Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-602 - Professional Teaching Standards
A. The standards presented in this Section
shall be the basis for approved teacher preparation programs, described in
R7-2-604, and the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, described in
R7-2-606.
B. Standard 1. Learner
Development: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing
that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across
the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs
and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning
experiences. The teacher:
1. Regularly
assesses individual and group performance in order to design and modify
instruction to meet learners' needs in each area of development (cognitive,
linguistic, social, emotional, and physical) and scaffolds the next level of
development.
2. Creates
developmentally appropriate instruction that takes into account individual
learners' strengths, interests, and needs and that enables each learner to
advance and accelerate his/her learning.
3. Collaborates with families, communities,
colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and
development.
4. Understands how
learning occurs - how learners construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop
disciplined thinking processes - and knows how to use instructional strategies
that promote student learning.
5.
Understands that each learner's cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and
physical development influences learning and knows how to make instructional
decisions that build on learners' strengths and needs.
6. Identifies readiness for learning, and
understands how development in any one area may affect performance in
others.
7. Understands the role of
language and culture in learning and, consistent with Arizona law, knows how to
modify instruction to make language comprehensible and instruction relevant,
accessible, and challenging.
8.
Respects learners' differing strengths and needs and is committed to using this
information to further each learner's development.
9. Is committed to using learners' strengths
as a basis for growth, and their misconceptions as opportunities for
learning.
10. Takes responsibility
for promoting learners' growth and development.
C. Standard 2. Learning Differences: The
teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and
communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner
to meet high standards. The teacher:
1.
Designs, adapts, and delivers instruction to address each student's diverse
learning strengths and needs and creates opportunities for students to
demonstrate their learning in different ways.
2. Makes appropriate and timely provisions
(e.g., pacing for individual rates of growth, task demands, communication,
assessment, and response modes) for individual students with particular
learning differences or needs.
3.
Designs instruction to build on learners' prior knowledge and experiences,
allowing learners to accelerate as they demonstrate their
understandings.
4. Brings multiple
perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners'
personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms.
5. Incorporates tools of language development
into planning and instruction, including strategies for making content
accessible to English language learners and for evaluating and supporting their
development of English proficiency.
6. Accesses resources, supports, and
specialized assistance and services to meet particular learning differences or
needs.
7. Understands and
identifies differences in approaches to learning and performance and knows how
to design instruction that uses each learner's strengths to promote
growth.
8. Understands students
with exceptional needs, including those associated with disabilities and
giftedness, and knows how to use strategies and resources to address these
needs.
9. Knows about second
language acquisition processes and knows how to incorporate instructional
strategies and resources to support language acquisition.
10. Understands that learners bring assets
for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior
learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture,
family, and community values.
11.
Knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and
communities and how to incorporate learners' experiences, cultures, and
community resources into instruction.
12. Believes that all learners can achieve at
high levels and persists in helping each learner reach his/her full
potential.
13. Respects learners as
individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills,
abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests.
14. Makes learners feel valued and helps them
learn to value each other.
15.
Values diverse languages and dialects and seeks to integrate them into his/her
instructional practice to engage students in learning.
D. Standard 3. Learning Environments: The
teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and
collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self motivation. The teacher:
1. Collaborates with learners, families, and
colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual
respect, support, and inquiry.
2.
Develops learning experiences that engage learners in collaborative and
self-directed learning and that extend learner interaction with ideas and
people locally and globally.
3.
Collaborates with learners and colleagues to develop shared values and
expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous academic discussions, and
individual and group responsibility for quality work.
4. Manages the learning environment to
actively and equitably engage learners by organizing, allocating, and
coordinating the resources of time, space, and learners' attention.
5. Uses a variety of methods to engage
learners in evaluating the learning environment and collaborates with learners
to make appropriate adjustments.
6.
Communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and
responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners
bring to the learning environment.
7. Promotes responsible learner use of
interactive technologies to extend the possibilities for learning locally and
globally.
