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2. Defining Teacher Quality
Pages 19-33

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From page 19...
... This chapter begins with a review of some of the country's most prominent historical definitions of teacher quality. It then discusses current definitions of teacher competence by describing themes that are common to the teaching standards that have been developed by states, national organizations, and organizations that accredit teacher preparation programs.
From page 20...
... These various standards represent contemporary views of teacher quality and are relied on, in part, for the discussion below of what teachers need to know and do to promote student learning. PAST DEFINITIONS OF TEACHER QUALITY Teaching is, first and foremost, a cultural activity, and notions of teacher quality have changed over time as American society has shifted its values and concerns.
From page 21...
... It was assumed that, in addition to fostering student learning, teachers served as moral role models and that they instilled a variety of social values in their students. Consequently, when researchers tried to evaluate their measures of teachers' personal qualities, they usually looked for evidence of a relationship to observed practices or to principals' ratings of teachers, rather than evidence of a relationship to student achievement (Getzels and Jackson, 1963~.
From page 22...
... These definitions of teacher quality are less concerned with teachers' character traits or technical proficiency and more concerned with teachers' ability to engage students in rigorous, meaningful activities that foster academic learning for all students. Finally, current statements on teacher quality are standards based and define the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that teachers should demonstrate.
From page 23...
... In developing their core standards, both have worked with teachers and other experts in child development, teacher education, and the academic disciplines. They formed standards development committees to examine the literature on teaching, learning, and best practices and to describe what beginning and accomplished teachers need to know and be able to do.
From page 24...
... The INTASC standards describe the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions of beginning teachers. The NCATE standards are targets for the approval of teacher education programs and describe the knowledge and skills of teacher candidates.
From page 25...
... In 1998 the percentage of students from minority backgrounds enrolled in public schools had increased to 37 percent. The excerpts in Box 2-1 from the INTASC, NCATE, and NBPTS standards explain these ideas more fully.
From page 26...
... They should be able to translate difficult substantive ideas into terms that students can understand, to diagnose students' understandings and misunderstandings, and to develop explanations, examples, and representations, including learning activities themselves, that are appropriate for students' levels of understanding. INTASC, NCATE, and NBPTS standards on the need for subject matter knowledge appear in Box 2-2.
From page 28...
... The standards in Box 2-3 describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions teachers need to manage and monitor student learning.
From page 29...
... To be reflective requires teacher candidates and accomplished teachers to be self-directed, to engage in critical thinking about
From page 30...
... The teacher needs to understand the role of the school and the staff in the broader community. Specifically, the teacher understands how factors in students' environments outside school, such as family circumstances, community environments, health, and economic conditions, may
From page 31...
... These standards illustrate the wide range of knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions that contemporary educators believe competent teachers must possess and demonstrate in the classroom. Competent teachers are committed to their students and students' learning, possess deep subject matter knowledge, effectively manage and monitor student learning, are reflective about their teaching, and are members of the broader school community.
From page 32...
... In addition to being responsible for student learning, teachers are expected to provide safe and nurturing classrooms, serve as good role models, and to engage parents and the community in the business of their school. Teachers need a wide range of knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to perform these many complex tasks.
From page 33...
... Given that states have different educational standards for students, have teacher candidate pools with different characteristics, and that licensing of teachers is a state responsibility, it is not surprising that there is some variation in the knowledge and skills that states seek for beginning teachers.


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