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Concrete is essential for the construction industry with characteristic properties that make it irreplaceable in some aspects. However, due to the large volumes consumed and the energy intense cement clinker production it also has a notable climate impact. In order to reach the international and national sustainability goals it is therefore important to reduce the climate impact of concrete structures.
There are many ways to influence the environmental impact of concrete and a detailed analysis is one of the actions that could push the industry and the society towards a sustainable development. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the environmental impact of concrete structures and the built environment and to highlight the possibilities to reduce that impact with choice of concrete mix and innovative design solutions.
A life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out to analyze the environmental impact of two thin façade solutions with innovative materials and to evaluate influences of different greenhouse gas reducing measures on concrete bridges. The influence of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in terms of climate impact and durability was also analyzed.
The results indicate that SCMs have a twofold effect on the climate impact of reinforced concrete structures. Not only do they reduce the greenhouse gases through cement clinker replacement but also by an improvement of durability regarding chloride ingress. Currently, this is not considered in the regulations, which makes it difficult to foresee in LCA at early design stages. The results also show great possibilities to reduce the climate impact through different measures and design alternatives and the need for further development of products and solutions.
A large part of the energy consumption in the European Union member states is related to space heating, a significant share of which is due to transmission losses through the building envelope. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), with unique thermal insulation properties, do therefore provide an interesting alternative for the building industry. This paper presents the results of a life cycle analysis (LCA) study that compares the environmental impact of three hypothetical buildings, a standard residential building, a regular well-insulated building and a building insulated with VIPs. The environmental impact includes the global warming potential (GWP) and the primary energy (PE) use, from the material production stage to the building operational phase (50 years). The cradle-to-gate environmental impact categories of ozone depletion potential (ODP), acidification potential (AP) and eutrophication potential (EP) of all building components are also assessed. The study shows a comparatively lower operational energy for the VIP insulated building and a relatively lower total greenhouse gas emission as well as the possibility to save significant living space. The results also show that the VIPs have measurable environmental impact during the product stage while the core material of the VIPs has considerable impact on the results.


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Buyer Beware: Lessons Learned from edTPA Implementation in New York State
by Deborah Greenblatt and Kate E. O'Hara
As states across the country continue their implementation of the edTPA, a complex and high-stakes certification requirement for teacher certification, there are important lessons for educators and education advocates to learn from New York State's implementation. As Linda Darling-Hammond, developer and promoter of the edTPA, cautioned at the 2014 American Educational Research Association meeting: "New York is a prototype of how not [original emphasis] to implement teacher performance assessment."1
edTPA stands for the Teacher Performance Assessment Portfolio, an assessment of teacher readiness developed by The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) but nationally distributed and scored by Pearson Education, Inc. It differs from previous assessments in that it purports to measure "performance" by requiring student teachers to compile a portfolio, including lesson plans, student work samples, a short classroom video (15 to 20 minutes), and a lengthy "instructional commentary" of 40 to 60 pages.
Currently, there are 622 educator preparation programs in 35 states and the District of Columbia participating in edTPA. Some states are still exploring its use while others require edTPA as part of program completion or for state licensure.2 Among them, New York's story is unique: Although the New York State Education Department had begun working with Pearson in 2009 on its own teacher performance assessment, it switched to the edTPA when it became available in February 2012. The handbooks and rubrics were made available to faculty and students in New York's schools of education that same spring.3 New York only conducted one year of field testing before fully implementing the edTPA as a high-stakes assessment.4
As a result of the rapid rollout, faculty at colleges of education had little time to reflect on their data and prepare their students for success: "We have basically set up a cohort of our students to fail," warned Jamie Dangler, vice president of the United University Professions (UUP), the union of State University of New York educators, to New York State Education Department officials in January 2014, "and the consequences will be disastrous for students and teaching programs.'"
With the federal push to standardize a national evaluation requirement for pre-service teachers, all states and their educators must also consider and contend with the impact of profit-oriented corporations in the teacher preparation process. The certification of teachers has been taken out of the hands of the states and now turned over to a for-profit company that has much to gain from a national adoption of the edTPA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Concerns over the corporatization of teacher certification are fueled by Pearson's lack of transparency. When participating in Pearson workshops, trainings, or test scoring, faculty have to sign non-disclosure agreements. Faculty are not allowed to share materials with their colleagues or their students.5 Furthermore, although the edTPA Myths and Facts document asserts the criteria for selecting and training scorers is "rigorous," the teacher candidates' score reports do not include the qualifications of their scorer nor is specific data about edTPA current scorers readily available online.
It is our hope that educators, activists, and policy makers will benefit from the lessons we have learned in New York and join our effort for a certification process that does not standardize teacher education programs but rather draws upon an effectively designed certification process and represents what is important to the profession, not politicians and corporations.
