Designed for Alabamas Classroom Teachers

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• Designed for Alabamas Classroom Teachers
• Module 1 Overview of the AL Continuum for
  Teacher Development

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Purpose

• To create a common understanding of the
  structure, content, and intended uses of the
  Alabama Quality Teaching Standards and the
  Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development

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Know-Want to Know-Learned

• Directions
• Select a facilitator for your team to lead the
  brainstorming activity.
• With your team, first brainstorm what you know
  (collectively) about the Alabama Quality Teaching
  Standards and the Continuum for Teacher
  Development.
• Then, think together about questions you have the
  AQTS and the Continuum that is, what you would
  like to know or better understand.
• Designate a recorder/reporter who will be
  prepared to share your groups thinking..

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Objectives

• To begin to develop a shared understanding across
  our faculty of the format and contents of the
  Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development
• To know the purpose and intended uses of the
  Alabama Quality Teaching Standards and the
  Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development, and
  identify ways in which individuals and groups of
  teachers can use these as tools for ongoing
  professional growth and improvement
• To reflection individually about the underlying
  beliefs embedded in the Continuum for Teacher
  Development
• To build ownership across our faculty in
  individual and collective reflection, dialogue,
  and growth

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Developed by the Governors Commission on Quality
  Teaching, 2007
• Based on current research and best practice about
  effective teaching
• Adopted by the Alabama State Board of Education

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Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development

• Resource created by the Governors Commission on
  Quality Teaching (GCQT) in partnership with The
  New Teacher Center, University of California,
  Santa Cruz
• Tool for understanding and using the Alabama
  Quality Teaching Standardsto translate standards
  into action

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge
• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
• Standard 3 Literacy
• Standard 4 Diversity
• Standard 5 Professionalism

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Activity 2 Your Current Level of Comfort with
the Standards Indicators and Related Evidence

• Directions As we review the indicators
  associated with each of the first two Alabama
  Quality Teaching Standards, reflect on the extent
  to which you understand the meaning of the
  indicator and how it would look in practice (the
  evidence). Place an X on each continuum
  between CU and DNU where
• CU I completely understand this indicator, and
  I know the type of evidence I would look for to
  determine my own or a colleagues level of
  performance in this area.
• DNU I do not understand this indicator, and I
  am uncertain as to the type of evidence I would
  look for to determine my own or a colleagues
  level of progress in this area.
• This is a self-assessmentfor your eyes and use
  only!

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Standard 1 Content Knowledge
Teachers have deep knowledge of the academic
discipline they are teaching, facilitate
students understanding of the subject, and know
the state standards and district curriculum for
subjects taught.
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Standard 1 Content Knowledge

• Indicators
• 1.1 Demonstrates deep knowledge of subject-matter
  content
• 1.2 Activates learners prior knowledge,
  experience, and
• interest and uses this information to plan
  content
• 1.3 Connects curriculum to other content areas
  and real-life
• settings to promote retention and relevance
• 1.4 Design instructional activities based on
  state content
• standards
• 1.5 Provides instructional accommodations,
  modifications,
• and adaptations to meet needs of individual
  learner.

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Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
In a classroom environment conducive to learning,
teachers use best practice instructional and
assessment strategies appropriate to the students.
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Standard 2 Teaching and Learning

• Indicators
• Organization and Management of Learning
  Environment
• 2.1 Designs a classroom organization and
  management
• system
• 2.2 Creates a positive climate that promotes
  respect and
• responsibility
• 2.3 Creates a safe, orderly, and stimulating
  learning
• environment
• Using Instructional Strategies to Engage Learners
• Assessment of Learning

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Standard 2 Teaching and Learning

• Organization and Management of Learning
  Environment
• Using Instructional Strategies to Engage Learner
• 2.4 Develops challenging, standards-based
  academic goals for
• each learner.
• 2.5 Engages learners in developing and monitoring
  goals for
• their own learning and behavior
• 2.6 Designs coherent lessons that integrate a
  variety of
• appropriate and effective instructional
  strategies
• 2.7 Creates learning activities that optimize
  each individuals
• growth and achievement. . . .
• Assessment of Learning

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Standard 2 Teaching and Learning

• Organization and Management of Learning
  Environment
• Using Instructional Strategies to Engage
  Learner
• Assessment of Learning
• 2.8 Uses formative assessments to provide
  specific and timely
• feedback. . . .
• 2.9 Uses summative assessments to measure
  learner attainment
• of specific learning targets
• 2.10 Maintains evidence and records of learning
  performance to
• communicate progress
• 2.11 Analyzes and uses disaggregated
  standardized assessment
• results. . . .

