Educator performance standards for classroom teachers, special educators, reading specialists, mathematics specialists, esl teachers and special subject teachers

Educator Performance Standards for Classroom Teachers, Special
Educators, Reading Specialists, Mathematics Specialists, ESL Teachers
and Special Subject Teachers
Standard 1: Educators create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of their discipline. Expectations. 1.1 know their discipline and understand how knowledge in their discipline is created, organized, and linked to other disciplines. 1.2 design instruction that addresses the core skills, concepts, and ideas of the disciplines to help students meet the goals of the curricula of the Chariho Regional School District. 1.3 select instructional materials and resources based on their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts. 1.4 incorporate appropriate technological resources to support student exploration of the disciplines. 1.5 use a variety of explanations and multiple representations of concepts (e.g., analogies, metaphors, experiments, models, demonstrations, and illustrations) that help students develop conceptual understanding. 1.6 represent and use differing viewpoints, theories, and methods of inquiry when teaching concepts. 1.7 generate multiple paths to knowledge and encourage students to see, question, and interpret concepts from a variety of perspectives. Standard 2: Educators create instructional opportunities that reflect a respect for the diversity of learners and an understanding of how students differ in their approaches to learning. Expectations. 2.1 design instruction that accommodates individual differences (e.g., stage of development, learning style, English language acquisition, learning disability) in approaches to learning. 2.2 gather information about students (e.g., individual interests, prior learning, cultural experiences) to create connections between the subject matter and student experiences. 2.3 seek information about the impact of students' specific challenges to learning or disabilities on classroom performance, and work with colleagues to develop alternative instructional strategies to meet the needs of these students. 2.4 make appropriate accommodations (e.g., in terms of time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned) for individual students who have identified learning differences or needs in an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. 2.5 plan and facilitate lessons that show an understanding of how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, develop habits of mind, and acquire positive dispositions toward learning. 2.6 design instruction that meets the current cognitive, social, and personal needs of their students. 2.7 develop, with colleagues, appropriate academic, behavioral, and social goals for students. Standard 3: Educators create instructional opportunities to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. Expectations. 3.1 design lessons that extend beyond factual recall and challenge students to develop higher level cognitive skills. 3.2 pose questions that encourage students to view, analyze, and interpret ideas from multiple perspectives. 3.3 make instructional decisions about when to provide information, when to clarify, when to pose a question, and when to let a student struggle to try to solve a problem. 3.4 engage students in generating knowledge, testing hypotheses, and exploring methods of inquiry and standards of evidence. 3.5 use tasks that engage students in exploration, discovery, and hands-on activities. Standard 4: Educators create a learning environment that encourages appropriate standards of behavior, positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Expectations. 4.1 use principles of effective classroom management to establish classrooms in which clear rules and standards of behavior are maintained. 4.2 establish a safe and secure learning environment. 4.3 organize and allocate the resources of materials and physical space to support active engagement of students. 4.4 provide and structure the time necessary to explore important concepts and ideas. 4.5 help students establish a classroom environment characterized by mutual respect and intellectual risk-taking. 4.6 create learning groups in which students learn to work collaboratively and independently. 4.7 communicate clear expectations for achievement that allow students to take responsibility for their own learning. Standard 5: Educators use effective communication as the vehicle through which students explore, conjecture, discuss, and investigate new ideas. Expectations. 5.1 use a variety of communication strategies (e.g., restating ideas, questioning, offering counter examples) to engage students in learning. 5.2 use a variety of modes of communication (e.g., verbal, visual, kinesthetic) to promote learning. 5.3 use technological advances in communication, including electronic means of collecting and sharing information, to enrich discourse in the classroom. 5.4 emphasize oral and written communication by having students accountably discuss, listen and respond to the ideas of others. Standard 6: Educators use a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to support the continuous development of the learner. Expectations. 6.1 use a variety of assessment strategies and instruments (e.g., observation, portfolio, teacher made tests, self assessments) that are fair, credible and aligned with instructional content and methodology. 6.2 encourage students to evaluate their own work and use the results of this self-assessment to improve their work. 6.3 maintain records of student learning and communicate student progress to students, parents/guardians, and other colleagues in a timely manner. 6.4 use information from their assessment of students to reflect on their own teaching and to modify their instruction. Standard 7: Educators reflect on their practice and maintain professional standards guided by legal and ethical principles. Expectations. 7.1 act in the best interests and needs of students. 7.2 follow school policy and procedures, respecting the boundaries of their professional responsibilities, when working with students, colleagues, and families. 7.3 follow local, state, and federal law pertaining to educational and instructional issues. 7.4 interact and collaborate with students, colleagues, parents, and others in a professional, fair, and equitable manner with the goal of supporting student learning. 7.5 reflect on their practice and assume responsibility for their own professional development. 7.6 are guided by codes of professional conduct adopted by their professional organizations. 7.7 demonstrate knowledge of and incorporate state, district, and school initiatives to impact student learning. 7.8 display an understanding of general education, special education and other educational scenarios and how they relate to each other.

Source: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/sites/default/files/forms/Classroom_Teachers.pdf