Lesson One: edTPA is Called a Teacher Performance Assessment—But that Doesn't Mean it is One
While many stakeholders would agree that a performance assessment is a more effective way to measure teacher readiness than a pencil-and-paper test, the edTPA cannot fill that role. The edTPA relies greatly on teacher candidates' reading, writing, and technological skills. Candidates are allowed to include only up 15 to 20 minutes of video to "feature the teaching and learning emphasis" for their subject area.6
For first-year teachers to be "effective," the edTPA weighs heavily on data analysis skills, while de-emphasizing skills such as adaptability, relating to students' interests, and fostering a cooperative environment. Additionally, the lengthy and tightly structured edTPA requirements have changed the focus of the student teaching experience and seminar from preparing for the first year of teaching to preparing to pass a test and create lessons under constraints that make the test an unauthentic assessment.7
Student teachers are faced with the challenge of manipulating both the structure and the content of their lessons to meet the demands of the edTPA. While student teachers are typically stressed about their coursework or teaching lessons, they now have the additional anxiety of making sure their teaching practices are labeled and organized according to the limitations of the edTPA questions, often struggling to manipulate what has been genuinely successful, into something that instead meets the unrealistic and unfamiliar demands of the test. A professor colleague elaborates, "We used to share successes and challenges in seminar, working together, digging deep. Now all we seem to do is go through the handbook page by page to make sure we understand what is expected of our students."
Lesson Two: The edTPA Privileges Certain Student Teaching Placements
The challenges of the edTPA are exacerbated in schools in low-income communities where our K–12 students often are not scoring well on standardized tests. Not only are these schools more likely to have scripted curricula, but they also have students with a variety of special needs.8 Teacher candidates will need special permission to deviate from the mandated curriculum to showcase their best work in their videos, which can be a challenge depending on several factors such as how much principal surveillance the cooperating teachers are under or how much cooperating teachers are willing to "break the rules." These conflicts often cause cooperating teachers to decide not to host a student teacher in future semesters.9
Although the edTPA purports to assess how general education teacher candidates address the needs of special education students as per their Individualized Education Program goals and the needs of English language learners, these prompts are not relevant in certain settings. Candidates placed in more homogenous settings will not face these additional demands, while those in more diverse classrooms must clearly address the needs of these students to score well.10 Although these teacher candidates may be better prepared for their careers when they student teach in such settings, schools of education may be motivated to sacrifice that preparation to improve edTPA passing rates.
Lesson Three: The edTPA Scoring is Inconsistent
Although the edTPA is based on National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, there is no evidence the edTPA has predictive validity, the ability to forecast future "success," for any measure.11 SCALE, the originators of the edTPA, made a statement on the validity and reliability of the edTPA as follows:
A set of validation studies was conducted to confirm the content validity, job relevance, and construct validity of the assessments. In combination, these studies documented that the assessment is well-aligned to the professional standards it seeks to measure, reflects the actual work of teaching, and that the score measures a primary characteristic of effective teaching. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using several different statistical tests. edTPA reliabilities reported here range from .83 to .92 (indicating the percentage of scorer agreement).12
This statement, however, addresses reliability or validity when it comes to inter-rater reliability only. In the same document, SCALE states the edTPA gives states the "ability to use a nationally available common measure that is valid and reliable to evaluate pre-service teachers' readiness to teach."13 It is certainly arguable if this common measure is truly valid and reliable. The National Center for Teacher Quality agrees saying:
What may be a very good culminating exercise for any program to administer is not necessarily a sufficiently valid and reliable measure of either an individual teacher or the quality of a program. For example, the edTPA allows candidates to choose the lessons they will deliver, rehearse as many times as they wish, and edit the videotape of their teaching. If a prospective elementary teacher chooses to teach a lesson on parallel lines rather than on equivalent fractions (because she really dislikes fractions), and even then edits out an instructional faux pas, is the resulting lesson a valid assessment of her overall teaching skills?14
Additionally, many teacher candidates and teacher educators question the consistency in the scoring of the test. A colleague from a State University of New York campus shares her experience: "My students did pass, but ironically the ones that weren't as strong — you know, in pedagogy, or in classroom management— they passed, and passed with higher scores than my stronger candidates." Experiences such as this call into question the reliability of the evaluations and the training of the Pearson evaluators.
According to a former Pearson evaluator, originally when portfolios were reviewed at scoring centers, two people graded each of the portfolios. However, scoring is now done remotely and scorers are recruited from across the country, even if their state does not use the edTPA. Also, now only one person scores each edTPA portfolio.15 Although there are "quality control" measures put in place by Pearson, with random portfolios being "back read" by a supervisor, it is not clear how often back reading is done.16 Given that scorers are paid per portfolio and are not held accountable until one of their portfolios is randomly selected for additional scoring, there is no existing measurement of inter-rater reliability.
According to Nancy A. De Korp, coordinator of Education Programs, Office of Higher Education for the NYSED, there is also a protocol if the total score is at, or around, a passing score. In this case, a second scorer will review the portfolio.
