School District of Grand Island

Professional Appraisal Program

Overview

In fully understanding all teaching domains, reference will be made to Enhancing Professional Practice, A Framework for Teaching by Charlotte Danielson. Each of the four domains of the framework refers to a distinct aspect of teaching. Together the four domains serve the primary purpose of engaging students in the pursuit of learning. A number of themes apply to most of the components of the framework and are reflected in the entire instructional cycle.

These themes include:

• High Expectations (HE) - A belief that all students are cable of high standards of learning. Rates of learning and areas of learning abilities vary among individuals and teaching is organized to meet the needs of all learners accordingly.
  
• Developmental Appropriateness (DA) - An understanding of the developmental milestones which affect instructional goals, activities and materials, and assessment strategies.
  
• Accommodating Students with Special Needs (SN) - A sensitivity to students with special needs that may be intellectual, physical or emotional. Teachers will modify the curriculum for any students who have different cognitive, perceptual, developmental, environmental, and or cultural factors that need consideration.
  
• Equity (E) - An environment of respect and rapport in which all students feel valued and receive equally appropriate opportunities for academic achievement.
  
• Cultural Sensitivity (CS) - An awareness of relevant information about students' cultural traditions, religious practices, and patterns of interaction and the appropriate application of strategies that recognize these factors.
  
• Appropriate Use of Technology (T) - A utilization of technological tools to enhance learning.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation

Teachers who excel in Domain 1 always design instruction that reflects the understanding of prerequisite relationships among topics and concepts. The instructional design is coherent in its approach to topics, includes sound assessment methods, and is appropriate to the range of students in the class.

Skills in Domain 1 are evident primarily through:

• Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy
• Demonstrating knowledge of students
• Selecting instructional goals
• Demonstrating knowledge of resources
• Designing coherent instruction
• Assessing student learning

A teacher who demonstrates knowledge of content and pedagogy:

• Displays solid content knowledge.
• Develops plans and utilizes practices which reflect understanding of prerequisite relationships among topics and contents.
• Employs pedagogical practices that reflect current research.

A teacher who demonstrates knowledge of students:

• Displays knowledge of typical developmental characteristics of age group, exceptions to the patterns, and the extent to which each student follows patterns.
• Displays solid understanding of the different approaches of learning that different students exhibit.
• Displays knowledge of students' skills and knowledge of each student, including those with special needs.
• Displays knowledge of the interests or cultural heritage of each student.

A teacher who selects instructional goals:

• Establishes high levels of expectations, which focus on conceptual understanding.
• Clarifies objectives that permit viable methods of assessment.
• Defines goals that are suitable for the varying learning needs of individual students or groups.
• Develops goals that are reflective of different types of learning and provide opportunities for integration.

A teacher who demonstrates knowledge of resources:

• Is aware of resources available through the school, district or community and actively seeks other materials to enhance instruction and learning and knows how to gain access for students.
• Utilizes materials and resources that support the instructional goals and engage students in meaningful learning.
• Uses applicable software and the Internet as a source in lesson planning.

A teacher who designs coherent instruction always:

• Provides learning activities that are relevant to students, produces a unified whole and reflects recent professional research.
• Varies instructional groups, as appropriate to the different instructional goals.
• Develops lessons or units that are worthwhile.

A teacher who assesses student learning:

• Designs assessment congruent with instructional goals in both content and process.
• Establishes clear assessment criteria and standards that are clearly communicated to student.
• Uses assessment results in planning for both individual and groups of students.

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

Teachers who excel in Domain 2 always consider their students as real people with interests, concerns, and intellectual potential. Activities and tasks establish a comfortable and respectful classroom environment, which cultivates a culture for learning and creates a safe place for risk-taking.

Skills in Domain 2 are evident primarily through:

• Creating an environment of respect and rapport
• Establishing a culture for learning
• Managing classroom procedures
• Managing student behavior
• Organizing physical space

A teacher who creates an environment of respect and rapport:

• Demonstrates caring and respect for individual students. Students exhibit respect for the teacher.
• Encourages student interactions that are polite and respectful.
• Interacts in a professional manner with team members, co-teachers and paraprofessionals (volunteers and aides).

A teacher who establishes a culture for learning:

• Conveys enthusiasm for the subject.
• Encourages students to demonstrate through their active participation and attention to detail, that they value the lesson content.
• Assigns work of high quality that will reflect student pride.
• Sets high expectations for learning and achievement.

