Teachscape FAQ

Teachscape FAQ

Please use the following answers to Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you through Module 2 – Teachscape.

 

Q1. What is the process for completing Module 2 – Teachscape?

You must first complete the Module 1 Assessment of the Teacher Evaluator course before you can access Teachscape.  Since Teachscape is completed on a different website, your Growth Through Learning login information will not work on the Teachscape website, therefore you must submit a request to the Growth Through Learning support team for a Teachscape login.  You can either email the support team at webmaster@growththroughlearningillinois.org or call and leave a voicemail at 800-426-9734.  You will receive an email from the Teachscape Support Team with your login information once your Teachscape account has been created.

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 a Teachscape FfTPS Module 2 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 Module 2 login information despite registering multiple times at the Growth Through Learning 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)?

  • Growth Through Learning (http://www.growththroughlearningillinois.org) creates accounts for Teachscape Module 2 (FfTPS). You will need to register at their website: http://www.growththroughlearningillinois.org.
  • 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 a Teachscape FfTPS Module 2 account yet, even though some of my colleagues who registered after I did have already received their FfTPS login information?

Contact webmaster@growththroughlearningillinois.org. They can verify your account and further assist you.

4. What should I do if I haven’t received my Teachscape FfTPS login information despite registering multiple times at the Growth Through Learning website?

Registering multiple times can cause a delay in completing your registration. If you have registered multiple times, contact the Support Team at webmaster@growththroughlearningillinois.org or  at 1-800-416-9734. The following information will be required to clear up multiple registrations:

 

  1. State that you have registered multiple times on the system.
  2. Provide your first and last name.
  3. 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?

  • Growth Through Learning creates accounts for Teachscape for Module 2 (http://www.growththroughlearningillinois.org)
  • 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?

  • Please be sure you are at the correct login screen by confirming the address in your browser: https://proficiency.teachscape.com/login
  • 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?

  • Please be sure you are at the correct login screen by confirming the address in your browser: https://proficiency.teachscape.com/login. If you are at the incorrect login screen, you will not be able to reset or retrieve your password.
  • 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.
  • 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.

 

 

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.

  • Typically, video playback problems are due to local hardware, software, and network issues.
  • 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.
  • If you pass the system check and are still having video problems, we recommend the following:
    • 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.
    • Disable the hardware accelerator by following these steps:
      • Right-click on a video
      • Select Settings (left-click)
      • Uncheck box next to “Enable Hardware Acceleration” (If you don’t see this box, click on the first icon on the left; the one that looks like a screen.)

 

9. What should I do if I have video problems while I am taking my assessment?

 

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?

 

  • Try using a headset instead of speakers.
  • 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.

11. What should I do if the “Score” button is not responding and/or kicking me back to the login screen?

  •  Turn OFF the pop-up blocker.

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”
  • Instructions for Mac:
    • 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?

  • Make sure to separate evidence into small text chunks of no more than 2,000 characters.
  • Do not use special characters or symbols such as the following: @   #   $   ^   &   *    %   ()   <>    /   ?

 

 

Understanding the FfTPS questions

14. Do I have to complete the training modules in order to be successful on the test?

  • Although some people have been using Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FfT) for years, our system trains and tests on the 2011 Observation Framework/rubric. Much of the content is the same, but nuances in the language could affect your scoring. In addition, the version we use in the FfTPS only has 4 components for each of Domains 2 and 3. When you go through the training, you learn the rubric language that is used to score test videos.
  • 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.


15. How does master scoring work? Who is involved in master scoring?

  • Every video in the system has been master coded (scored).
  • 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.

16. How were the rationales written for each video? 

  •  Rationales were written for every video only after master coders determined the video segment and where in the system the video should be placed.
  • 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.

 

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)?

  • The assessment is composed of multiple choice items and video scoring. On video scoring, you get maximum credit when your score is a direct match with the master score and partial credit if your score is adjacent to the master score (e.g., you score a 3 but the master score was a 2).
  • The passing score is based on overall performance on the multiple choice and video scoring sections, in which a user can gain full and partial credit. There is no published passing score.

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?

  • Users are not required to enter evidence into the system. You are only required to assign a score.
  • We encourage you to use the system to collect and align your evidence to components; this tool should help you during your scoring process.

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? 

  •  There is no published pass rate because pass rates depend heavily on how much time users spend training.
    • We have seen high pass rates for the overall assessment (i.e., pass Stage 1 and Stage 2) among groups that invest a significant amount of time (e.g., 20+ hours) in the Observer Training and Scoring Practice.
    • We have seen high first attempt failure rates for people who do not train and practice scoring before taking the assessment. Even among people who have previous training in FfT, getting used to watching panoramic videos and using the scoring software, as well as reviewing the most recent training content, is critical preparation for the assessment.
  • Users have two attempts to pass each stage of the assessment.
    • Some users pass the overall test on the first attempt at both Stage 1 and Stage 2.
    • However, it is not uncommon for users to pass the overall assessment even though they may fail on their first attempt at Stage 1 or Stage 2.

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.