A third scorer (a scoring supervisor) will evaluate the portfolio if either 1) Scorer 1 and Scorer 2 are discrepant (more than one score point apart) on any rubric, or 2) Scorer 1 and Scorer 2 are on opposite sides of the recommended professional performance standard (for decision consistency). A .5 score occurs when two scorers have evaluated a portfolio and their score on the rubric is averaged. Scorer 1 and Scorer 2 may have exact agreement or adjacent agreement on each rubric. Any discrepant rubrics (more than one score point apart) are sent to a supervisor for resolution.17
However, we have seen instances where teacher educators, those who have assessed teacher candidates' performance multiple times across the semester, have a different evaluation than the Pearson scorers. One teacher candidate shared with us that, although she was the only person in her student teaching seminar to get an A, she failed the edTPA. Her professor evaluated the portfolio herself, using the Pearson rubrics, and disagreed significantly with the scorer's findings. As a result she is considering an appeal; however she would have to pay $200 to do so.18
Allowing per diem scorers of the edTPA to be the gatekeepers to the profession depersonalizes the relationship between teacher candidates and their students, cooperating teachers, field supervisors, and professors in a very troubling way.19
Lesson Four: The edTPA Shifts the Focus of the Student Teaching experience to Test Preparation
Teacher candidates spend hours reading, rereading, examining, and understanding their edTPA content specific handbook, the Making Good Choices guidebook, and other associated edTPA documents. In addition to the time devoted to typical planning, there are rubrics and prompts that must be dissected, discussed, and understood in order to earn a passing edTPA score. Candidates spend many additional hours analyzing student data, compressing and uploading videos, and writing pages of commentary, leaving little time for planning of high quality lessons. Jen Boerner, a graduate student at SUNY Brockport, said that the biggest drawback to the edTPA was the lack of attention she was able to pay to all of her special education students: "'I feel I lost out on a lot of student teaching. I really couldn't do as much as I wanted. I couldn't go over all the lesson plans I wanted to try out because I was teaching to the test. That was unfortunate.'"20 In some cases, instead of teaching follow-up lessons in the days after their edTPA "learning segment," candidates spent their nights answering the writing prompts for Pearson. It's also important to note that in addition to the time committed to edTPA and student teaching, many teacher candidates are taking additional courses to maintain their financial aid eligibility. With so much at stake, the reality for many teacher candidates is that they often need to leave their coursework unfinished, miss classes and deadlines, or simply hand in acceptable, rather than exemplary work so they can focus on constructing their edTPA portfolio.21
Lesson Five: The edTPA Privileges Candidates and Institutes of Certain Financial Status
One must consider the repercussions of the increase in the cost of the exams package, which has now doubled to over $600. The exams package includes the edTPA plus the Educating All Students exam, Content Specialty Tests, and the Academic Literacy Skills test. Although Pell grant recipients are eligible to get a voucher for the $300 edTPA portion of the exam, they are not guaranteed one. Only 600 edTPA vouchers were distributed across all of New York State for all eligible teacher candidates.22
For example, when Hobart and William Smith Colleges applied for vouchers for its 24 students who received federal Pell grants, they received an e-mail from ESTestVoucher @Pearson.com saying that vouchers were allocated proportionally to institutions based on the number of undergraduate Pell recipients reported by each institution. For Hobart and William Smith's 24 eligible students, they received only one voucher.23 At New York University, dozens of undergraduates and graduate students with specific financial aid and GPA requirements were eligible to enter a lottery to try to "win" one of only eight vouchers.24 Unfortunately, not all schools advertise these vouchers either. In some cases, students don't know that such a voucher exists unless an individual faculty member makes an effort to inform their students.
Teacher candidates who can afford to attend well-funded teacher credentialing programs often enjoy additional support services, including the services of a full-time edTPA resource person.25 Schools with funding for that kind of position can provide edTPA workshops, seminars, and one-on-one consultation. Because of the benefits of these funded positions, teacher candidates' course work or seminars do not have to be dedicated to edTPA preparation. Some colleges have subject specific edTPA coordinators who conduct workshops for students on the edTPA throughout their teacher education program which then allows teacher candidates to prepare for portions of their portfolio prior to student teaching experience. On the other hand, in colleges where funding is limited, online modules are often used or a website hosting edTPA resources is created to reach a broader audience of teacher candidates across disciplines. However, this approach leaves candidates with more general information and no human interaction. Additionally, while a single edTPA coordinator at one college might be in charge of all edTPA content portfolios, their counterparts at a wealthier school might have coordinators for each certification area.
