Does Placement Predict Performance? Associations Between Student Teaching Environments and Candidates’ Performance Assessment Scores

In the present study, we examine whether characteristics of student teaching sites and cooperating teachers predict teacher candidates’ edTPA scores. Using data from North Carolina, we find that candidates earn higher edTPA scores if they student-taught in a high value-added school and with a cooperating teacher earning higher evaluation ratings. Evidence also suggests that candidates earn higher scores when they are mentored by a cooperating teacher who is more familiar with performance assessments. Finally, we find that the relationships between student teaching environments and edTPA scores vary by characteristics of the candidate. This study reinforces prior work on the importance of learning environments to teacher development and the importance of preparation programs securing placements in high-quality learning environments. Our results may also have implications for the use of performance assessments by states and preparation programs.