Teaching Quality in California: A New Perspective to Guide Policy was developed by a distinguished panel of education and policy experts brought together to explore the issue of teaching quality in California. The panel’s work, based on research conducted by SRI International, represents a professional consensus regarding the dimensions of teaching quality and a system of teacher development that supports it. Key elements of such a system would feature:
- Improved conditions for teaching.
- Recognition of teachers as professionals.
- Available supports all along the teacher development continuum.
- Systematic addressing of inconsistencies in education policies.
The panel also sets forth a working definition for consideration by policymakers, educators and others:
High-quality teaching occurs when teachers come to the classroom with a rich toolkit of craft, knowledge and skills that they utilize following a set of effective practices, and which lead, over time, to student learning. High quality teaching occurs in a supportive environment where teachers work as part of a professional community within a workplace that fosters continuous learning on the part of children and adults.
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To see what excellent teaching looks like, please visit the following site produced by the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media and the Cotsen Family Foundation: http://cotsen.org/cotsen-hechinger/ |