Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Educator
Preparation
ColoradoCANDIDATE
TEACHER State University
QUALITY
STANDARDS
The following standards are adapted from the Colorado State Model Evaluation System for Teachers approved by the Colorado State
Board of Education in May of 2013, and reflect the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for teachers to ensure students
academic success and social growth. They strive to support growth and development, close achievement gaps and to prepare
diverse student populations for postsecondary and workforce success (Colorado Department of Education, 2016).
These Teacher Candidate Quality Standards have been adapted to reflect the specific context and opportunities available to teacher
candidates throughout the four-phase program in the Center for Educator Preparation at Colorado State University.
The first category involves the work surrounding the act of teaching. Since the primary role of the teacher is to
support students academic and personal success, it is the focus of three of the five standards.
CEPTCQS #1: Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach.
CEPTCQS #2: Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.
CEPTCQS #3: Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their
students.
The second category involves continuing improvement and the effectiveness of the teacher, both personally and
professionally:
Preservice teacher candidate performance should be rated on each element within each standard at one of four levels: Emergent
Candidate, Developing Candidate, Proficient Candidate, or Accomplished Candidate. These levels are cumulative across the rows of
the rubric in that a Proficient Candidate must exhibit the characteristics encompassed under each previous level in addition to
those described at the Proficient Candidate level. A candidate must demonstrate professional performance with a C or better and
at the proficient level for dispositions to be recommended for licensure.
Revised 8.3.16
CEPTC Quality Standard #1
Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach.
The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that he or she teaches
(e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert
in his or her content endorsement area(s).
Teacher Candidates:
1a. Lesson plan and instruction is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards and the individual needs of their students
Artifact
Observation
Dispositions: *Professional Behaviors *Initiative & Dependability *Tact & Judgement *Ethical Behavior & Integrity *Collegiality
*Effective Communicator
*Improve Performance *Culturally Responsive *Committed to Profession
Feedback/questions Emergent Developing Proficient Accomplished
The Teacher uses lesson and The Teacher ...and The Teacher ... and The Teacher
plans that reflect: uses lesson plans
based on:
-daily review and revision -collaborates with the -collaborates with other
-student needs Cooperating Teacher and school staff to vertically
-instructional objectives department to deliver the align and horizontally
appropriate for students -Colorado Academic approved curriculum. align, articulate, and
Standards deliver the approved
-explicit connections to -understand and can curriculum.
specific learning -stated learning access their district's plan
objectives and approved objectives of instruction.
curriculum.
Dates Observed:
1
1b. Demonstrate knowledge of student literacy development in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
-integrating
knowledge into
lessons
Dates Observed:
1c. Demonstrate knowledge of mathematics and understand how to promote student development in mathematical concepts connected to
the content area
2
1d. Demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, tools of inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices and specialized
character of the disciplines being taught.
-employs a variety of
instructional strategies to
address student needs
Dates Observed:
3
1f. Make instruction and content relevant to students and take actions to connect students' background and contextual knowledge with
new information being taught.
-selects a variety of -links lessons to -delivers lessons and uses -interact with materials
instructional materials students' prior materials to ensure that that are relevant to them
and strategies based on knowledge students backgrounds are
their relevance, central considered -make connections to prior
contexts, and -encourages and learning to understand
foundational evidence provides opportunities -provides opportunities for current content
base for students to make students to self-select
connections to prior tasks that accelerate
learning. learning
Dates Observed:
Feedback/Questions/
Next Steps for overall
TCQS #1:
4
CEPTC Quality Standard #2
Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.
Teacher Candidates:
Artifact
Observation
2a. Foster a predictable learning environment in the classroom in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring
adults and peers.
Dispositions: *Tact & Judgement *Ethical Behavior & Integrity *Effective Communicator *Culturally Responsive
-circulates through the -ensures that -displays public records of -fosters positive
classroom, interacting structures and student work on walls that relationships between and
with every student routines are evident are relevant to ongoing among students that are
instruction respectful and
-ensures that screen or - has mutually demonstrate mutual
board (focus) is respectful -fosters an environment support
positioned so that all relationships with where students respect
students can see and students their classmates and
hear what is projected teacher(s)
-has consistent
empathy for each
student
Dates Observed:
- shows a concern for -uses instructional -engages students in -respect the uniqueness of
issues of equity and social approaches and discussions concerning fellow students
justice provides tasks that are culture, equity, democracy
relevant to students & learning -seek a variety of
from a variety of perspectives to complete
backgrounds and -establishes processes and group assignments
interests an environment that result
in a sense of community
with effective interactions
among students
Dates Observed:
5
2c. Engage students as individuals with unique interests and strengths.
-implements lessons that -acknowledges all -provides lessons that are - have opportunities to
reflect student interests students for their explicitly differentiated show understandings and
accomplishments skills in a variety of ways
-knows students as
-showcases the belief learners and purposefully - legitimizes multiple areas
that all students can allows space for students' of expertise allows them to
learn strengths be leveraged
Dates Observed:
2d. Believe that instruction is for the benefit of all students, including those with special needs across a range of ability levels.
