PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS

Professional Teaching Standards

These are the standards by which Arizona teachers will be evaluated in their teaching. Those standards that can by addressed by the use of technology in instruction, management, and communication are shown in black. Those in gray are not easily addressed by technology use.

Standard 1 Instructional Design

1	Focuses instruction on Arizona’s student standards
2	Addresses physical, mental, social, cultural, or community differences among learners
3	Addresses prior knowledge of individual and group performance
4	Indicates short and log term curriculum goals
5	Includes appropriate use of a variety of methods, materials, and resources
6	Includes learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate for learners
7	Includes learning experiences that address a variety of cognitive levels
8	Includes learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals
9	Includes learning experiences that are based upon principles of effective instruction
10	Includes learning experiences that accurately represent content
11	Incorporates appropriate assessment of student progress

Standard 2: Learning Climate

1	Establishes and maintains standards of mutual respect
2	Displays effective classroom management
3	Encourages the student to demonstrate self-discipline and responsibility to self and others
4	Respects the individual differences among learners
5	Facilitate people working productively and cooperatively with each other
6	Provides a motivating learning environment
7	Promotes appropriate classroom participation
8	Listens thoughtfully and responsively
9	Organizes materials, equipment, and other resources appropriately

Standard 3: Instructional implementation and management

1	Appropriately implements a teacher-designed lesson plan
2	Communicates specific standards and high expectations for learning
3	Links learning with students’ prior knowledge, experiences, and backgrounds
4	Models the skills, concepts, attributes, or thinking processes to be learned
5	Demonstrates effective written and oral communication
6	Uses appropriate language to communicate with learner clearly and accurately
7	Uses strategies that are appropriate to students’ developmental levels
8	Incorporates strategies which address the diverse needs of learners
9	Encourages critical thinking
10	Connects lesson content to real life situations when appropriate
11	Uses technology and a variety of instructional resources appropriately to promote student learning
12	Uses a variety of effective teaching strategies to engage students actively in learning
13	Maximizes the amount of class time students are engaged in learning
14	Provides opportunities for students to use and practice what is learned
15	Adjusts instruction based on feedback from students

Standard 4: Assessment and Communication

1	Promotes student self-assessment
2	Uses a variety of appropriate formal and informal assessments aligned with instruction
3	Maintains records of student work and performance and uses them to guide instructional decisions.
4	Offers students and parents appropriate feedback on progress toward learning expectations.
5	Maintains privacy of student records and performance.

Standard 5: Collaboration with colleagues, parents, the community and other agencies

1	Works with parents to enhance student learning at home and school
2	Collaborate with other professionals and agencies to improve the overall learning environment for students
3	Accesses community resources and services to foster student learning
4	Demonstrates productive leadership or team membership skills that facilitate the development of mutually beneficial goals

Standard 6: Self - review and evaluation

1	Reviews his or her practice and evaluates its influences on student growth and learning
2	Designs a professional development plan for the purpose of improving instruction and student learning
3	Engages in relevant activities consistent with the professional development plan
4	Uses documentation of his or her performance to develop a professional development plan
5	Pursues professional activities to support development as a learner and a teacher

Standard 7: General Academic Knowledge

1	Skills and concepts related to the subject areas
	a. At the elementary level, the teacher demonstrates knowledge of language arts and reading, math, science, social studies, and fine arts.
	b. At the secondary level, the teacher demonstrates knowledge of the subject area being taught.
2	Major facts and assumptions that are central to the discipline
3	Debates and processes of inquiry that are central to the discipline
4	Integration of disciplinary knowledge with other subject areas.
5	Connections between knowledge of the subject areas and real life situations at the level of the students being taught.

Standard 8: Planning instruction, learning environment and student assessment

1	A variety of methods for teaching language arts and reading, math, science, social studies, and fine arts at the elementary level or a variety of methods for teaching reading and the subject area at the secondary level
2	Interdisciplinary learning experiences that integrate knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry from several areas
3	Principles and techniques associated with various instructional strategies
4	Learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet curriculum goals.
5	Areas of exceptionality in learning
6	Influences of individual development, experiences, talents, prior learning, language, culture, gender, family and community on student learning
7	Principles of human motivation and behavior and their implications for managing the classroom and organizing individual and group work
8	Effective evaluation of curriculum materials and resources for their accuracy, comprehensiveness, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts
9	The characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of assessments for evaluating how students learn, determining what they know and are able to do, and identifying what experiences will support their further growth and development
10	Measurement theory, interpretation of test results and assessment-related issues, such as validity, reliability, bias and scoring
11	Appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional learning needs and how to access them
12	Schools as organizations with the larger community contest and the operations to the relevant aspects of the educational system.
13	Laws and ethics related to students, parent, and teacher rights and responsibilities

Standard 9: Individual Education Programs

1	Demonstrates knowledge of disabilities and their educational implications
2	Demonstrates knowledge of state and federal special education laws and regulations
3	Demonstrates knowledge of a variety of assertive devices that support student learning
4	Applies specialized diagnostic and assessment procedures to assist in determining special education eligibility for all areas of suspected disability
5	Assists in the design and implementation of individual education programs through diagnostic teaching, instructional adaptations and individual behavior management techniques
6	Utilizes paraeducators and paratherapists effectively through training and supervision