8. Intentionally builds
learner capacity to collaborate in face-to-face and virtual environments
through applying effective interpersonal communication skills.
9. Understands the relationship between
motivation and engagement and knows how to design learning experiences using
strategies that build learner self-direction and ownership of
learning.
10. Knows how to help
learners work productively and cooperatively with each other to achieve
learning goals.
11. Knows how to
collaborate with learners to establish and monitor elements of a safe and
productive learning environment including norms, expectations, routines, and
organizational structures.
12.
Understands how learner diversity can affect communication and knows how to
communicate effectively in differing environments.
13. Knows how to use technologies and how to
guide learners to apply them in appropriate, safe, and effective
ways.
14. Is committed to working
with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and
supportive learning environments.
15. Values the role of learners in promoting
each other's learning and recognizes the importance of peer relationships in
establishing a climate of learning.
16. Is committed to supporting learners as
they participate in decision making, engage in exploration and invention, work
collaboratively and independently, and engage in purposeful learning.
17. Seeks to foster respectful communication
among all members of the learning community.
18. Is a thoughtful and responsive listener
and observer.
E.
Standard 4. Content Knowledge: The teacher understands the central concepts,
tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and
creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline
accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content. The
teacher:
1. Effectively uses multiple
representations and explanations that capture key ideas in the discipline,
guide learners through learning progressions, and promote each learner's
achievement of content standards.
2. Engages students in learning experiences
in the discipline(s) that encourage learners to understand, question, and
analyze ideas from diverse perspectives so that they master the
content.
3. Engages learners in
applying methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the
discipline.
4. Stimulates learner
reflection on prior content knowledge, links new concepts to familiar concepts,
and makes connections to learners' experiences.
5. Recognizes learner misconceptions in a
discipline that interfere with learning, and creates experiences to build
accurate conceptual understanding.
6. Evaluates and modifies instructional
resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy for
representing particular concepts in the discipline, and appropriateness for his
or her learners.
7. Uses
supplementary resources and technologies effectively to ensure accessibility
and relevance for all learners.
8.
Creates opportunities for students to learn, practice, and master academic
language in their content.
9.
Accesses school and/or district-based resources to evaluate the learner's
content knowledge in his or her primary language.
10. Understands major concepts, assumptions,
debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the
discipline(s) he or she teaches.
11. Understands common misconceptions in
learning the discipline and how to guide learners to accurate conceptual
understanding.
12. Knows and uses
the academic language of the discipline and knows how to make it accessible to
learners.
13. Knows how to
integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners' background
knowledge.
14. Has a deep knowledge
of student content standards and learning progressions in the discipline(s) he
or she teaches.
15. Realizes that
content knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex, culturally
situated, and ever evolving. The teacher keeps abreast of new ideas and
understandings in the field, and ensures instruction is consistent with
Arizona's adopted academic standards.
16. Appreciates multiple perspectives within
the discipline and facilitates learners' critical analysis of these
perspectives.
17. Recognizes the
potential of bias in his or her representation of the discipline and seeks to
appropriately address problems of bias.
18. Commits to work toward each learner's
mastery of disciplinary content and skills.
F. Standard 5. Application of Content: The
teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to
engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem
solving related to authentic local and global issues. The teacher:
1. Develops and implements projects that
guide learners in analyzing the complexities of an issue or question using
perspectives from varied disciplines and cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., a
water quality study that draws upon biology and chemistry to look at factual
information and social studies to examine policy implications).
2. Engages learners in applying content
knowledge to real world problems through the lens of interdisciplinary themes
(e.g., financial literacy, environmental literacy).
3. Facilitates learners' use of current tools
and resources to maximize content learning in varied contexts.
4. Engages learners in questioning and
challenging assumptions and approaches in order to foster innovation and
problem solving in local and global contexts.
5. Develops learners' communication skills in
disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts by creating meaningful
opportunities to employ a variety of forms of communication that address varied
audiences and purposes.
6. Engages
learners in generating and evaluating new ideas and novel approaches, seeking
inventive solutions to problems, and developing original work.
