The edTPA for math teachers is a teacher performance assessment you complete during student teaching: you plan, teach and analyze a short series of math lessons, then submit video, student work and written commentary for national scoring. Whether you need it depends on your state, your program and which version they use, the traditional edTPA or the newer edTPA Essentials.
If you’re in student teaching or about to start, the edTPA is the one requirement you can’t study for in advance. It’s scored on what you actually do with real students. This page covers where states stand as of October 2026, which math handbook you’ll use, what each task asks for, what it costs, and how the two-task edTPA Essentials differs. It’s one piece of licensure, so check the national math teacher certification requirements for the full picture.
Which States Require the edTPA for Math Teachers (As of October 2026)
There’s no national edTPA requirement. Your state decides whether it counts toward licensure, and your educator preparation program can require it even where the state doesn’t. The edTPA was developed at Stanford’s Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) and has been run by Pearson since its national launch in 2013, according to Pearson’s September 2026 announcement.
A passing edTPA score isn’t a teaching license. Where a state uses it, it satisfies one part of licensure or program completion. You still need your degree, your content exam, a background check and your state’s application.
These states’ official edTPA pages name it for math candidates. The passing scores apply to the traditional 15-rubric math handbooks.
| State | Current Rule | Math Handbook | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required for initial certification through an Alabama educator preparation program | Middle Childhood Mathematics (4-8), Secondary Mathematics (6-12) | 37 |
| California | One approved teaching performance assessment option, alongside the CalTPA | Secondary Mathematics (single subject Mathematics and Foundational-level Mathematics) | 41, or 38 under the secondary passing standard when your program verifies TPE evidence |
| Maryland | An approved pedagogical assessment option. Starting September 1, 2026, candidates must submit an edTPA passing score | Middle Childhood Mathematics or Secondary Mathematics | Not yet published. Pearson’s Maryland page says cut scores are being set in 2026 |
| North Carolina | Qualifying scores required for initial licensure since September 1, 2019 | Middle Childhood Mathematics (Middle Grades Mathematics), Secondary Mathematics (9-12) | 38 |
| Oregon | A program completion requirement since 2016, with a passing score required for the Preliminary Teaching License since September 1, 2018 | Secondary Mathematics (Advanced and Foundational Mathematics) | 35 |
Don’t apply these traditional cut scores to edTPA Essentials. Pearson lists California and Maryland among its Essentials adopters, so confirm with your program and licensing agency which version you’re taking and which passing standard applies to it.
Minnesota uses the edTPA to approve preparation programs, not as a score on your license application. Since July 2024, the state has required only Tasks 1 and 3 for official scoring, leaving Task 2 to each program, and many programs have variances to use the CPAST assessment instead. A PELSB memo dated August 14, 2026 says the board will decide its edTPA and CPAST policy before the end of 2026, so ask your program which assessment it uses.
States That Removed or Suspended edTPA Requirements
If you’re certifying in one of these states, you don’t need a passing edTPA score for your state license. Your program may still use it or its own assessment.
- Georgia: The Professional Standards Commission voted on June 11, 2020, to remove it as a certification requirement (Governor’s office).
- Washington: State law 2SHB 1028, approved in April 2021, eliminated it as a certification requirement (PESB).
- New York: No longer a certification requirement as of April 27, 2022. Registered programs run their own teacher performance assessment instead (NYSED).
- New Jersey: A law signed December 16, 2022, ended the state requirement. Programs choose the performance assessment, starting with spring 2024 completers (NJDOE guidance).
- Tennessee: Starting July 1, 2026, candidates who complete a State Board-approved preparation program with a Department-approved clinical practice don’t take a pedagogical assessment for licensure. Candidates on other pathways may still need a qualifying score under State Board Policy 5.105.
- Illinois (suspended): No teacher performance assessment is required through August 31, 2026. From September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, programs take part in a pilot of a state-developed assessment. A state-approved assessment becomes required again on September 1, 2029, except for candidates who complete student teaching before September 1, 2028 (Public Act 104-0128).
For any other state, start with the edTPA state requirements page, then confirm with your state’s licensing office. The two don’t always update on the same day.
Which Math Handbook You’ll Use
Your handbook matches the grade band of your license and your student teaching placement. There are three edTPA assessments in mathematics:
- Elementary Mathematics
- Middle Childhood Mathematics
- Secondary Mathematics
Elementary candidates may instead use one of the combined Elementary Education handbooks, which add a fourth task. Pearson republished every traditional handbook on July 28, 2026, with accessibility fixes only and no content changes (edTPA handbooks). Download the version your program assigns, and use the templates that come with it.
How the Mathematics edTPA Assesses Your Teaching
Mathematics teachers completing the traditional edTPA plan, teach and analyze one learning segment: a set of 3 to 5 consecutive math lessons for one class, as the Secondary Mathematics handbook describes it. You document what you planned, what actually happened in the room, and what your students learned.
Your segment needs to build conceptual understanding along with procedural fluency, and give students a chance to use mathematical reasoning or problem solving.
The edTPA for mathematics calls for the completion of three specific tasks:
- Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
- Task 2: Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning
- Task 3: Assessing Student Learning
Each task includes artifacts and a written commentary. Artifacts are the work you and your students produce: lesson plans, instructional and assessment materials, student work samples and video clips of your teaching.
