The Work of the Teacher

Overview:

The "work of the teacher" must be grounded in a growth mindset. The North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards are the basis for teacher preparation, teacher evaluation, and professional development. Each of these will include the skills and knowledge needed for 21st-century teaching and learning. There are many struggles in the classroom that will challenge teachers' professional skill sets.  However, having a growth mindset turns challenges into springboards for growth and developing talents and abilities.  

Standard six of the "North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards" heralds the expectation for all teachers to meet and exceed growth based on established performance expectations.  

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STANDARD 6: Teachers Contribute to the Academic Success of Students

"The work" of the teacher results in acceptable, measurable progress for students based on established performance expectations using appropriate data to demonstrate growth.   The student growth value places a teacher into one of three rating categories: highly effective, effective, or needs improvement.

Background Knowledge:

POLICIES FOR PERSONNEL SERVICES

Local school administrative units shall employ professional personnel who are highly qualified.  Toward that end, the State Board approves teacher education programs and awards licensure to prospective employees.  The State Board believes that all teacher-education programs should be rigorous and demanding in order to produce thoroughly prepared graduates.  The State Board also believes that licensure should be awarded on the basis of an applicant's demonstrated scholarship, instructional performance, and ability to motivate students.  The State Board authorizes and directs the staff of the Department of Public Instruction to implement programs of teacher education program approval and licensure, including the development of such guidelines, procedures, and manuals as it determines necessary, to carry out this policy.  These guidelines, standards, procedures, and manuals, when approved by the State Board, are incorporated and made a part of this policy as if set forth fully herein.

Effectiveness of Teachers

North Carolina defines a highly effective teacher as one who receives a rating of at least “accomplished” on each of the Teacher Evaluation Standards 1 – 5 and receives a rating of “exceeds expected growth” on Standard 6 of the Teacher Evaluation Instrument. 

An effective teacher is one who receives a rating of at least “proficient” on each of the Teacher Evaluation Standards 1-5 and receives a rating of at least “meets expected growth” on Standard 6 of the Teacher Evaluation Instrument.

A needs improvement teacher is one who fails to receive a rating of at least “proficient” on each of the Teacher Evaluation Standards 1-5 or receives a rating of “does not meet expected growth” on Standard 6 of the Teacher Evaluation Instrument.  This means that the student growth value for the teacher is lower than what was expected per the statewide growth model.

A three-year rolling average of student growth values generates the sixth standard rating used to determine teacher effectiveness. Only student growth values based on the individual students taught by a teacher will be used to determine the three-year rolling average for that teacher. The End-of-Course assessments, End-of-Grade assessments, Career and Technical Education Post-Assessments, and the Measures of Student Learning provide the student data used to calculate the growth value. - Standard #6: NC Professional Teaching Standards (Revised May 2, 2013)

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