7. Facilitates learners' ability to develop
diverse social and cultural perspectives that expand their understanding of
local and global issues and create novel approaches to solving
problems.
8. Develops and
implements supports for learner literacy development across content
areas.
9. Understands the ways of
knowing in his/her discipline, how it relates to other disciplinary approaches
to inquiry, and the strengths and limitations of each approach in addressing
problems, issues, and concerns.
10.
Understands how current interdisciplinary themes (e.g., civic literacy, health
literacy, global awareness) connect to the core subjects and knows how to weave
those themes into meaningful learning experiences.
11. Understands the demands of accessing and
managing information as well as how to evaluate issues of ethics and quality
related to information and its use.
12. Understands how to use digital and
interactive technologies for efficiently and effectively achieving specific
learning goals.
13. Understands
critical thinking processes and knows how to help learners develop high level
questioning skills to promote their independent learning.
14. Understands communication modes and
skills as vehicles for learning (e.g., information gathering and processing)
across disciplines as well as vehicles for expressing learning.
15. Understands creative thinking processes
and how to engage learners in producing original work.
16. Knows where and how to access resources
to build global awareness and understanding, and how to integrate them into the
curriculum.
17. Is constantly
exploring how to use disciplinary knowledge as a lens to address local and
global issues.
18. Values knowledge
outside his/her own content area and how such knowledge enhances student
learning.
19. Values flexible
learning environments that encourage learner exploration, discovery, and
expression across content areas.
G. Standard 6. Assessment: The teacher
understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their
own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and
learner's decision making. The teacher:
1.
Balances the use of formative and summative assessment as appropriate to
support, verify, and document learning.
2. Designs assessments that match learning
objectives with assessment methods and minimizes sources of bias that can
distort assessment results.
3.
Works independently and collaboratively to examine test and other performance
data to understand each learner's progress and to guide planning.
4. Engages learners in understanding and
identifying quality work and provides them with effective descriptive feedback
to guide their progress toward that work.
5. Engages learners in multiple ways of
demonstrating knowledge and skill as part of the assessment process.
6. Models and structures processes that guide
learners in examining their own thinking and learning as well as the
performance of others.
7.
Effectively uses multiple and appropriate types of assessment data to identify
each student's learning needs and to develop differentiated learning
experiences.
8. Prepares all
learners for the demands of particular assessment formats and makes appropriate
accommodations in assessments or testing conditions, especially for learners
with disabilities and language learning needs.
9. Continually seeks appropriate ways to
employ technology to support assessment practice both to engage learners more
fully and to assess and address learner needs.
10. Understands the differences between
formative and summative applications of assessment and knows how and when to
use each.
11. Understands the range
of types and multiple purposes of assessment and how to design, adapt, or
select appropriate assessments to address specific learning goals and
individual differences, and to minimize sources of bias.
12. Knows how to analyze assessment data to
understand patterns and gaps in learning, to guide planning and instruction,
and to provide meaningful feedback to all learners.
13. Knows when and how to engage learners in
analyzing their own assessment results and in helping to set goals for their
own learning.
14. Understands the
positive impact of effective descriptive feedback for learners and knows a
variety of strategies for communicating this feedback.
15. Knows when and how to evaluate and report
learner progress against standards.
16. Understands how to prepare learners for
assessments and how to make accommodations in assessments and testing
conditions, especially for learners with disabilities and language learning
needs.
17. Is committed to engaging
learners actively in assessment processes and to developing each learner's
capacity to review and communicate about their own progress and
learning.
18. Takes responsibility
for aligning instruction and assessment with learning goals.
19. Is committed to providing timely and
effective descriptive feedback to learners on their progress.
20. Is committed to using multiple types of
assessment processes to support, verify, and document learning.
21. Is committed to making accommodations in
assessments and testing conditions, especially for learners with disabilities
and language learning needs.
22. Is
committed to the ethical use of various assessments and assessment data to
identify learner strengths and needs to promote learner growth.
