TCAP Culminating Experience

UNH CPS and the TCAP

The UNH College of Professional Studies has joined the other New Hampshire institutes of higher education in a statewide initiative to provide teacher candidates a common culminating experience, which is called the Teacher Candidate Assessment of Performance (TCAP).

During your final culminating course, you will use your digital portfolio, content knowledge, and pedagogical experience to create a unit of 3-5 consecutive lessons. These lessons will contain considerations for students’ unique needs, clear and measurable learning objectives, appropriate formative and summative assessment tools, effective progress monitoring with concise current evidence, and thoughtful reflection. The lesson sequence (observed by your instructor) will provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate a cycle of formative assessment and instruction that meets the needs of your learners.

The TCAP Process is required for all students in the culminating course of a certification program. Passing TCAP scores of 1.8 or greater are expected to complete the culminating experience and be recommended to the State of New Hampshire for certification.

    What does TCAP stand for?

    TCAP stands for Teacher Candidate Assessment of Performance, an acronym created by institutes of higher education in New Hampshire who have collaborated to develop a common capstone experience for all teacher candidates in the state.

    Who participates in TCAP?

    Every teacher candidate seeking certification from an accredited institution in New Hampshire will participate in TCAP at the end of their certification program. For UNH CPS, this means that the TCAP process is woven into the culminating course for all certification programs including those of initial, additional, and advanced endorsements.

    What does TCAP entail?

    The TCAP process includes the planning for and implementation of a 3-5 lesson unit with a group of students that aligns with the teacher candidate's certification program (DLS & RWS candidates should see their FPF for differences in TCAP requirements). Teacher candidates create a comprehensive document detailing the unit's lesson plans, student baseline data, plan for tracking student progress toward a measurable objective, and aligned assessments. Candidates then implement the unit with the presence of UNH CPS faculty. The candidate's final TCAP documents are scored using the TCAP Rubrics. Students must earn a 1.8 or greater on the TCAP to successfully complete the culminating experience.

    How long does it take to complete TCAP?

    The TCAP process is carried out over the course of 1 term. Candidates should expect TCAP work to compare to that of a 4 credit course. The culminating courses in the advanced endorsements include the TCAP process as well as other curricula.

    What do I need to complete TCAP?

    Teacher candidates need access to a group of students that both aligns with their certification area and is at a site with a certified teacher (Supervising Practitioner- SP) who holds the endorsement sought by the candidate. For instance, a teacher candidate seeking General Special Education certification will implement TCAP with a small group of special education students overseen by a SP who is an experienced educator in Special Education. Dual certification students must implement TCAP in a whole group setting and complete the requirements for each certification.

    Candidates also need access to a high quality video and audio recording device, as TCAP requires the videotaping of lessons.

    What information can I give my Supervising Practitioners, Principal, and/or site about TCAP?

    School personnel can access TCAP information on the Teacher Education Resource Page where they will find links to additional informational documents, site information, forms, rubrics, and more. Teacher candidates should also inform their school principal and supervising practitioner that TCAP lessons are videotaped and provide them with the videotaping letter request letter from the NH Commissioner of Education.

    What resources does the School of Education provide to help with the completion of TCAP?

    In addition to personal meetings with candidates' Field Placement Faculty members, the School of Education offers candidates voluntary TCAP work sessions once per term. These work sessions are great opportunities for candidates to ask specific questions and have TCAP drafts reviewed.

    What happens after TCAP?

    After the completion of the TCAP process, the TCAP scoring team will review candidate videos and documents. The team will provide the candidate and their Field Placement Faculty member with feedback and scoring. When students have completed all necessary program requirements (completion of all coursework with a minimum 3.0 GPA, passing of all testing requirements, and successful TCAP completion), the student will be recommended to the New Hampshire Department of Education for certification.

    TCAP Forms, Documents, and Policies

    Here’s a collection of documents to help guide your TCAP experience.