Lesson Six: The edTPA Privileges Candidates from Certain Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds
A teaching candidate may have carefully planned and successfully taught an effective "learning segment" but unless the candidate has also learned the language of the edTPA exam, followed particular directives, understood rubric objectives, and crafted their commentary by thoroughly reflecting the terminology designed and used by SCALE, she or he risks a failing score. This goal of learning the language of a teacher "bar exam" specifically disadvantages teacher candidates of color, as noted by Christine D. Clayton, Department chair of the Pace University School of Education:
Recent data from other states (where the assessment is not a certification exam) indicate that some groups, including teaching candidates of color and those from linguistic minority groups, were failing edTPA at disproportionate rates. Other reports showed evidence of candidates who performed well on edTPA, but did not earn fair supervision reports when actually teaching students.26
Wayne Au, associate professor in the education program at the University of Washington, expresses a legitimate concern, "Given the severe lack of teachers of color and teachers from working-class backgrounds, I wonder if the edTPA will systematically reproduce race and class inequalities, like every other high-stakes standardized test."27
Lesson Seven: The edTPA Technology Requirements Privilege Certain Candidates and Institutions
The edTPA requirements assume that institutions have the technology that candidates need to complete their portfolio; it is also assumed that candidates possess the technology skills needed to create and share their edTPA portfolio. Purchasing or renting the required recording device for the taping of learning segments creates a financial burden on many candidates and institutions of higher education. Furthermore, the use of technology can prove challenging even to those with basic familiarity with the equipment. Teacher candidates must have the digital literacy skills to not only know how to use the device appropriately but they must also know how to "compress" and upload their videos according the required Pearson specifications. There are many issues related to the video component of the edTPA portfolio, from the quality of the recording to technical problems during the videotaping process.28 One City University of New York teacher candidate contacted her supervisor about her learning segment. She explained that even though the lesson she taught went well and she pleased with the work her students had produced, she was not able use a video clip from that particular lesson because her camera ran out of battery and her backup recording device ran out of hard drive space.
Other candidates reported technical issues in the uploading of their portfolios to the edTPA platform.29 Students have reported it taking them approximately two hours to review all the prompts, submit all the sections, and to upload their materials to meet the specific criteria, which include everything from the size and style of the font to the specifications for compressing and uploading videos.
Buyer Beware
The practical and ethical implications for implementing the edTPA are complex and significant. From our experiences in New York State, it is arguable whether or not the edTPA adequately assesses teacher performance. However, what we can say with certainty is that the edTPA privileges student teacher placements; shifts student teaching of candidates to test prep by candidates; has inherent inconsistencies in the scoring by Pearson; privileges certain candidates and higher education institutions; and makes assumptions about candidates' technology access and skills.
As teacher educators, we have learned significant lessons, and so have our teacher candidates. "The moral of this story is to predict what the raters might want, and give it to them, no matter how relentlessly repetitive and monotonous the rubrics may be."30 A follow-up lesson is that the teacher candidates do truly "perform" on this test, determined to create a show that their audience will like. With edTPA portfolios being outsourced nationally, teacher candidates can only hope that their performance earns them applause from the lone worker being paid $75 per portfolio. Although currently the edTPA is being used by more than 70 percent of teacher certification programs in the country, the flaws are evident. A word of advice from New York: Buyer beware.
Deborah Greenblatt is pursuing her Ph.D. in urban education at The Graduate Center at the City University of New York with a concentration in educational policy and leadership. Her dissertation is a mixed-methods study focused on how different variables affect elementary education teacher candidates' experiences taking the edTPA. She is also an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College of The City University of New York in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching, and a student teaching supervisor for Teachers College, Columbia University.
Kate E. O'Hara, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Education at New York Institute of Technology. Her research, which employs the use of narrative and autoethnographic studies couched within a sociocultural framework, focuses on the effective use of technology to empower users to become agents of social change and also on teacher education within contexts of power, oppression, and social justice.
1. Nast, "Darling-Hammond: NY Is Messing up Our Teacher Prep Model," Co-Opt-Ed.
2. American Association of College Teacher Education, "edTPA: Participation Map."
3. D'Agati, "Teacher Performance Assessment for Initial Certification"; King, "NY TPA Letter from John King."
4. United University Professions, "Dangler Brings edTPA Issue to SUNY Faculty Senate."
5. Hogness, "Ed Faculty Protest Makes Gains."
6. Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity, "Making Good Choices: A Support Guide for edTPA Candidates."
7. Au, "What's a Nice Test like You Doing in a Place like This?," pp. 22-27.
8. Stillman et al., "To Follow, Reject, or Flip the Script: Managing Instructional Tension in an Era of High-Stakes Accountability," pp. 22–37.
9. Au, op cit; Lanham, "Resisting the Privatization of American Education," pp. 111–19.
10. Members of the Elementary Education Masters Program at The University of Illinois at Chicago, "edTPA Boycott: UIC Grad Students Follow Parents and Teachers' Lead."
11. New York State United Teachers, "edTPA and the New Teacher Certification Process: Frequently Asked Questions."
12. Pecheone et al., "2013 edTPA Field Test: Summary Report," p. 2.
13. Ibid., p. 8.
14. Greenberg and Walsh, "edTPA: Slow This Train down."
15. DeKorp, email message to author. June 8, 2015.
16. New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education, "edTPA Myths v. Facts."
17. DeKorp, email message to author. June 8, 2015.
18. edTPA, "Frequently Asked Questions by Candidates."
19. Chiu, "edTPA: An Assessment That Reduces the Quality of Teacher Education," pp. 28–30; Lanham, op cit.; Madeloni and Gorlewski, "Wrong Answer to the Wrong Question: Why We Need Critical Teacher Education, Not Standardization," pp. 16–21; Madeloni and Hoogstraten, "The Other Side of Fear," pp. 7–19.
