Urban Institute for Teacher Education

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1. Framework for the Teacher Licensure Programs
2. Expectations for Teacher Candidates Knowledge, Skills & Professional Character
3. Utah Effective Teaching Standards
4. Correlation of INTASC with the PRAXIS Framework
5. INTASC Standards
6. Professional Practice and Conduct for Utah Educators

Framework for the Teacher Licensure Programs

A common thread to almost every dimension of American education is accountability. School districts are accountable to parents, superintendents are accountable to boards of education, teachers are accountable to students and colleges of education are accountable to their education majors. Close on the heels of any system of accountability are the standards which identify the key features and underlying philosophy of the program.

The two licensure emphases in the Urban Institute for Teacher Education (UITE) include the Elementary and Secondary licensure programs. Even though these programs cover a wide span of student ages, they are uniformly organized around a particular framework. We have selected PRAXIS as our framework for several reasons: it has a sound research foundation, it provides a comprehensive description of a teaching professional, and it charts a trajectory for ongoing professional growth.

The INTASC/PRAXIS framework has been organized along five domains. These are intended to describe the full range of teacher competencies.

Evaluation Domains

A. Organizing Content Knowledge for Student Learning

B. Teaching for Student Learning

C. Assessment

D. Creating an Environment for Student Learning/Classroom Management

E. Teacher Professionalism

Domain A addresses the planning and preparation for instruction. It describes the manner in which a teacher goes about designing her/his teaching. Domain A includes subject matter expertise awareness of students’ background, the process by which instructional goals are identified, the facility with which the teacher makes use of resources, and the application of effective means for assessing student learning.

Domain B addresses the ways in which the teacher organizes the classroom. It defines the atmosphere of the room as well as the more tangible elements of the instructional setting. Elements within this domain include issues of equity, quality of interpersonal communication, establishing performance goals, managing student behavior, and the physical arrangement of the classroom space.

Domain C addresses the range of methods and goals for assessment and measurement of student performance and growth over time.

Domain D speaks to teaching competencies that engender student learning. The criteria outline the components of the teaching act that are critical aspects of a lesson’s success. The factors emphasized within this domain include the clear communication of information, making the subject matter accessible to students, supporting higher level thinking by students, attending to students’ comprehension, making instructional adjustments, and efficient use of time.

Domain E emphasizes the role of the teacher that extends beyond instructional events. The category descriptors illustrate the parameters that encompass the true meaning of professional. Components of this domain include reflection on teaching, demonstrations of teaching confidence, quality of interactions with educational colleagues, and the transmission of information to parents/guardians about the learning accomplishments of students.

The five domains of the framework are infused throughout the teacher licensure programs. Courses in the programs make use of the framework and the particulars of the framework are the centerpiece of significant assignments, and serve as the criteria for judging performances in the classroom.

Expectations for Teacher Candidates Knowledge, Skills & Professional Character

Key Components for Program Success

TCs preparing to work in schools as teachers must know and demonstrate both the professional content and pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary to help all students learn. TCs must also develop and exhibit the interpersonal skills, attitudes, and professional character required of educators.

Any TC who, during the course of their university education, demonstrates an inability, or unwillingness, to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional character necessary to be an effective educator, may be placed on academic probation and/or dismissed from the teacher licensure programs. Before any TC is approved for student teaching placement, the faculty in the Urban Institute for Teacher Education must determine that the TC possesses the knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional character necessary to be an effective educator. The faculty may summarily remove a TC from a student teaching placement if the candidate’s actions and behaviors during the placement are inconsistent with the knowledge, skills, attitude and professional character expected of TCs.

For the purposes of the teacher licensure programs in the Urban Institute for Teacher Education, knowledge, skills, and professional character are defined in the following ways:

1. Professional Behavior encompasses appropriate behavior specific to field-based Behaviors consistent with this standard include but are not limited to:
   1. Maintaining communication with University CL/US, faculty, parents/guardians, students, Site Teachers and other site personnel.
   2. Complying with policies, statutes and rules established by UPPAC, local school districts, and the University of Utah.
   3. Recognizing and respecting diversity in all its
   4. Creating and maintaining a safe learning environment for
   5. Working cooperatively with other
   6. Helping to develop and maintain positive and accurate perceptions towards all students.