A teacher who manages classroom procedures:

• Organizes instructional groups for maximum learning.
• Transitions smoothly with little loss of instructional time.
• Handles materials and supplies efficiently.
• Efficiently performs non-instructional duties.
• Effectively utilizes volunteers.
• Productively utilizes paraprofessionals.

A teacher who manages student behavior:

• Engages students in developing clear standards of conduct.
• Monitors student behavior.
• Responds to student misbehavior in an appropriate and respectful manner.

A teacher who organizes physical space:

• Provides a safe classroom environment.
• Places physical resources optimally to facilitate their access.

Domain 3: Instruction

Teachers who excel in Domain 3 always reflect the primary beliefs of the Grand Island Public Schools: to engage students in learning and to demonstrate evidence of improvement in student achievement. Through intellectual involvement with content and the active construction of understanding, teachers and students participate as a community of learners.

Skills in Domain 3 are evident primarily through:

• Communicating clearly and accurately
• Using questioning and discussion techniques
• Engaging students in learning
• Providing feedback to students
• Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness
• Demonstrates use of technology to enhance learning
• Demonstrates evidence of student academic growth

A teacher who communicates clearly and accurately:

• Provides clear directions and procedures to students and anticipates possible student misunderstanding.
• Uses correct and expressive spoken and written language.
• Uses vocabulary that is appropriate for the developmental level of the students.

A teacher who uses questioning and discussion techniques:

• Employs appropriate questions for the developmental level of students, allowing for adequate student response time.
• Engages students in classroom discussions.
• Encourages students to formulate their own questions.
• Seeks strategies that encourage student initiative and involvement in group discussions.

A teacher who engages students in learning:

• Provides content that is appropriate and builds on students' knowledge and experience.
• Engages students in activities and assignments that explore content and enhance understanding.
• Organizes appropriate instructional groups that promote productivity.
• Provides instructional materials and resources that are suitable to the instructional goals.
• Structures lessons that are developmentally appropriate and coherent and allows for student reflection and closure.
• Ensures pacing of the lesson that is appropriate.
• Uses available and appropriate technological resources to enhance student learning.
• Structures lessons that provide opportunities for student use of technology.

A teacher who provides feedback to students:

• Ensures that the feedback is substantive, constructive and specific.
• Delivers the feedback in a timely and appropriate manner.

A teacher who demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness:

• Adjusts lessons when necessary.
• Responds to student's questions or interests to enhance learning.
• Persists in seeking effective approaches for students, drawing from a repertoire of strategies.

A teacher who demonstrates the use of technology to enhance learning:

• Uses technology as a teaching and learning tool
• Uses technology as classroom productivity and management tool
• Enables students to use technology as a research tool
• Enables students to use technology as a problem solving tool
• Enables students to use technology as a productivity tool 

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

Teachers who excel in Domain 4 always engage in a wide range of professional responsibilities, from self-reflection and professional growth, to contributions made to the school and district, to contributions made to the profession as a whole.

Skills in Domain 4 are evident primarily through:

• Reflecting on teaching
• Maintaining accurate records
• Communicating with families
• Contributing to the school and/or district
• Growing and developing professionally
• Showing professionalism

A teacher who reflects on teaching:

• Assesses the effectiveness of lessons based upon the attainment of the lessons' goals.
• Suggests alternative strategies for future lesson improvement to enhance student learning as a result of reflecting on the lesson.
• Considers effectiveness in planning and preparation, the classroom environment and methods of instruction in the development of future lessons.

A teacher who maintains accurate records:

• Monitors student completion of assignments.
• Updates information on student progress.
• Creates a system of effective record keeping for all students.

A teacher who communicates with families:

• Provides frequent information to parents about the instructional program.
• Communicates with parents about students' progress on a regular basis and is available as needed to respond to parent concerns.
• Offers opportunities for the engagement of families in the instructional program. Works with parents as partners in student learning.

A teacher who contributes to the school and district:

• Establishes professional relationships with colleagues.
• Participates in school and district projects and committees.

A teacher who grows and develops professionally:

• Seeks out opportunities for professional development and growth.
• Participates actively in assisting other educators.

A teacher who shows professionalism:

• Ensures that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
• Maintains flexibility and participates in team or departmental decision making.
• Is open-minded to suggestions for improvement.

6/2001