InTASC and NPBEA Comparison
The updated Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards have about 15 cross-cutting themes, which are sometimes explicitly stated or infrared in the document. In many instances, the InTASC standards’ themes are similar to those in the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) standards (Bateman et al., 2017). Two specific examples are communication and collaboration and technology and use of data to support student learning. Both resources are useful as they represent the boards’ willingness and ability to refine their strategies for defining effective teaching and supporting it countrywide.
Communication and Collaboration Theme Representation in NPBEA and InTASC
Both InTASC and NPBEA represent the combined theme of communication and collaboration implicitly and explicitly through specific standards. For example, InTASC’s Standard #3 (g) encourages teachers to promote the utilization of interactive technologies by students to enhance communication and collaboration. Section (h) of the same standard implores teachers to build learner capacity to improve face-to-face and virtual collaboration intentionally (Dousay, 2020). Standards 3(i), 5(p), 10(f), 10(h), 3(i), 3(j), 5(o), 6(j), and 8(o) also represent communication and collaboration. NPBEA represents this theme through standards 1, 5, and 8. For example, in Standard #1, NPBEA contends that effective leaders in the educational sector advocate, develop, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of academic success and well-being through communication and collaboration.
Technology and Data Use Theme Representation in NPBEA and InTASC
InTASC and NPBEA represent the technology and data use theme implicitly and explicitly in specific standards. InTASC’s Standards 3(j), 5(l), 5(m), 7(h), 8(p), 8(q), and 10(h) address technological issues while 5(l), 5(r), 6(h-j), 6(l), 8(n), 9(g), and 9(h) encourage the utilization of data to support learning (Block et al., 2019). NPBEA’s Standards 6, 9, and 10 encourage the utilization of technology and data to improve school personnel’s professional capacity, expedite operations and management, and ensure school improvement.
Relationship between the Two Themes and Knowledge, Skills, and Values of Effective Teachers
The two themes (communication and collaboration and technology and data use in education) are related to the knowledge, skills, and values of effective teachers in various ways. First, they encourage the acquisition of relevant information for professional advancement. Through communication, collaboration, and data and technology utilization, teachers become more knowledgeable, skilled, and valuable in the educational sector (Young, 2020). They thus contribute more effectively to student advancement and the attainment of set objectives.
InTASC and Professional Collaboration
All the InTASC standards from number one to ten (except number 2) deal with professional collaboration in one way or another. When teachers collaborate more, they share information and improve their knowledge and skills, leading to educational quality improvement (Young, 2020). Every committed and professional teacher’s responsibility is to seek the right leadership opportunities and roles as this enables them to manage student learning and collaborate effectively with all stakeholders. Leadership and collaboration also facilitate student growth and the teacher’s professional advancement.
InTASC and Data-Driven Instructional Decision-Making
Each InTASC standard has various subsections that address a specific theme or educational concern. For this reason, the issue of data-driven instructional decision-making cuts across standards three through 10 (excluding 4). The implicit or explicit nature of each declaration varies from standard to standard. For example, in standard 5 (i), InTASC states that the teacher possesses a comprehension of “the ways of knowing” within their field (Block et al., 2019). Understanding how these “ways of knowing” relate to other disciplinary approaches to inquiry promote data-driven instructional decision-making. It also helps the teacher connect concepts and utilize different perspectives in engaging pupils in creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving.
NPBEA and Professional Collaboration
Standard #8 of NPBEA stresses the importance of meaningful engagement of all school stakeholders – including teachers, students, parents, corporate sponsors, the local community, and the government. It asserts that when educational leaders are influential, they engage stakeholders meaningfully in mutually beneficial and reciprocal ways, promoting each student’s well-being and academic success (Bateman et al., 2017). Professional collaboration also happens when leaders are accessible, approachable, and welcoming to others. Influential leaders also create and sustain positive, collaborative, and productive associations with all essential stakeholders.
NPBEA and Data-Driven Instructional Decision-Making
NPBEA is about becoming an effective educational administrator that creates a conducive environment for student learning and teacher’s professional growth. Thus, the standard supports data-driven instructional decision-making by creating an environment that allows teachers to collaborate more by interacting with their professional community (Dousay, 2020). It also encourages educational administrators to assess and ensure the reliability of the professional capacity of school personnel.
Improving Practice Under InTASC
Teachers can enhance their knowledge, skills, and values by collaborating more with their professional community and embracing lifelong learning. The two primary approaches for improving practice require commitment, initiative, and consistency. When a teacher transitions from college to active teaching, they commence a lifelong learning journey that will see them interact with diverse students, teachers, and other stakeholders that will contribute to their professional growth and development (Dousay, 2020). Therefore, maintaining a positive attitude and the desire to learn can enhance advancement as a teacher.
Improving Practice under NPBEA
The school administrator determines how professionally advanced teachers become. They also influence student attainment of educational goals through their control of resources. An approachable, practical, welcoming, and reliable administrator sets the pace for professional growth and practice improvement (Young, 2020). Such leaders take student performance seriously and utilize everything in their power to ensure that there is an outstanding performance.
Advancing the Profession under InTASC
Teachers can advance the teaching profession by embracing existing standards and regulations as these provide effective and reliable guidelines for improvement (Dousay et al., 2020). Teachers can also contribute positively to the teaching profession’s advancement by ensuring that they improve their knowledge and skills. Improvement in student outcomes often reveals a great deal of professional progress within the teaching fraternity.
Advancing the Profession Under NPBEA
The teacher can also advance the teaching profession by collaborating with administrators and facilitating the effective movement of information between leaders and students. Administrators will use this knowledge to invest in education to ensure that teachers have what they need to enhance student outcomes (Bateman et al., 2017). Without this collaboration, teachers will not contribute to the growth of the teaching profession.
References
Bateman, D., Gervais, A., Wysocki, T. A., & Cline, J. L. (2017). Special Education Competencies for Principals. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 30(1), 48-56.
Block, E., Hebert, A., Peterson, L., & Theriot, A. (2019). An Examination of Field Experiences as They Relate to InTASC Standards: A Retrospective Pilot Study for an Educator Preparation Provider. Creative Education, 10(7), 1492-1506.
Dousay, T. A. (2020). An integrated map of the ISTE Standards for Educators, Danielson Framework for Teaching, and Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Standards. In Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 976-980). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Young, M. D. (2020). Professional Standards for Educational Leadership. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.