>++Standards+for+Ohio+Educators

**Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession**
A thorough understanding of how student learn is essential to quality teaching. Effective teachers must understand the processes and strategies students use to construct knowledge, and use this understanding to create learning activities appropriate for students' ages, abilities and learning styles. Effective teachers understand the impact of students' backgrounds and experiences on their learning. They connect instruction to students' needs, interests and prior knowledge. They understand the abilities and talents of their students, and use that knowledge to determine appropriate learning activities and identify resources for students that foster rich learning opportunities. Teachers' sense of efficacy results in their persistence to help all students learn and achieve at high levels.
 * Standard 1: Students - Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the students they teach.**

Elements 1.1 Teachers display knowledge of how students learn and of the developmental characteristics of age groups. 1.2 Teachers understand what students know and are able to do and use this knowledge to meet the needs of all students. 1.3 Teachers expect that all students will achieve to their full potential 1.4 Teachers model respect for students' diverse cultures, language skills and experiences. 1.5 Teachers recognize characteristics of gifted students, students with disabilities and at-risk students in order to assist in appropriate identification, instruction and intervention.

A deep understanding of the content is essential for teachers to have the power to positively impact student learning and achievement. Teachers must understand the structures and the history of the content they teach and recognize that the content is not static, but complex and evolving. Effective teachers demonstrate a deep and reflective understanding of content-specific practices, processes and vocabulary. They connect the content and skills of their disciplines to the Ohio academic content standards and are committed to staying abreast of current research and development within their disciplines. These teachers make content meaningful, relevant and applicable to students by making connections between the content that they teach and other content areas, real life experiences and career opportunities.
 * Standard 2: Content - Teachers know and understand the content area for which they have instructional responsibility.**

Elements 2.1 Teachers know the content they teach and use their knowledge of content-specific concepts, assumptions and skills to plan instruction. 2.2 Teachers understand and use content-specific instructional strategies to effectively teach the central concepts and skills of the discipline. 2.3 Teachers understand school and district curriculum priorities and the Ohio academic content standards. 2.4 Teachers understand the relationship of knowledge within the discipline to other content areas. 2.5 Teachers connect content to relevant life experiences and career opportunities.

The professional imperative of teachers is to maximize student learning and eliminate gaps between students' potential and their performance. Toward that end, the relationship between instruction and assessment is purposeful, interdependent and recursive. Effective teachers are assessment-literate. They use multiple assessments to learn about their students, to plan and adjust instruction and to evaluate student learning. Teachers have sufficient knowledge and skills in probability and statistics to use a variety of assessment data to plan effectively for all students. Teachers use formal and informal assessment data to determine the incremental development of students based on the Ohio academic content standards. Teachers encourage students to critically examine their own work and foster their students' ability to become knowledgeable of how they learn. Teachers provide students and parents with formative assessment results and provide them with strategies to improve student learning.
 * Standard 3: Assessment - Teachers understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and ensure student learning.**

Elements 3.1 Teachers are knowledgeable about assessment types, their purposes and the data they generate. 3.2 Teachers select, develop and use a variety of diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. 3.3 Teachers analyze data to monitor student progress and learning and to plan, differentiate and modify instruction. 3.4 Teachers collaborate and communicate student progress with students, parents, and colleagues. 3.5 Teachers involve learners in self-assessment and goal setting to address gaps between performance and potential.

Effective teachers have high expectations for all students and implement strategies designed to enable all students to achieve. They continually reflect on student outcomes to make appropriate decisions resulting in increased student success. Effective teachers have a deep knowledge of the content they teach. This content knowledge allows them to effectively sequence content for learning and structure differentiated opportunities for student remediation, reinforcement or acceleration. Effective teachers use a variety of research-based instructional strategies that provide challenging and positive learning experiences for all students. These teachers build ideas and concepts logically to lead students to comprehend more complex concepts and encourage higher order creative and critical thinking skills. They use effective questioning strategies to stimulate thinking. Effective teachers explore, evaluate and integrate learning tools, including technology, to make content comprehensible to students.
 * Standard 4: Instruction - Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of each individual student.**

Elements 4.1 Teachers align their instructional goals and activities with school and district priorities and Ohio's academic content standards. 4.2 Teachers use information about students' learning and performance to plan and deliver instruction that will close the achievement gap. 4.3 Teachers communicate clear learning goals and explicitly link learning activities to those defined goals. 4.4 Teachers apply knowledge of how students think and learn to instructional design and delivery. 4.5 Teachers differentiate instruction to support the learning needs of all students, including students identified as gifted, students with disabilities and at-risk student. 4.6 Teachers create and select activities that are designed to help students develop as independent learners and complex problem-solvers. 4.7 Teachers use resources effectively, including technology, to enhance student learning.

Teachers create a learning environment that promotes high levels of achievement for all students and in which all students feel a responsibility for their own learning. Teachers orchestrate the learning environment to maximize each student's opportunities to learn. They create a content-rich and reflective learning environment for students. Teachers recognize that students learn in a variety of formal and informal settings. They motivate students by demonstrating enthusiasm for the subject(s) they teach. Teachers create a learning environment where all students feel safe, valued and enjoy a sense of belonging.
 * Standard 5: Learning Environment - Teachers create learning environment that promote high levels of learning and achievement for all students.**

Elements 5.1 Teachers treat all students fairly and establish an environment that is respectful, supportive and caring. 5.2 Teachers create an environment that is physically and emotionally safe. 5.3 Teachers motivate students to work productively and assume responsibility for their own learning. 5.4 Teachers create learning situations in which students work independently, collaboratively and/or as a whole class. 5.5 Teachers maintain an environment that is conducive to learning for all students.

Teachers understand the role of communication in their profession and use it to foster active inquiry, and collaborative and supportive interaction in and out of the classroom. They value families as an integral component of teaching and learning. Teachers acknowledge what families have to offer and provide opportunities for them to contribute to the learning community. Teachers demonstrate respect for confidentiality with students and their families and create relationships built on trust. Teachers collaborate with their colleagues within the school learning community and in the larger community to share responsibility for the development and learning of all students. Recognizing that they can learn from each other, teachers form learning communities and engage in coaching, mentoring, modeling and work in teams to develop curriculum and assessment.
 * Standard 6: Collaboration and Communication - Teachers collaborate and communicate with students’ parents, other educators, administrators and the community to support student learning.**

Elements 6.1 Teachers communicate clearly and effectively. 6.2 Teachers share responsibility with parents and caregivers to support student learning, emotional and physical development and mental health. 6.3 Teachers collaborate effectively with other teachers, administrators and school and district staff. 6.4 Teachers collaborate effectively with the local community and community agencies, when and where appropriate, to promote a positive environment for student learning.

Teachers are professionals who must recognize that they are in a unique and powerful position to influence the future of their students. It is imperative that teachers practice the highest standards of integrity, honesty and fairness. Effective teachers grow and learn, contribute to the profession and engage in continuous professional development. Effective teachers are leaders within the school community and engage in a variety of leadership roles. They ensure student achievement and will-being by participating in decision making, initiating innovations for school change and fostering ongoing collaboration with colleagues. Teachers serve as change agents in the learning community by thinking and acting critically and addressing concerns related to inequalities among student.
 * Standard 7: Professional Responsibility and Growth - Teachers assume responsibility for professional growth, performance and involvement as an individual and as a member of a learning community.**

Elements 7.1 Teachers understand, uphold and follow professional ethics, policies and legal codes of professional conduct. 7.2 Teachers take responsibility for engaging in continuous, purposeful professional development. 7.3 Teachers are agents of change who seek opportunities to positively impact teaching quality, school improvements and student achievement.