H. Standard 7. Planning for
Instruction: The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in
meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas,
curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of
learners and the community context. The teacher:
1. Individually and collaboratively selects
and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals and
content standards, and are relevant to learners.
2. Plans how to achieve each student's
learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources,
and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of
learners.
3. Develops appropriate
sequencing of learning experiences and provides multiple ways to demonstrate
knowledge and skill.
4. Plans for
instruction based on formative and summative assessment data, prior learner
knowledge, and learner interest.
5.
Plans collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise (e.g.,
special educators, related service providers, language learning specialists,
librarians, media specialists) to design and jointly deliver as appropriate
learning experiences to meet unique learning needs.
6. Evaluates plans in relation to short- and
long-range goals and systematically adjusts plans to meet each student's
learning needs and enhance learning.
7. Understands content and content standards
and how these are organized in the curriculum.
8. Understands how integrating
cross-disciplinary skills in instruction engages learners purposefully in
applying content knowledge.
9.
Understands learning theory, human development, cultural diversity, and
individual differences and how these impact ongoing planning.
10. Understands the strengths and needs of
individual learners and how to plan instruction that is responsive to these
strengths and needs.
11. Knows a
range of evidence-based instructional strategies, resources, and technological
tools and how to use them effectively to plan instruction that meets diverse
learning needs.
12. Knows when and
how to adjust plans based on assessment information and learner
responses.
13. Knows when and how
to access resources and collaborate with others to support student learning
(e.g., special educators, related service providers, language learner
specialists, librarians, media specialists, community organizations).
14. Respects learners' diverse strengths and
needs and is committed to using this information to plan effective
instruction.
15. Values planning as
a collegial activity that takes into consideration the input of learners,
colleagues, families, and the larger community.
16. Takes professional responsibility to use
short- and long-term planning as a means of assuring student
learning.
17. Believes that plans
must always be open to adjustment and revision based on learner needs and
changing circumstances.
I. Standard 8. Instructional Strategies: The
teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage
learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections,
and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways. The teacher:
1. Uses appropriate strategies and resources
to adapt instruction to the needs of individuals and groups of
learners.
2. Continuously monitors
student learning, engages learners in assessing their progress, and adjusts
instruction in response to student learning needs.
3. Collaborates with learners to design and
implement relevant learning experiences, identify their strengths, and access
family and community resources to develop their areas of interest.
4. Varies his/her role in the instructional
process (e.g., instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in relation to the
content and purposes of instruction and the needs of learners.
5. Provides multiple models and
representations of concepts and skills with opportunities for learners to
demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of products and
performances.
6. Engages all
learners in developing higher order questioning skills and metacognitive
processes.
7. Engages learners in
using a range of learning skills and technology tools to access, interpret,
evaluate, and apply information.
8.
Uses a variety of instructional strategies to support and expand learners'
communication through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and other
modes.
9. Asks questions to
stimulate discussion that serves different purposes (e.g., probing for learner
understanding, helping learners articulate their ideas and thinking processes,
stimulating curiosity, and helping learners to question).
10. Understands the cognitive processes
associated with various kinds of learning (e.g., critical and creative
thinking, problem framing and problem solving, invention, memorization and
recall) and how these processes can be stimulated.
11. Knows how to apply a range of
developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate instructional
strategies to achieve learning goals.
12. Knows when and how to use appropriate
strategies to differentiate instruction and engage all learners in complex
thinking and meaningful tasks.
13.
Understands how multiple forms of communication (oral, written, nonverbal,
digital, visual) convey ideas, foster self expression, and build
relationships.
14. Knows how to use
a wide variety of resources, including human and technological, to engage
students in learning.
15.
Understands how content and skill development can be supported by media and
technology and knows how to evaluate these resources for quality, accuracy, and
effectiveness.
16. Is committed to
deepening awareness and understanding the strengths and needs of diverse
learners when planning and adjusting instruction.
17. Values the variety of ways people
communicate and encourages learners to develop and use multiple forms of
communication.