-adapts the learning -challenges and -engages in ongoing -advocate for themselves
environment to address supports individual reflective practice that by articulating their needs
individual student needs student learning increases their depth of
understanding of student -communicate openly
- uses multiple centered learning about circumstances that
strategies to teach affect their classroom
and assess students -provides lessons that are performance
explicitly differentiated
-works with support
staff and school
faculty to gather input
to better understand
students learning
needs
Dates Observed:
6
2e. Provide proactive, clear, and constructive feedback to families about student progress and work collaboratively with families and significant adults in
the lives of their students.
Dates Observed:
2f. Create a learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of time, and appropriate intervention strategies.
-provides clear -holds students - maximizes instructional -stay on task during class
expectations to guide accountable for school time
student behavior in the and class rules -accept responsibility for
classroom their behavior and use of
-maintains a safe time
environment
Dates Observed:
Feedback/Questions/
Next Steps for overall
TCQS #2:
7
CEPTC Quality Standard #3
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their
students.
Teacher Candidates:
3a. Demonstrate knowledge of current developmental science, the ways in which learning takes place, and the appropriate levels of
Artifact
Observation
intellectual, social, and emotional development of their students.
Dispositions: *Professional Behaviors *Initiative & Dependability *Tact & Judgement *Ethical Behavior & Integrity *Collegiality
*Effective Communicator
*Improve Performance *Culturally Responsive *Committed to Profession
Feedback/questions Emergent Developing Proficient Accomplished
The Teacher and The Teacher ...and The Teacher ... and Students
Dates Observed:
8
3b. Plan and consistently deliver instruction that draws on results of student assessments, is aligned to academic standards and advances students'
level of content knowledge and skills.
-designs assessments -creates lesson plans -ensures that students -confer with the teacher to
that accurately measure showing alignment meet learning targets make goals and monitor
the learning target between Colorado while increasing mastery achievement
Academic Standards levels
-uses assessment results and learning target,
to guide instructional assessments, ,and
decisions instruction
-monitors student
progress and adjusts
instruction
appropriately
Dates Observed:
3c. Demonstrate a rich knowledge of current research on effective instructional practices to meet the developmental and academic needs of their
students.
-incorporates research- - use strategies (in -provide tasks that allow -are able to apply skills and
based instructional planning and student choice knowledge learned in the
strategies into their instruction) that meet classroom to other areas in
lessons the unique needs of their lives
each student
Dates Observed:
9
3d. Thoughtfully integrate and utilize appropriate available technology in their instruction to maximize student learning.
- uses available -develops student -enhances creative and -produce creative and
technology to enhance knowledge and skills innovative skills using innovative products
student learning (in both content and technology
technology)
-create experiences where
students
engage in virtual and face
to face learning activities,
enhanced by the
appropriate use of
available technology
Dates Observed:
3e. Establish and communicate high expectations for all students and plan instruction that helps students develop critical thinking and
problem solving skills.
Dates Observed:
10
3f. Provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership qualities.
-includes all students in -groups students -adjusts team composition -assume leadership roles
individual and group flexibly based on lesson objectives within their teams
activities where each and student needs
student in the room has a -provides -participate in teams in
voice opportunities for -varies group size, ways that build trust and
students to participate composition, and tasks to ownership of ideas among
using various modes create opportunities for team members
of communication students to learn from
each other
Dates Observed:
3g. Teachers communicate effectively, making learning objectives clear, providing appropriate models of language
The Teacher and The Teacher and The Teacher and Students
-communicates effectively -models appropriate -provides opportunities for -apply effective written
with students and effective students to practice and oral communication
communication skills, communication skills skills in their work
including writing,
listening, and -effectively assesses -use academic language in
speaking students' communication oral and written work
skills
Dates Observed:
11
3h. Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their students.
Dates Observed:
Feedback/Questions/
Next Steps for overall
TCQS #3:
12
CEPTC Quality Standard #4:
Teacher Candidates:
Artifact
Observation
4a. Demonstrate that they analyze student learning, development and growth and apply what they learn to improve their practice.
Dispositions: *Professional Behaviors *Ethical Behavior & Integrity *Collegiality *Improve Performance *Culturally
Responsive
Feedback/questions Emergent Developing Proficient Accomplished
The Teacher and The Teacher ...and The Teacher ... and The Teacher
-collects and analyzes -collects multiple - develops student learning -monitors and evaluates
student data to inform examples of student plans based on multiple personal behavioral
instructional practice data to support data sources changes to determine what
student learning over works for students
time -adapts teaching skills to
meet student needs from
student data
Dates Observed:
13
4b. Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
-engages in professional
development that is
targeted toward improving
student outcomes
Dates Observed:
-collaborates with -meets the needs of - begins to individually -supports struggling and/or
colleagues to implement grade level students support advanced students
new ideas to improve struggling/advanced
teaching and learning -maintains positive, students -initiates and collaborates
productive and in activities with
respectful colleagues
relationships with
peers
Dates Observed:
Feedback/Questions/
Next Steps for overall
TCQS #4:
14
CEPTC Quality Standard #5:
Teacher Candidates:
5a. Demonstrate Leadership.
Artifact
Observation
Dispositions: *Tact & Judgement *Ethical Behavior & Integrity *Effective Communicator *Committed to the Profession
Dates Observed:
15
5c. Advocate for students and schools, partnering with students, families, and communities and appropriate.
Dates Observed:
Feedback/Questions/
Next Steps for overall
TCQS #5:
16