train and assess evaluators on providing valid, reliable judgments based on teaching evidence. (See www.teachscape.com).
Log -in questions 1. Where do I get a username/password for Module 2 (FfTPS)?
2. Where do I log in to Module 2? 3. Why don’t I have an FfTPS account yet, even though some of my colleagues who registered after I did have already received their FfTPS login information? 4. What should I do if I haven’t received my Teachscape FfTPS login information despite registering multiple times at the CEC website? 5. How can I log in to Module 2 if I received a message from Teachscape stating that I am not in their system? 6. What should I do if my login information for Teachscape Module 2 is not working? 7. What should I do if nothing happens when I try to reset/retrieve my password—if I don’t get any feedback on the page and I don’t receive an email? Technical questions: video related 8. What should I do if I have trouble watching videos on the Teachscape system? For example: it’s taking a long time for my system to load the videos; I am having issues with videos not playing, pausing, playing choppily, and starting; my video keeps spinning and/or I can’t pause the video.
9. What should I do if I have video problems while I am taking my assessment?
10. What should I do if I can’t hear the voices on the video, even with the volume at the maximum level?
Technical questions: non-video 11.What should I do if the “Score” button is not responding and/or kicking me back to the login screen? 12. I am using Internet Explorer and noticed that I am having navigational problems such as trouble scrolling or clicking to next sections. How do I handle this?
13. What should I do if the evidence “Add” button does not respond?
Understanding the FfTPS questions 14. Do I have to complete the training modules in order to be successful on the test?
15. How does master scoring work? Who is involved in master scoring?
16. How were the rationales written for each video?
17.What is the purpose of the exemplar (benchmark/rangefinder) videos in training?
Test design questions 18. What is a passing score? How many do I have to get right? Do I get partial credit for coming close when scoring videos (e.g., I score the component as a 3, but Teachscape says it’s a 2)?
19. Is the waiting period between the first and second attempt at taking the test 24 hours from when someone starts the test or finishes it? How long do I have to wait before I can retake the test? 20. Am I required to type in evidence during the video observation in the assessment, or can I take notes on scrap paper?
21. Since I have heard that there is a high pass rate for the assessment, does this mean most people pass on their first attempt?
22. What happens if I fail a stage twice?
Log-in questions 1. Where do I get a username/password for Module 2 (FfTPS)?
Once your account has been created, you will receive an email from Teachscape Technical Support (support@teachscape.com) with an invitation to register. Follow the directions in the email to register.
2. Where do I log in to Module 2? https://proficiency.teachscape.com/login 3. Why don’t I have an FfTPS account yet, even though some of my colleagues who registered after I did have already received their FfTPS login information? After registering at the Growth Through Learning website, it will take approximately one week to receive account information. If you have registered multiple times, this can delay receipt of your account information. If you feel that multiple registrations could be contributing to your delay, see question 4 to find out how to fix this situation. 4. What should I do if I haven’t received my Teachscape FfTPS login information despite registering multiple times at the CEC website? Registering multiple times can cause a delay in completing your registration. If you have registered multiple times, call the CEC Support line at 1-800-416-9734. The following information will be required to clear up multiple registrations:
State that you have registered multiple times on the system. Provide your first and last name. Provide your preferred email address for the registration.
5. How can I log in to Module 2 if I received a message from Teachscape stating that I am not in their system?
Once your account has been created, you will receive an email from Teachscape Support with an invitation to register. Follow the directions in the email to register.
If you have not received an email from Teachscape, please contact Growth Through Learning to confirm that your Teachscape account has been created. You can contact them by sending an email to webmaster@growththroughlearningillinois.org or calling 1-800-416-9734.
6. What should I do if my login information for Teachscape Module 2 is not working?
If you continue to have difficulty logging in to Teachscape FfTPS, please contact Teachscape Technical Support at 1-888-479-7600, or send an email to support@teachscape.com. Note: Teachscape Technical Support can only assist you with Teachscape issues.
7. What should I do if nothing happens when I try to reset/retrieve my password—if I don’t get any feedback on the page and I don’t receive an email?
Confirm that you have logged in to the system at least once (e.g., you received an email from Teachscape with an invitation to register and you were able to register). If you have not been set up in the system at least once, you will not be able to reset/retrieve your password.
Technical questions 8. What should I do if I have trouble watching videos on the Teachscape system? For example: it’s taking a long time for my system to load the videos; I am having issues with videos not playing, pausing, playing choppily, and starting; my video keeps spinning and/or I can’t pause the video.
Run a System Check located on the right side of your FfTPS account home page to determine if your system meets the minimum system requirements. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, please contact your local IT help desk.
