Moving Forward: Choosing the Best Solution for Fieldwork Evaluations

With the recent shift to a royalty-based model for the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE), many Occupational Therapy programs are now rethinking how they administer the fieldwork performance evaluations moving forward. While this change provides more flexibility, it also means programs must choose the best system to deploy their evaluations effectively. 

Instead of adding more steps, more logins, and more headaches, what if you could simplify the entire evaluation process in one place?

What’s Changing with AOTA’s FWPE?

In case you missed AOTA’s recent announcement, here’s what you need to know:

✅Timeline for Transition – Programs may begin transitioning between May and August 2025 (The contract with Formstack will end in August 2025).

✅ Royalty-Based Licensing – Programs will pay an annual royalty fee for continued access to the AOTA-copyrighted FWPE:

• OT Programs: $400 per year
• OTA Programs: $275 per year

✅ A fillable PDF option is available, but does not include automation and reporting capabilities.

Benefits of the New Model

• Greater Flexibility – Programs can choose the best deployment strategy based on their specific needs.
• Improved Efficiency – AOTA staff can focus more on supporting programs rather than managing customer service issues.
• More Cost-Effective Options – The fillable PDF alternative provides a lower-cost option for smaller programs that don’t require an integrated system.

For programs already juggling multiple systems and administrative tasks, this shift raises key questions:

🧐 How can we make this transition seamless?
🧐 How do we ensure fieldwork educators and students aren’t burdened with extra steps?
🧐 Can we turn this into an opportunity to improve efficiency?

The answer lies in choosing the right system. We discussed this subject in a live webinar, Tools for Fieldwork Education: The Evaluation Edition which you can watch on demand here.

Why CORE ELMS is the Best Solution for Managing FWPE

Instead of simply replacing one disconnected tool with another, consider a comprehensive solution that does more than just evaluations.

What Makes CORE ELMS Different?

• One Platform, Full Visibility – Manage evaluations, scheduling, compliance tracking, site contacts, and reporting all in one place.
• No Logins Required for Fieldwork Educators – Evaluators receive a direct link via email—no need to remember passwords or navigate separate portals.
• Automated Reminders – Never chase down evaluations again. Notifications ensure deadlines are met.
• Student & Site Evaluations Included – Collect feedback on fieldwork experiences and educator performance in the same system.
• Instant Reporting & Data Exports – Generate comprehensive reports on student performance and trends.

This AOTA transition is the perfect time to rethink how your program manages evaluations.

📅 Want to see how it works? Schedule a demo and we’ll walk you through how CORE ELMS can make this transition simple and stress-free.

Ready to take the next step? Request a demo today!