Videotaping Tips and Requirements

Arrange for someone to videotape your lesson. If possible, arrange for that person to be available for several class sessions in advance of the session to be taped for CA TPA purposes. Frequent experiences will help you and your students to adjust to the presence of the camera in the classroom.

Be sure to have the parents or guardians of all students who will be seen on the videotape, or whose work will be submitted, complete the Student Release Forms (below). You and any other adults who appear in the videotape (teacher’s aides, parents, student teachers, or colleagues) will need to sign an Adult Release Forms (below) prior to videotaping. Begin the process of securing release forms as soon as possible. If the students already have a release on file, the site administrator can sign the Administrator Release Form (below).

The videotape should be 20 to 30 minutes in length and be continuous and unedited. Stopping and restarting the camera during the lesson will be regarded as editing. The videotape should be taken from an angle that includes as many of the students’ faces in the class as possible. It should show as much of both you and the class as possible, but it is perfectly acceptable to focus on a particular student while he or she is talking. Medium to wide-angle shots allow for both you and the students to be seen. The videotape should be a standard VHS videotape cartridge, and the sound quality should enable the assessors to understand what is being said.

Release Forms

Student Release Form (English and Spanish versions)- This completed and signed form is required of every student whose work is submitted with the task response and/or who appears in the videotaped lesson. Signed originals must be submitted with the task response.

Download a copy of the Student Release Form (English Version)
Download a copy of the Student Release Form (Spanish Version)

Adult Release Form (English and Spanish versions)- This completed and signed form is required of every adult appears in the videotaped lesson. Signed originals must be submitted with the task response.

Download a copy of the Adult Release Form (English Version)
Download a copy of the Adult Release Form (Spanish Version)

Administrator Release Form- This form may be used in lieu of individual student release forms if the school site or school district has a current videotape permission release form on file for every student who appears in the videotape or whose work you are submitting. If used, the signed original form must be submitted with the task response.

Download a copy of the Administrator Release Form Candidate Attestation Form- This form verifies that you have obtained signed release forms for all individuals who appear on the videotape and/or whose work you submit as a part of your assessment response. You must complete, sign, and submit this form with your task responses for Tasks 3 and 4.

Download a copy of the Candidate Attestation Form