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Standard 3 Literacy
Teachers model and teach effective oral and
written communication, integrating basic reading,
math and technology as appropriate.
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Standard 3 Literacy Indicators Four Categories

• Development of Oral and Written Communication
• Development of Reading Skills and Accessing K-12
  Literacy Resources
• Development of Mathematical Knowledge and Skills
  across Content Areas
• Utilizing Technology

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Standard 4 Diversity
Teachers differentiate instruction in ways that
exhibit a deep understanding of cultural, ethnic,
and social backgrounds second language learning
special needs and learning styles.
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Standard 4 Diversity Indicators

• Cultural, Ethnic and Social Diversity
• Language Diversity
• Special Needs
• Learning Styles

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Standard 5 Professionalism
Teachers engage in continuous learning and
self-improvement through collaboration with
colleagues.
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Arenas for Use of the Standards

• Teacher preparation
• Supervision of student teachers
• Teacher recruitment and hiring
• Mentoring of beginning teachers
• Self-Assessment
• Planning for professional study
• Formative assessment of teacher performance

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Functions and Limits of the Standards

• The Standards establish dimensions of teaching
  practice. They provide a skeleton or framework on
  which to build a sound, robust, and continually
  improving practice.
• The indicators give form and shape to the
  Standards. They are descriptors, but do not
  depict the fluid, dynamic nature of teacher
  growth.

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The Continuum Builds on and Elaborates the
Standards

• The Continuum adds muscle and fiber to the
  Standards and indicatorsmaking them concrete,
  specific, and contextualized to the classroom and
  school communities.
• The Continuum provides levels of development for
  each indicator associated with each Standard to
  enable teachers with a tool for reflection,
  learning, and growth situated in a professional
  community.

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Understanding The Continuum

• The Continuum describes five levels of
  development.
• Preservice/BeginningThe teacher is internalizing
  foundational knowledge and skills associated with
  a particular indicator and applying these in the
  classroom setting.
• EmergingThe teacher is expanding personal
  repertoire of skills associated with a given
  indicator and using core skills at a level of
  automaticity.
• ApplyingThe teacher is accomplished in his/her
  practice related to a specified indicator and is
  a contributing member of the professional
  community.
• IntegratingThe teacher knows the relationship
  between a given strategy and student learning
  outcomes and demonstrates flexibility in
  selecting and matching strategies to different
  contexts. The teacher assists colleagues in
  developing their practice in the area stipulated
  by the indicator.
• InnovatingThe teacher is continually seeking to
  create more effective approaches and assumes a
  real leadership role in developing colleagues
  practice in indicated areas.

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Understanding The Continuum

• Given that each of us has strengths and areas for
  focused improvement, it is expected that a
  teachers level of development will vary across
  the 39 indicators associated with The Continuum.

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Understanding The Continuum

• Movement across different levels of development
  occurs as a result of intentional reflection,
  learning, and growth. The progression is not
  related to length of service, nor does it occur
  automatically.

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Understanding The Continuum

• The Continuum was designed to support formative
  assessments, including self-assessments, and to
  identify strengths as well as areas for growth

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NOT RATINGS
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Understanding The Continuum

• An individuals movement on the Continuum does
  not necessarily occur in a left-to-right
  direction. For example, a teacher might move
  from Applying to Emerging (from right to left) on
  the Continuum when they
• Begin teaching at a different grade level
• Move to a new school or system
• Begin teaching a new content, curriculum, or
  text
• Begin using a new resource, e.g. a new type of
• technology

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What are the purposes of The Continuum?

• Articulates a vision of teacher development over
  a lifetime career, with an emphasis on best
  practice and learning within a community of
  practice defines opportunities for teacher
  leadership charts a professional pathway for
  teacher development

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What are the purposes of The Continuum?

• Encourages and informs individual and collegial
  reflective practice

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What are the purposes of The Continuum?

• Provides a focus for conversations about
  effective teaching and learning within
  communities of practice

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What are the purposes of The Continuum?

• Serves as a focus for observations by peers and
  instructional coaches and follow-up conversations
  and formative feedback conferences facilitates
  the identification of professional growth
  opportunities

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The AQTS, The Continuum and EducateAlabama

• EducateAlabama uses the Standards indicators as
  the foci for formative assessment.

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Activity 3 Opinionnaire

• Directions
• Turn to Activity Sheet 3. This opinionnaire
  contains ten statements that relate to the
  philosophy underpinning the Standards and
  Continuum.
• Indicate the extent to which you agree with each
  statement, using a scale of 4-1, where 4
  Strongly Agree and 1 Strongly Disagree.
• Identify one of the statements that you are
  willing to talk about with one of your
  colleagues.
• Note This rating is for your eyes only. You
  will NOT be asked to turn this in, nor to share
  all of your responses with anyone.

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Say Something

• Directions
• Stand and find a partner for this activity who is
  NOT seated at your table.
• Talk with your partner about the item that you
  selected for sharing. Talk about what the
  statement means to you, why you think it is
  important (or not), and any questions you have.
  Your facilitator will call time at the end of two
  minutes.
• Now, listen to your partner respond to your
  comments. Allocated Time 1 minute
• Now, switch roles. The listening partner will
  share selected item and thoughts about this
  statement for 2 minutes. The other partner will
  then have 2 minute to respond.

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Learnings

• Directions
• Return to Activity Sheet 1. Individually,
  complete Column 3What did I Learn? Note You may
  also offer other comments about the session on
  the back of your Activity Sheet.
• When you have completed this activity, share
  around with colleagues in your team.
• Please leave your individually completed K-W-L
  form in the center of your table. This will serve
  as the session feedback form.

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Closing Thought

• Teaching neednt be exceptional to have a
  profound effect continuous commonsense efforts
  to even roughly conform to effective practice and
  essential standards will make a life-changing
  difference for students across all socioeconomic
  levels.
• Mike Schmoker, Results Now