(click here to see complete WAC)
Building on the mission to prepare educators who demonstrate a positive impact on student learning based on the Improvement of Student Achievement Act of 1993 (1209), the following evidence shall be evaluated to determine whether each preparation program is in compliance with the program approval standards of WAC 180-78A-220(5) [181-78A-220(5)]:
(1) TEACHER. Teacher candidates will complete a well-planned sequence of courses and/or experiences in which they acquire and apply knowledge about:
Foundational knowledge
(a) The state learning goals and essential academic learning requirements.
(b) The subject matter content for the area(s) they teach, including relevant methods course work and the knowledge and skills for each endorsement area for which the candidate is applying (chapter 180-82 [181-82] WAC).
(c) The social, historical, and philosophical foundations of education, including an understanding of the moral, social, and political dimensions of classrooms, teaching, and schools.
(d) The impact of technological and societal changes on schools.
(e) Theories of human development and learning.
(f) Inquiry and research.
(g) School law and educational policy, including laws pertaining to school health and safety.
(h) Professional ethics.
(i) The responsibilities, structure, and activities of the profession.
(j) Issues related to abuse including the identification of physical, emotional, sexual, and substance abuse, information on the impact of abuse on the behavior and learning abilities of students, discussion of the responsibilities of a teacher to report abuse or provide assistance to students who are the victims of abuse, and methods for teaching students about abuse of all types and their prevention.
(k) The standards, criteria and other requirements for obtaining the professional certificate, including a draft professional growth plan.
Effective teaching
(l) Research and experience-based principles of effective practice for encouraging the intellectual, social, and personal development of students.
(m) Different student approaches to learning for creating instructional opportunities adapted to learners of both sexes and from diverse cultural or linguistic backgrounds.
(n) Areas of exceptionality and learning -- including, but not limited to, learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges.
(o) Effective instructional strategies for students at all levels of academic abilities and talents with an awareness of the influence of culture and gender on student learning.
(p) Instructional strategies for developing reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
(q) The prevention and diagnosis of reading difficulties and research-based intervention strategies.
(r) Classroom management and discipline, including:
(i) Individual and group motivation for encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
(ii) Effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication for fostering active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interactions in the classroom.
(s) Planning and management of instruction based on knowledge of the content area, the community, and curriculum goals.
(t) Formal and informal assessment strategies for evaluating and ensuring the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
(u) Collaboration with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community for supporting students' learning and well-being.
(v) Effective interactions with parents to support students' learning and well-being.
Professional development
(w) The opportunity for candidates to reflect on their teaching and its effects on student growth and learning.
(x) Educational technology including the use of computer and other technologies in instruction, assessment and professional productivity.
(y) Strategies for effective participation in group decision making.