18. Is committed to
exploring how the use of new and emerging technologies can support and promote
student learning.
19. Values
flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting
instruction to learner responses, ideas, and needs.
J. Standard 9. Professional Learning and
Ethical Practice: The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses
evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of
his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals,
and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner. The
teacher:
1. Engages in ongoing learning
opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners
with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state
standards.
2. Engages in meaningful
and appropriate professional learning experiences aligned with his/her own
needs and the needs of the learners, school, and system.
3. Independently and in collaboration with
colleagues, uses a variety of data (e.g., systematic observation, information
about learners, research) to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning and
to adapt planning and practice.
4.
Actively seeks professional, community, and technological resources, within and
outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and
problem-solving.
5. Reflects on
his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own
understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build
stronger relationships and create more relevant learning experiences.
6. Advocates, models, and teaches safe,
legal, and ethical use of information and technology including appropriate
documentation of sources and respect for others in the use of social
media.
7. Understands and knows how
to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze
and reflect on his/her practice and to plan for
adaptations/adjustments.
8. Knows
how to use learner data to analyze practice and differentiate instruction
accordingly.
9. Understands how
personal identity, worldview, and prior experience affect perceptions and
expectations, and recognizes how they may bias behaviors and interactions with
others.
10. Understands and adheres
to laws related to learners' rights and teacher responsibilities (e.g., for
educational equity, appropriate education for learners with disabilities,
confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of learners, reporting in
situations related to possible child abuse).
11. Knows how to build and implement a plan
for professional growth directly aligned with his/her needs as a growing
professional using feedback from teacher evaluations and observations, data on
learner performance, and school- and system-wide priorities.
12. Takes responsibility for student learning
and uses ongoing analysis and reflection to improve planning and
practice.
13. Is committed to
deepening understanding of his/her own frames of reference (e.g., culture,
gender, language, abilities, ways of knowing), the potential biases in these
frames, and their impact on expectations for and relationships with learners
and their families.
14. Sees
him/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon
current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to
improve practice.
15. Understands
the expectations of the profession including codes of ethics, professional
standards of practice, and relevant law and policy.
K. Standard 10. Leadership and Collaboration:
The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take
responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families,
colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner
growth, and to advance the profession. The teacher:
1. Takes an active role on the instructional
team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work,
analyzing data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision
making and accountability for each student's learning.
2. Works with other school professionals to
plan and jointly facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of
learners.
3. Engages
collaboratively in the schoolwide effort to build a shared vision and
supportive culture, identify common goals, and monitor and evaluate progress
toward those goals.
4. Works
collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual
expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and
achievement.
5. Working with school
colleagues, builds ongoing connections with community resources to enhance
student learning and well being.
6.
Engages in professional learning, contributes to the knowledge and skill of
others, and works collaboratively to advance professional practice.
7. Uses technological tools and a variety of
communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that
engage learners, families, and colleagues.
8. Uses and generates meaningful research on
education issues and policies.
9.
Seeks appropriate opportunities to model effective practice for colleagues, to
lead professional learning activities, and to serve in other leadership
roles.
10. Strives to meet the
needs of learners and to strengthen the learning environment.
11. Takes on leadership roles at the school,
district, state, and/or national levels.
12. Understands schools as organizations
within a historical, cultural, political, and social context and knows how to
work with others across the system to support learners.
13. Understands that alignment of family,
school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that
discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
14. Knows how to work with other adults and
has developed skills in collaborative interaction appropriate for both
face-to-face and virtual contexts.
15. Knows how to contribute to a common
culture that supports high expectations for student learning.
16. Actively shares responsibility for
shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for
learners and accountability for their success.
17. Respects families' beliefs, norms, and
expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in
setting and meeting challenging goals.
18. Takes initiative to grow and develop with
colleagues through interactions that enhance practice and support student
learning.
19. Takes responsibility
for contributing to and advancing the profession.
20. Embraces the challenge of continuous
improvement and change.
Notes
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