20. United University Professions, "Panel Discusses edTPA at SUNY Brockport."
21. Okhremtchouk et al., "Voices of Pre-Service Teachers: Perspectives on the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT)," pp. 39–62.
22. D'Agati, "Announcement: Information on Exam Fee Vouchers."
23. Singer, "Problems with Pearson's Student Teacher Evaluation System—It's like Déjà vu All Over Again."
24. New York University, "NYS Teacher Certification Exams Voucher Lottery | Student Matters."
25. Au, op cit.
26. Clayton, "Test Teachers, but First Train Them."
27. Au, op cit. p. 26.
28. Au, op cit.; Darryl McGrath, "NYSUT Wins Delay on edTPA," p. 13.
29. Lanham, "Resisting the Privatization of American Education."
30. McConville, "edTPA: You, Too, Shall Pass," p. 34.
Works cited
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. 2015. "edTPA: Participation Map," (January 13). Retrieved from: http://edtpa.aacte.org/state-policy.
Au, Wayne. 2013. "What's a Nice Test like You Doing in a Place like This?" Rethinking Schools, (Summer).
Chiu, Stephanie. 2013. "edTPA: An Assessment That Reduces the Quality of Teacher Education." Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics 14, no. 1 (March 6).
Clayton, Christine D. 2014. "Test Teachers, but First Train Them." Lohud.com, (April 28). Retrieved from: www.lohud.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/04/28/test-teachers-first-train/8428219/.
D'Agati, John L. 2014. "Announcement: Information on Exam Fee Vouchers." NYSED.gov Office of Higher Education, (June 6). Retrieved from: www.highered.nysed.gov/examfeevoucher.html.
edTPA. 2014. "Frequently Asked Questions by Candidates," edTPA. Retrieved from:
Greenberg, Julie and Kate Walsh. 2012. "edTPA: Slow This Train Down." PDQ: Pretty Darn Quick Blog, (August 27).
Hogness, Peter. 2014. "Ed Faculty Protest Makes Gains." Clarion, (May).
Lanham, Amy. 2012. "Resisting the Privatization of American Education." Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship & Pedagogy. (Spring/Summer), Vol. 23 Issue 1.
Madeloni, Barbara and Julie Gorlewski. 2013. "Wrong Answer to the Wrong Question: Why We Need Critical Teacher Education, Not Standardization." Rethinking Schools, (Summer).
Madeloni, Barbara and Rachel Hoogstraten. 2013. "The Other Side of Fear." Schools: Studies in Education 10, no. 1 (March).
McConville, Justine. 2014. "edTPA: You, Too, Shall Pass." Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics 14, no. 1 (March 6).
McGrath, Darryl. 2014. "NYSUT Wins Delay on edTPA." NYSUT United (May/June).
Members of the Elementary Education Masters Program at The University of Illinois at Chicago. 2014. "edTPA Boycott: UIC Grad Students Follow Parents and Teachers' Lead." RADICAL FAGGOT, (March 2). Retrieved from: http://radfag.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/edtpa-boycott-uic-grad-students-follow-parents-and-teachers-lead/.
New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education. 2014. "edTPA Myths v. Facts." NYSED (March). Retrieved from: www.highered.nysed.gov/Mythsvs.FactsFinalVersion.pdf.
New York State United Teachers. "edTPA and the New Teacher Certification Process: Frequently Asked Questions." Last modified April 20, 2014, www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/edtpa/what-is-edtpa.
New York University. 2015. "NYS Teacher Certification Exams Voucher Lottery | Student Matters." Retrieved from: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/site/studentmatters/2013/11/nys-teacher-certification-exams-voucher-lottery/.
Okhremtchouk, Irina, Sumer Seiki, Betsy Gilliland, Comfort Ateh, Matt Wallace, and Anna Kato. 2009. "Voices of Pre-Service Teachers: Perspectives on the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT)." Part of Special Issue on the Use of Teaching Performance Assessment in Teacher Credentialing Programs 18, no. 1 (Spring).
Pecheone, Raymond L., Benjamin Shear, Andrea Whittaker, and Linda Darling-Hammond. 2013. "2013 edTPA Field Test: Summary Report." Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity, (November).
Singer, Alan. 2013. "Problems with Pearson's Student Teacher Evaluation System—It's like Déjà vu All Over Again." Huffington Post, (October 14). Retrieved from: www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/problems-with-pearsons-te_b_4093772.html.
Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity. 2014. "Making Good Choices: A Support Guide for edTPA Candidates." Stanford University. Retrieved from: www.edtpa.com/Content/Docs/edTPAMGC.pdf.
Stillman, Jamy, and Lauren Anderson. 2011. "To Follow, Reject, or Flip the Script: Managing Instructional Tension in an Era of High-Stakes Accountability." Language Arts 89, no. 1 (September).