Contact your local IT department and confirm that they have unblocked or “whitelisted” the Teachscape service.
If they have not “whitelisted” the Teachscape service, your video will remain choppy if you access the system from your school’s network.
Refer your IT department to the “List of domain names and IP addresses to be whitelisted.pdf” in the support section of the Growth Through Learning website.
If you encounter any technical problems during an assessment (including any problems with videos), please contact Teachscape Technical Support at 1-888-479-7600 immediately. Do not complete the test before calling. 10. What should I do if I can’t hear the voices on the video, even with the volume at the maximum level?
Contact your local IT help desk and have them check your audio settings. They can make adjustments to the settings to use the computer audio controls appropriately.
If you do not meet the minimum requirements, please contact your local IT help desk.
11. What should I do if the “Score” button is not responding and/or kicking me back to the login screen?
o Instructions for PC: Internet Explorer: 1) Go to Tools>Internet Options>Privacy; 2) uncheck box next to “Turn on pop-up blocker” Firefox: 1) Go to Tools>Options>Content; 2) uncheck box next to “Turn on pop-up blocker”
o Instructions for PC:
Firefox: 1) Go to Tools>Options>Content; 2) uncheck box next to “Turn on pop-up blocker”
Firefox: 1) Go to Firefox>Preferences>Content; 2) uncheck box next to “Turn on pop-up blocker”
Safari: 1) Go to Safari>Preferences>Security; 2) uncheck box next to “Turn on pop-up blocker”
12. I am using Internet Explorer and noticed that I am having navigational problems such as trouble scrolling or clicking to next sections. How do I handle this? If you are noticing navigational issues while using Internet Explorer, click on Tools and select “Compatibility View.” 13. What should I do if the evidence “Add” button does not respond?
Do not use special characters or symbols such as the following: @ # $ ^ & * % () <> / ?
Even if you have a lot of experience using FfT in the classroom, scoring videos is a different experience, and it is important to get as much practice as possible adjusting to video scoring and panoramic (360-degree view of the entire classroom) images prior to taking the test. You can get this practice both in Observer Training and Scoring Practice.
Training essentially scaffolds the process of scoring (collect evidence; sort evidence by domain, then component; refer to the rubric to assign a component-level score). By learning how to score individual components first and then multiple components via the Applying the Framework module, users are more prepared to begin Scoring Practice and then the assessment.
We generally find that users who complete all of the training have a much higher pass rate than users who do not complete the training.
Master coding is the process that involved at least two independent and highly trained experts (master coders) who reviewed and scored video-recorded lessons. A team of master coders from across the nation, with a minimum of 20 years of experience in K–12 schools, collaborated on this project. The team included educators from eight states to ensure geographic diversity, each of whom had many years of experience training educators and evaluators on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching (FfT). In addition, these individuals also had experience in the Praxis III Teacher Performance Assessments.
Master coders were trained by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) research and assessment development team. During the master coding process, a master coder reviewed a videotaped lesson by noting and time stamping essential evidence for each FfT component. After listing evidence and sorting to components, experts independently derived a score for each component and then consulted with another master coder to compare their findings. If the scores differed, they discussed their evidence and the quality of the performance in the video. As a result of this discussion, the master coders produced a single “true” score for each component of the video or video clip. A final review was then completed by Charlotte Danielson and members of the Danielson Group. Master coders also provided recommendations for the use of the video segment as an exemplar or for scoring practice purposes. Once these determinations were finalized, master coders then wrote the rationales, and a different master coder then reviewed all of the exemplars for each component.
The rationales are not meant to be comprehensive descriptions of everything that happens in a video clip. Rather, the rationales are meant to justify the score of the clip. Therefore, these rationales are written using language from the Framework rubric, critical attributes, and evidence collected from the video.
17.What is the purpose of the exemplar (benchmark/rangefinder) videos in training? Unlike other videos throughout the system, the purpose of the exemplar videos in training is to show a clear example of teaching performance at a particular level of the rubric for one component only. Evidence for any other component that shows up in the exemplar is not relevant to the component-level score given to the exemplar.
19. Is the waiting period between the first and second attempt at taking the test 24 hours from when someone starts the test or finishes it? How long do I have to wait before I can retake the test? The 24-hour waiting period starts when a user has finished the first attempt. 20. Am I required to type in evidence during the video observation in the assessment, or can I take notes on scrap paper?
22. What happens if I fail a stage twice? Once you fail the stage a second time, you will not be able to attempt the assessment again for 15 days. You will receive an email from the CEC regarding remediation training with a live trainer. The training modules and scoring practice will continue to be available for training to help you study for your third attempt after the lockout period has ended.