A Breakdown of the Three Math edTPA Tasks
In the traditional edTPA, each task is scored on five rubrics, so the math handbooks have 15 rubrics in total. Your total edTPA score is the sum of your rubric scores, and your state or program sets the passing total.
Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
You submit your lesson plans, the materials and assessments you’ll use, and a planning commentary explaining your choices for these specific students.
Planning Rubrics:
- Planning for Mathematical Understandings
- Planning to Support Varied Student Learning Needs
- Using Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching and Learning
- Identifying and Supporting Language Demands
- Planning Assessments to Monitor and Support Student Learning
Task 2: Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning
You submit video clips of yourself teaching lessons from the segment, plus an instruction commentary. Follow the video editing guidelines in the handbook version you register for. An edit your handbook doesn’t allow can earn a condition code, which leaves that rubric unscored.
Instruction Rubrics:
- Learning Environment
- Engaging Students in Learning
- Deepening Student Learning
- Subject-Specific Pedagogy: Using Representations
- Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness
Task 3: Assessing Student Learning
You submit student work samples from one assessment, the feedback you gave, and an assessment commentary analyzing what the class learned and what you’ll teach next.
Assessment Rubrics:
- Analysis of Student Learning
- Providing Feedback to Guide Learning
- Student use of Feedback
- Analyzing Students’ Language Use and Mathematics Learning
- Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
Watch the condition codes. Two or more in the same task make your whole score “Incomplete,” and you’ll have to retake that task, according to Pearson’s guide to interpreting your edTPA score profile.
What the edTPA Costs and How Retakes Work
The edTPA assessment fee is $300, paid when you register on edTPA.com. Many programs hand out vouchers that cover all or part of it, so ask your advisor before you pay. A voucher can’t be applied to a registration you’ve already made (edTPA registration).
If you miss your state’s passing score, you don’t have to redo the whole portfolio. Pearson lists these retake fees as of October 2026:
- Full assessment: $300
- Two tasks: $200
- One task: $100
There’s no national limit on retakes, but your state or program can set one. You can hold only one retake registration at a time, and you have to wait for scores before registering again.
edTPA Essentials: The New Two-Task Version
Pearson made edTPA Essentials available on August 26, 2026. It replaces the three tasks with two (edTPA Essentials overview):
- Task One: Instructional Decision-Making and Implementation
- Task Two: Assessment and Analysis of Student Learning
You can complete the tasks in any order, with one video per task, and Pearson’s Essentials page permits minimal video editing. The Minnesota PELSB memo describes five handbooks, down from 32, scored on 12 rubrics instead of 15, so confirm with your program which Essentials handbook covers math. A national passing standard won’t be set until 2027. Until then, states and programs set their own floors.
Arkansas, California, Maryland and West Virginia have adopted Essentials, according to Pearson. Adoption doesn’t mean every program in those states has switched yet. The PELSB memo lists August 2027 as the last registration window for the current edTPA and December 2027 as the final submission date.
If you see the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) named as an alternative in older guidance, it’s no longer available. ETS set its retirement for December 31, 2025, and now lists it as fully retired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the edTPA the same as the Praxis Mathematics test?
No. The Praxis Mathematics test checks what you know about math, while the edTPA scores how you teach it to real students. States that use the edTPA usually require a content exam as well, so plan for both.
Does passing the edTPA give me a teaching license?
No. A passing score can satisfy one part of your state’s licensure or your program’s completion requirements. You still have to meet your state’s education, content exam, background check and application requirements.
Do I need the edTPA if my state dropped it?
Not for your state license, but your preparation program can still require it or its own performance assessment to graduate. Illinois has only suspended its requirement, so check whether your timeline falls after September 1, 2029.
Which edTPA handbook do I use for middle school math?
It depends on your state. Alabama uses Middle Childhood Mathematics for grades 4-8, North Carolina uses it for Middle Grades Mathematics, and Maryland lets 4-9 math candidates choose Middle Childhood or Secondary Mathematics. Check your state’s page on edTPA.com and confirm with your program before you register.
What happens if I don’t pass the edTPA?
You can retake one task for $100, two tasks for $200, or the full assessment for $300. Talk to your advisor first about which tasks to redo, and check whether your state or program limits retakes.
- State requirements vary: There’s no national edTPA licensure requirement, and Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina and Oregon have state edTPA policies while California accepts it as one approved option.
- Some states removed or suspended it: Georgia, Washington, New York and New Jersey removed their requirements, Tennessee exempts most program completers since July 1, 2026, and Illinois has suspended its requirement until September 1, 2029.
- Three tasks, 15 rubrics: The traditional math handbooks score planning, instruction and assessment across one 3-5 lesson learning segment.
- Cost: The assessment fee is $300, with retakes at $100 per task, and programs often cover part of it with vouchers.
- Essentials is available: The two-task edTPA Essentials launched August 26, 2026, so confirm your version, handbook and passing score with your program and licensing agency before you start.
Programs handle the edTPA very differently: some build it into a full-year residency and cover the fee, others leave you to schedule it around a single semester of student teaching. Ask any program you compare how it supports candidates through the performance assessment, and which version it uses.