United University Professions. 2014. "Panel Discusses edTPA at SUNY Brockport," UUPinfo, (May 11). Retrieved from: http://uupinfo.org/committees/teached/articles/140311.php.
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Buyer Beware: Lessons Learned from edTPA Implementation in New York State (PDF)

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- Hours and overtime.
All California employers must abide by minimum wage laws and provide employees with stipulated meal breaks and rest breaks.
They must also pay overtime (time and a half) to non-exempt employees who work more than eight (8) hours in a day or forty (40) hours in a week. Learn more about suing for overtime pay.
California employers sometimes try to get out of their wage and hour obligations by misclassifying non-exempt employees as exempt (i.e., classifying hourly employees as salaried). California employers may also misclassify employees as independent contractors to get around wage and hour laws.
Requiring "work off the clock" is another common source of wage/hour violations.
If you have been subjected to wage/hour violations by your employer, our California wage and hour law attorneys can help you file a claim to get the compensation you are entitled to.
It is also important to remember that your employer may NOT retaliate against you for bringing a wage and hour complaint or other labor complaints.
California workplace harassment
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protects employees from harassment in the workplace. Our California harassment lawyers are experienced with the complex legal definition of workplace harassment.
Most people are familiar with the definition of sexual harassment--particularly quid pro quo sexual harassment.
But harassment in California employment law also encompasses "hostile work environment" harassment (including non-sexual harassment) on the basis of
- sex/gender,
- race or ethnicity,
- religion,
- national origin,
- sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,
- age, and
- disability.
Another common illegal practice is immigration retaliation - where an employer threatens to have non-citizen workers deported if they speak out about labor violations.
The California harassment attorneys at Shouse Law Group can advise you on the best course of action if you experience harassment at work.
For most employees experiencing harassment, the first step is to file a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Then you may file a lawsuit against your harasser and/or your employer once the DFEH issues you a "right to sue" notice.
California employment discrimination
California employment discrimination law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their
- race or ethnicity,
- disability,
- national origin,
- age,
- sex,
- gender,
- sexual orientation,
- pregnancy, or
- religion.
Like workplace harassment, employment discrimination is prohibited by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The difference between harassment and discrimination in California employment law is that harassment involves behavior by supervisors or coworkers that is outside of their job description--such as abusive remarks or sexual propositions.
Discrimination, on the other hand, involves normal job functions--such as hiring, firing, and setting work conditions--that are conducted in a discriminatory way.
The California employment discrimination lawyers at Shouse Law Group can help you navigate the process of filing a discrimination complaint with DFEH and--if it comes to that--filing a discrimination lawsuit against your employer.
California employers are not permitted to retaliate against an employee who takes action in response to harassment or discrimination at work.
California family and medical leave laws
California employees have the right to various forms of protected family and medical leave under laws that include
- the California Family Rights Act (CFRA),
- the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),
- the New Parent Leave Act, and
- Pregnancy Disability Leave under the (CPDA).
The CFRA and the FMLA give employees the right to take up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn biological child, a newly adopted child, a seriously ill family member or a serious illness of their own. These family and medical leave laws only apply if:
- You have worked for your employer for at least (1) year;
- You have worked for that employer for at least 1,250 hours in the past year; and
- Your employer has at least fifty (50) employees working within seventy-five (75) miles of your work site.
If you give birth to a baby yourself, you are also eligible for leave under the CPDA. This law provides an additional leave of up to four (4) months for periods when you are incapacitated due to pregnancy or childbirth.
California employment law also requires employers to provide other forms of employee leave, including
- paid sick leave (some of which may be used to care for an ill family member),
- alcohol and drug rehabilitation leave,
- voting leave,
- leave to serve on a jury or comply with a subpoena,
- leave to obtain or attempt to obtain relief from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking,
- leave for victims of crime,
- leave to participate in children's school activities,
- leave to receive literacy education, and
- bereavement leave (when offered by company policy).
California employers may NOT retaliate against employees who take the family, medical or other protected leave that is provided by law. And in most cases they are required to reinstate you in your previous position when you return from leave.
Employee privacy
Our California employment attorneys are up to date on the latest developments in the complex, emerging field of employee privacy rights.
Some of the major topics in California employee privacy law include:
- Whether employers may videotape employees (this is generally okay in public areas of the workplace but not in restrooms, locker rooms or similar private areas).
- Whether employers may monitor employees' internet usage.
- Whether employers can ask about job applicants' criminal records (so-called "ban the box" laws).
- Whether and how an employer can use an employee's medical records and history.
- Drug tests for employees (generally speaking, employers may require drug test for job applicants but not for employees, unless they are working in safety-sensitive positions or the employer has reason to suspect drug use).
- Whether an employer can check your credit rating.
- An employer's use and protection of your Social Security Number.
- An employee's right to make video recordings of occurrences in the workplace.
The labor and employment law attorneys at Shouse Law Group are committed to helping employees explore their rights to privacy vis-a-vis their employers--and enforce these rights through the legal process when necessary.
