Diffusion in a vacuum: edTPA, legitimacy, and the rhetoric of teacher professionalization

- edTPA diffusion is attributable to distributed governance structures and flexible rhetoric.
- Researchers and professional associations were instrumental in facilitating adoption of edTPA.
- Advocates rhetoric drew on the indeterminate meaning of calls for “greater accountability”.
- Findings are organizational theory predictions on role of professional organizations.
- Findings suggest evolving meaning of “accountability” and “professionalization”.