FRAMEWORK OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

 Teaching for student mastery: The framework focuses attention on teacher behaviors and student
actions that lead to student mastery of content. The framework focuses not just on what is being taught,
but whether or not students are actually learning the content and concepts presented.

 High expectations: The framework requires that teachers hold high expectations for all students to
achieve at high levels. This includes establishing learning goals that reflect the critical thinking skills that
will put students on the pathway to college, providing evidence-based feedback to students, and
effectively interacting with students to establish a culture and expectation that all students can and will
master the content.

 Elements observable in one lesson and over the course of the year: As we introduced last year, NPS
recognizes that individual, discrete classroom observations do not provide a complete picture of a
teacher’s teaching and students’ success at mastering content. The framework is designed to articulate
expectations of both instruction in the classroom and activities and professionalism outside of the
classroom. The framework articulates both behaviors that are observable in an individual classroom
lesson as well as behaviors that are observable over the course of the school year. This over-time
guidance allows teachers and observers to identify and assess teacher behaviors and student reactions
that, as they build over the course of the year, lead to student mastery.

 Accommodating individual needs: It is critical that teachers tailor instruction to address the diverse
needs of all students and move all students toward mastery. This requires teachers to build relationships
with their students to ensure teachers know how to motivate and engage all students. Many students
have special needs, which may be intellectual, emotional or physical. Each of these types of differences
suggests different accommodations, from selecting instructional goals and designing instruction to
interacting with students and designing classroom norms. The framework allows for and encourages this
differentiation as critical to a teacher’s practice.

 Alignment to Common Core State Standards (CCSS): The framework explicitly focuses and aligns to
teacher strategies required for mastery of the Common Core State Standards (see Alignment to the
Common Core State Standards section below). This alignment is focused on the
pedagogical/instructional shifts (not specific content) required when implementing th