Employment contracts
If you are a California employee who has signed an employment contract with your employer, odds are that the employer drafted the contract--and, in your excitement about starting a new job, you may not have had the time or inclination to read it carefully.
But it is important to be able to spot situations in which your employer may have breached your employment contract--in matters of termination, employee discipline, working conditions, job expectations, etc. You have the right to take action in that situation.
Our California employment lawyers are experienced in reading and interpreting employment contracts and advising employees on how best to protect their rights under these contracts
California employees also need to be aware of clauses in their employment contracts that restrict their behavior. For example, your contract may contain:
- A non-compete clause, which prohibits you from leaving your employer to work at a competing company or start your own competing business; or
- An IP ownership clause stating that your employer owns the intellectual property (patent or copyright) to any innovations or inventions you create while working for the employer.
If you need to know whether or under what circumstances clauses like this in your employment contract may be enforced, our California employment contract attorneys can help.
California employment law and immigration
It is a sad fact that California employers sometimes take advantage of immigrant employees (both those who are here legally and those who are undocumented).
But California labor laws, including wage/hour laws and laws against harassment and discrimination, apply to ALL employees--even those who are undocumented immigrants. "Immigration retaliation" is illegal and subjects a company to significant penalties.
And if you are in the United States on a visa sponsored by your employer--such as an H-1B visa for work in California--you may also feel uncertain about asserting your rights. You may feel that you "owe" your employer for the favor of sponsoring you, or worry that your employer will not help you renew your visa if you are vocal about your rights.
But H-1B visa holders are protected by the same labor protections as any other California employee, as well as by numerous other rules and regulations surrounding the visa program. Your employer knows this--and knows that s/he needs to abide by the law if s/he wants to continue hiring H-1B workers.
The bottom line--which our California employment lawyers try to convey to our clients--is that immigrant employees enjoy the same rights as other employees in California.
Employment litigation in California
Embarking on a lawsuit--or even threatening a lawsuit--against an employer can be terrifying. Many California employees feel that their job is their home and their coworkers are their families. You also may worry that you will not be able to find a new job if you assert your rights against your current or a former employer.
The California employment law attorneys at Shouse Law Group are here to help. We are familiar with the processes and procedures for employment litigation in California, including statutes of limitations for different kinds of employment lawsuits.
We can also assist you in filing complaints with administrative agencies such as
- the California Labor Commissioner,
- the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing,
- the United States Department of Labor, and
- the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
We can also guide you through arbitration of your employment dispute--something that may be required by your employment contract or may be preferable for you for a number of reasons.
Can I sue my employer and still work there?
Yes. And employers generally may not fire workers in retaliation. But before suing, employees are advised to consult with a California labor attorney.
In most cases, employees should try to exhaust all other options before filing a lawsuit. These may include speaking with management and HR and filing a claim with the EEOC or DFEH.
Employees should also arm themselves with evidence of their mistreatment. These could comprise emails, text messages, and contact information of potential witnesses.
How long do I have to sue my employer in California?
It depends on the claim. And there may be exceptions depending on the case. In general, the statutes of limitations are as follows:
Employment claim
Statute of limitations to sue
Harassment, discrimination, or retaliation
1 year after the DFEH or EEOC gives the employee a "right to sue" notice
Breach of oral contract
2 years after the breach
Failure to pay wages
3 years after non-payment
Breach of written contract
4 years after the breach
Can I get fired based on my appearance?
It depends. FEHA prohibits employment discrimination based on appearance-based characteristics such as race (including hairstyles), color, disability, sex, or age. In addition, various California counties have ordinances prohibiting employment discrimination based on other factors, such as weight and height.
Companies can impose dress code and grooming standards as long as they are consistent. But if an employee's tattoo or piercing represents his/her religious beliefs, FEHA arguably should protect the employee from being fired over it.
How soon does my employer have to pay me if I get laid off or fired? Can I get severance?
California employers must pay laid-off or fired employees on their last day of work. (Learn more about final paycheck laws.)
If workers quit without giving notice, the employer has 72 hours to pay. If workers quit with three days notice, then employers should pay on their last day of work.
Employers are not obligated to pay severance. Unless they agreed to do so in a contract or union agreement.
Do employers have to notify me before laying me off?
Prior to March 4, 2020, the WARN Act required certain businesses to provide employees 60 days of notice before mass layoffs. But these rules are relaxed during the COVID-19 crisis. Now, businesses affected by coronavirus just need to give as much notice as practicable.
Do I need an employment lawyer?
Businesses have one objective. To make the most money while paying out as little as possible. So employees are at a constant disadvantage.
Experienced labor attorneys help even the playing field. They fight for employees' rights and best interests. Otherwise, wronged employees risk getting shortchanged financially.
Contact us for a free consultation
We start every case the same way: by listening. Our California labor and employment attorneys know that every employment case is different. We want to hear your full story so that we can determine the best legal strategy for you.
Call us today or use the form on this page to schedule a free consultation.
Work in Nevada? See our article on our Nevada employment law attorneys.


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Increasing numbers of businesses and public sector organisations are reducing their energy bills by investing in renewable energy.
