Lesson 2.1: Professional Standards: Tracing the Trail of Expectations

Content Overview: The Regents Reform Agenda is reshaping the ways in teaching and learning are conducted in New York State. Would you agree with me that teaching is becoming a more clinical profession, one that is increasingly driven by standards of practice and standards of performance on all levels of the P - 20 education pipeline [1]?

Central to many changes in our profession are the New York State Teaching Standards, adopted by the NYS Regents in January, 2011. What do you know about the Teaching Standards? Through completing the activities in Lesson 2.1, you will increase your knowledge about how they are designed to influence all phases of a teacher's career. You will identify how the Standards connect to the APPR process. You will select one Standard through which to begin exploring your practice and building your portfolio.

Activity 2.1.A: This activity is organized around four guiding questions. Learning the answers will help you design and develop your portfolio from a best-practice foundation of professional knowledge. Read each question, then click on the link(s) to learn the answer. You may wish to take notes in your Portfolio file, as is recommended, or you may simply read/view resources for information.

GQ1: Why have the NYS Teaching Standards been developed? Can you identify the three main reasons? [2]

GQ2: How are the NYS Teaching Standards organized? There is a specific organization to the Standards. Knowing the "parts" that comprise each standard makes it easier to use them and "see" them in your practice. Identify the three "parts" of each Standard and note the aspects of teaching each Standard addresses.

When this resource opens, click on "Teaching Standards Q and A". To save time, read the answers to questions 4, 5, 9, 11, and 12: [3]

To access the Teaching Standards: [4]

GQ3: What aspects of teaching are evaluated in each of the four domains of the APPR?

Use your district's APPR document or, if you do not have access to one, see pages 5 and 6 of this document:[5]

This is a video that touches on the four domains:[6]

GQ4: In what ways do the Standards connect to a district's APPR document for teachers? Use this link and your APPR document to determine 3 - 5 connections: [7]. If you do not have access to an APPR document, use the two resources below. You will need to infer through looking through the documents, as no specific comparisons or connections are explained. What is the value of developing your understanding by thinking critically? How will these meaningful connections that YOU make support the creation of your portfolio?

NYSUT'S TED Handbook, pp. 15 - 18 [8]

NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubrics [9]

All right! You have reviewed a number of cutting edge reform documents pertaining to your profession. You have added layers of meaning to your understanding of your district's APPR document and have identified the sources of their development. NOW do you know why everyone talks about the Danielson rubric? :) Are you ready to apply this new knowledge to designing your portfolio? You are about to make your first design decision!

Activity 2.1.B: Standards-based Practice: Identifying Connections

GQ5: Through which of the Standards will you explore your practice?

You know that the APPR is organized into four assessment domains. Evidence for Domains 2 and 3 is gathered by your administrator during your observation process. Evidence for Domains 1 and 4 must be gathered by you. You may eventually find yourself gathering evidence for all four domains, but with which would you like to start working? To complete Activity 2.1.B, follow these steps:

1. Select the APPR domain for which you will gather evidence;

2. Identify the NYS Teaching Standard(s) that correlate(s) with this APPR Domain [10];

3. Select one Element of this Standard for which you will gather supporting evidence to demonstrate your effectiveness in teaching. Note the performance indicators.

Next steps: Go to Lesson 2.2: Necessary Things: Artifacts

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