2. Professional Respect encompasses one’s ability to demonstrate a respectful attitude for all students, colleagues, CL/US, faculty, and site personnel and to avoid personal prejudice and bias. Professional respect reflects a TCs ability to address differences in personalities, backgrounds, and behaviors.

3. Professional Conduct encompasses one’s willingness to fully participate in the learning process, and demonstrative personal suitability for the profession. In other words, a TC must demonstrate a desire to know and the willingness to act as a professional. Behaviors consistent with this standard include but are not limited to:

1. 1. Accepting constructive suggestions from other students, CL/US, faculty, STE’s, A hostile, resistant attitude toward learning and/or one’s associates is considered unprofessional conduct.
   2. Attending all classes, meetings, and field assignments. Failure to keep commitments and chronic absenteeism or tardiness in either class or field is considered unprofessional conduct. Absences are not permitted during cohort classes, field pre- student teaching practicum, and student teaching except for extenuating circumstances (illness, bereavement). In the event of an absence, the instructor, STE, and US should be If absences accrue beyond two days from field pre-student teaching practicum or student teaching, the TC will be required to make-up the time missed from the field. If more than two absences occur from a methods course, a failing grade could occur. TC’s do not have "personal leave" days.
   3. Demonstrating appropriate professional Consistent displays of disrespect (e.g., screaming, insulting, ignoring, being indifferent, intimidating, bullying, etc.) toward faculty, CL/US, colleagues, students, and site personnel is considered unprofessional conduct.
   4. Developing appropriate professional relationships. Developing a friendship that conflicts with professional responsibilities or developing a romantic and/or sexual relationship with current students, instructors, colleagues, CL/US, and/or site personnel is considered unprofessional conduct.

Utah Effective Teaching Standards

The Utah Effective Teaching Standards are a description of highly effective teaching as adopted by the USBE). They also represent the knowledge and skills necessary to teach the Utah Common Core and align with national teaching standards (INTASC, 2011) and current research on effective teaching practice. The categories indicated on the rubrics describe phases of the development of teaching skills from the most basic to the highest levels of attainment and form a continuum of teaching practices. The indicators vary in their levels of complexity; therefore, some may be met at the Effective level. It is expected that the level of an individual teacher’s practice will increase across the continuum through experience and study. In some situations, the level of practice may decrease when, for example, a teacher takes on a new teaching assignment or attempts a new skill. The continuum is intended for use as a formative tool as part of self-reflection and self-assessment of teaching practice. It may be used for the purposes of mentoring coaching, intervention, professional development, and remediation.

The Utah Educator Evaluation Framework is aligned with this document and is accompanied by evaluation tools which are intended for use in summative educator evaluation programs. The Utah Effective Teaching Standards can be found in the Appendix on the Handbook Homepage.

Correlation of INTASC with the PRAXIS Framework

The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is an organization that has established a set of standards for teacher preparation. The Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah has structured its teacher licensure programs around the PRAXIS framework.

Despite some semantic differences, the overlaps between the two sets of standards can be seen by consulting the INTASC chart in the Appendix on the Handbook Homepage. Practically speaking, the standards are essentially interchangeable.

INTASC Standards

Dispositions Stated for Each Standard

Source: Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensing and Development: A Resource for State Dialogue (1992). Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers

 The Utah Effective Teaching Standards are informed by the INTASC standards. The UETS may be found at the USBE website at: https://www.schools.utah.gov/file/f0e86540-5617-4166-a701- fea403f2f848. To view the dispositions viewed as crucial by a national teacher accreditation body (INTASC) please see the Appendix on the Handbook Homepage.

Professional Practice and Conduct for Utah Educators

The teacher licensure programs at the University of Utah are legally compelled by and ethically bound to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) policy, and the USBE Administrative Rules.

These policies are designed to establish the moral and ethical conduct of educators largely for the purpose of protecting children and establishing a non-threatening educational environment. As a TC, you are required to adhere to the specifics as detailed on the USBE’s UPPAC website at https://schools.utah.gov/policy/uppac. Please review all UPPAC (R686) and USBE Administrative Rules (R277). A link to those Administrative Rules can be found in the Appendix on the Handbook Homepage. Please pay particular attention to USBE Administrative Rule (R277) Professional Educator Conduct.