Modern technology enables commercial organisations of all sizes to reduce their energy bills and bring in extra income by generating their own electricity and installing more efficient heating systems.
Renewable energy is also a tangible way of demonstrating your awareness of the environmental impact of your business - an increasingly important credential for many major supply chains.
By investing in renewable energy, you will future-proof your business against rises in the prices of gas and oil.
As a fully accredited installer, we can ensure that you qualify for a range of Government incentives to reward businesses which invest in renewable energy.
We'll take care of every aspect of your installation from the detailed energy calculations to installing the most appropriate system for your business – a genuine one-stop shop.


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|Concept Web Site
Businesses in the energy sector face an increasing challenge to formulate and implement value-adding strategies due to the fast pace of change in the sector. This change is driven by:
Concept's support can take many forms, including strategic reviews, development of new modelling tools or approaches, and participation in collaborative teams.
Examples of work:


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The .nrw TLD is only available for registrants from the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The registrant zip code will be used to validate this requirement.
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Some domain names may be permanently or temporarily reserved or restricted for registry operations, as premium domain names or to comply with ICANN requirements.
To comply with ICANN requirements, all two-character domains shall be initially reserved, however may be released in the future. In addition reserved names for a) International Olympic Committee, b) International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and c) Intergovernmental Organizations, for new gTLDs., are not available in accordance with ICANN. The list of these names can be found here.
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Menara Haw Par
Located in a prime area within the central business central district on Jalan Sultan Ismail and in close proximity to the intersection of Jalan Ampang. The Shangrila Hotel is adjacent to Menara Haw Par.
Excellent public transport connection fron Bukit Nenas Monorail station and Dang Wangi LRT stattion on Jalan Ampang. Both are connected to Kl Sentral. Easy access to Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan P Ramlee, Jalan Raja Chulan and the Ampang-KL Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
Menara Haw Par is 31 storey corporate office tower with refurbished open plan for flexible office business space.
- Home
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- Pavilion Tower Office
- Plaza Permata @ Jalan Tun Razak
- Signature Offices @ The Boulevard, Mid Valley City
- The AmpWalk @ Jalan Ampang
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- The Intermark - Integra Tower
- The Intermark - Vista Tower
- The Millennium Office Block
- UOA Corporate Office - The Vertical
- UOA Damansara II @ Damansara Heights
- Contact Us
Office Space for Rent in KL City
Copyrights Reserved 2014-2020


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I started writing this post on 1.31 am and now is already April. Welcome April! It is nice to see you. Please be nice to me. However, I used the title 'Marching on March' to pretty much conclude what was going on and what have been on my mind lately, since March.
- I wish I can be productive and more productive everyday, in all aspect of life, including in updating the blog. Yet, the fact is the contrary. See, look at this blog! The last post was updated one month ago. So basically in March I only produced one post. It really pictured how my productivity was. Too bad! I had indeed reasons to justify why it happened, but yeah, it was only scapegoating other businesses. Frankly, let say doing thesis and preparation for my big day. But, it is not really justified, because I did not show my best also on those two big things. There are many people who helped me a lot and deserved many credits. First, I would dedicate to my Mom and my family who endlessly support me, morally and spiritually. I remember once I felt very powerless but their words just lifted me up, cheer me up a bit and made me surrender more to Allah . Yes, I believe God has sent many angels in my life. They are one of them. I learned that some positive comments or words are just so powerful to change people's mindset towards life.
- Productivity could increase happiness. It lead to other productivity that would energize your day. It will fulfill you and make you feel gain something. The effect is you can be happy. There is feeling of completion and fulfillment that make you feel good. Productivity was not always in line with business. But mostly it works hand in hand. Besides, productivity will feed your hunger of activity. However, you still need some cashes to survive. To be realistic, the cash will equip your life, and somehow made you whether smile or grin. For me, not being able to make some cashes yet is such a 'misery', especially when you used to be very active and busy (different with productive, I just say 'busy'), especially when you are old, educated and experienced more than enough. I should have been being independent, financially (and more important: my-ways of thinking). In terms of financial support, I should have thanked to foreign currencies on my pocket that supported me enough these days. Hopefully soon I can get the enlightenment and firmness on my decision about my future.
- I wish that my blog is not merely sharing about my personal life as it is used to be. But if it is, I wish it will be inspiring, useful and beneficial for readers. I think, it is still away from that standards. But, I am sure although it contained random thought of my life, there must be some readers out there who found it useful (why I become so confident about this, haha). Writing is not an easy-peasy, especially when it comes to your personal. For me it needs courage, effort, and mood. But whatever the reasons behind the story, I always think that writing is such a healing. It is self-healing that can enlighten you and relieve your 'not-feel-right-thingy' that sublimed on your head or heart. Because not every person wanna listen to your stories, so writing does really help.
Thank you for your kind attention and patience to read this long random thoughts.
With love, Kf


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An Edtech Minute with Popplet
Michael Boll, Jamie Wilett and Chris Carter
In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.
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