What best describes a scaffold in edTPA?

• A. A scaffold is a support that gradually releases responsibility to students; example: modeling, guided practice with prompts, or graphic organizers.
• B. A single lecture with no support.
• C. A timed quiz.
• D. A class discussion with no prompts.

Answer: (A)

Scaffolding in edTPA refers to instructional supports that help students move toward independent mastery by providing temporary structures like modeling the task, guided practice with prompts, and graphic organizers. The idea is to gradually fade these supports as students gain competence, transferring more responsibility to them. This makes it possible for learners to access new content and develop strategies with feedback while still feeling supported. In contrast, a single lecture offers no ongoing support, a timed quiz is an assessment rather than a scaffolding move, and a class discussion with no prompts lacks guided structure to help students articulate their thinking and stay on task.