Just What is RESA?

An overview of Ohio’s new licensure procedures

Lesley Chapman, Sycamore High School, OFLA Beginning Teachers Committee Chair In the past few years, many veteran teachers have been hearing more and more about RESA, or the Resident Educator Summative Assessment.  And yet, RESA remains a mystery to so many teachers who are not involved in the process.  It is important, however, that we understand what newly-minted teachers are required to do in order to obtain a 5-year professional license.  Let’s just say, things have changed! Gone are the days of the National Teachers Exam and PRAXIS.  In their place, we have a performance-based assessment that all Ohio beginning teachers must complete.  Upon graduation with a degree in education, new teachers are given a non-renewable 4 year resident educator license.  In those first four years of their career, they must complete a Resident Educator Program and pass the Summative Assessment, which is usually given in year 3. What does the program involve?  The first two years serve as preparation for the completion of the tasks required for the summative assessment which must be completed in Year 3.  One of the most important tasks they complete is a video of their teaching.  Their completed portfolios are sent to the state at the end of their third year of teaching to be scored in the summer.  During Year 4, the teacher would have the opportunity to retake the parts of the assessment that he had not successfully completed. Who scores the RESA assessments?  We do!  Trained RESA assessors are paid to score a number of portfolios in their subject area.  If you are interested in becoming a RESA assessor, you can find out more information at http://www.educopia.com/resa/educopia-resa-assessors/.  They are constantly looking for qualified World Language Assessors. In the coming months I will begin scoring for RESA.  One of my goals as the Beginning Teachers Committee Chair is to become more familiar with the RESA process in order to help Ohio’s World Language Teachers enter the profession with confidence!  I will be writing more about the process in the upcoming school year.