Adult Education Teacher Competencies Self-Assessment

Adult educators can use this optional self-assessment to determine areas for professional development. To complete this self-assessment, fill out the form below and print it, or print out a copy and complete it manually. Note: you must keep a printed copy if you want to refer to it in the future no results are stored online; that means that your results are completely confidential. Feel free to complete this self-assessment periodically and thus note how your priorities and skills have changed over time.

The self-assessment contains 17 questions, one per competency, with performance indicators and sample illustrations providing additional details about each competency. The average completion time is 45 minutes.
Note: the self-assessment must be completed in one sitting as no results are stored online and the system times out after 20 minutes of computer inactivity.

Directions

Take the self-assessment, filling in each of the column as directed below as explained in the instructions [follow this link to view Instructions].

Follow this link ( pdf icon

If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat, you can download Acrobat Reader for free) to download a PDF file of the competencies (with performance indicators and sample illustrations), upon which the self-assessment was based.

Assessment Form

Competency	Relevance to My Teaching Not Relevant <–> Relevant 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4	My Own Proficiency Very Proficient <–> Needs Improvement 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4	Program Priority Level Low Priority <–> High Priority 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4	Subtotals	Reflections on My Self-Scoring	Possible Professional Development Activities
1. Monitors and manages student learning and performance through data
Assesses learners' prior knowledge, learning needs, and college and career readiness goals View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 1.1.1. Collects and reviews information on learners' content knowledge; prior learning experiences; and learning needs from school transcripts, questionnaires, and learner interviews 1.2.1. Collects and updates information on learners' goals through interviews and/or questionnaires 1.3.1. Reviews the results of program-created and required standardized assessments such as the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE), Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS), and other assessments View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 1.1.1. On the first day of class, the teacher of a multilevel English as a second language (ESL) class identifies learners' needs and proficiency levels by asking learners to do quickwrites to describe themselves. The students can use pictures, words, sentences, and/or paragraphs. These quickwrites, coupled with short student surveys about their learning backgrounds, are placed in student portfolios and will be used in future student-teacher interviews. 1.2.1. An Adult Basic Education (ABE) literacy teacher administers learner self-assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. The literacy teacher also collects work samples (e.g., student writings, student-made dictionaries, and quizzes) and helps the learners organize the information into portfolios. The ABE literacy teacher uses these portfolios during progress conferences and with learners who are feeling frustrated with their progress. 1.3.1. An Adult Secondary Education (ASE) bridge to college mathematics instructor supplements the results of the program's standardized mathematics assessment by developing an assessment that incorporates mathematics content from a high school equivalency (HSE) exam and also from a local college placement exam. By reviewing results from both exams, the instructor is able to identify learners who would benefit from a bridge to college mathematics course, show learners why they would benefit from the course, and guide decisions about content for the course.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotal1	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
1.2. Sets learning goals and a course of study View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 1.2.1. Refers to assessments of students' learning needs and strengths, incoming content knowledge, and prior learning experiences to design courses of study and align learning goals 1.2.2. Designs courses of study that link course content to learners' interests and goals and expose learners to new ideas and experiences that may help them to refine or change their goals over time 1.3.3. Supports students' continued learning and college and career goals by providing access to advisors and counselors or planning tools View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 1.2.1. An ABE reading teacher finds that current learners, in their previous reading classes, answered basic comprehension questions from books written for adult emerging readers. With this information, the ABE reading teacher designs a series of activities that deepen learners' reading comprehension of slightly more challenging texts. The first activity asks learners to write letters to a character in the book, advising that character about how to solve a problem he or she is facing. 1.2.2. The teacher of a low–level ESL class supplies a diagram of possible student pathways upon completion of this class. Learners are asked to identify where they are in the diagram and where they would like to go. They then make similar diagrams of the school systems in their native countries and share the diagrams with the class. 1.2.3. The teacher of an intermediate ESL class invites a college and career counselor to visit the class. Before the visit, the teacher presents a lesson on types of questions that a college and career counselor might be able to answer. Each learner identifies three questions to ask. The teacher collects the questions, identifies the 10 most common questions, and supplies them ahead of time to the counselor so that the counselor can tailor her presentation. At the end of the presentation, the counselor sets up one-on-one appointments so learners can ask personal questions.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotal2	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
1.3 Monitors learning through summative and formative assessment data View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 1.3.1. Uses a variety of formative assessment tools (such as classroom observations, lesson closure discussions, portfolios, quizzes, and student error logs) to monitor learning and adjust instruction 1.3.2. Provides regular, detailed feedback to learners on the progress of their learning 1.3.3. Uses required summative assessments to measure student progress toward learning goals over a specific instructional period and to make decisions about placement and goal-setting in a subsequent instructional period 1.3.4. Assists learners in reflecting on their own performance View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 1.3.1. At the end of each day's lesson, an ABE instructor asks learners to write individual responses to one or two brief prompts relating to that day's key lesson objectives. These answers provide the instructor with a snapshot of student understanding that the instructor combines with other formative assessments in planning for the next lesson. 1.3.2. After 3 weeks of instruction, a bridge to college instructor holds a conference with each learner to review his or her attendance, class participation, organizational habits, and academic progress. The conferences provide each learner with an early opportunity to discuss areas of strength and concern. 1.3.3. A team of ESL instructors reviews the results and diagnostic information from the program's standardized language skills assessment at the end of a cycle and uses a shared rubric to decide which students will advance to the next level. In addition to appropriately placing learners, the collaboration strengthens teachers' abilities to evaluate student writing. 1.3.4. At the beginning of a semester, an HSE teacher administers a learning goal assessment. At the end of an instructional unit, the HSE teacher administers a teacher-developed formative assessment. The HSE teacher shares the results with learners and works with them to tie the results to their learning goals (e.g., "I'll be able to identify main ideas more easily by the end of the semester"), not just global skill improvements (e.g., "I'll be a better reader").	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotal3	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
1.4. Adapts instruction based on formative and summative student assessment data View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 1.4.1. Uses formative assessment data to plan a range of supplemental activities for use with learners who struggle to achieve the lesson objectives or who would benefit from an extra challenge 1.4.2. Uses diagnostic information from required summative assessments to adapt instruction to reach learners who have difficulty with a particular approach and to deepen learner understanding more generally 1.4.3. Uses student performance data to make judgments about when and how to diverge from a lesson plan in response to learning needs as they emerge View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 1.4.1. An intermediate–level ESL teacher collects two writing samples— a personal story and a summary of a short newspaper article— from students in the first 3 weeks of class. The teacher analyzes the samples for learner strengths and weaknesses in idea development, grammar and usage, and vocabulary use. The teacher then plans a series of learning stations so that students can work independently, in small groups, or with the teacher to practice specific language skills. 1.4.2. In an intermediate ABE classroom, the teacher, after reviewing a midterm standardized assessment, notes that two students are having similar difficulties in independently evaluating information about reading passages. The teacher finds a reading passage or text of interest to both of them and asks them to work together to analyze the reading passage and put it into a classification chart. 1.4.3. A bridge to college instructor is conducting a lesson on persuasive writing. Students are reading a text that includes data, presented in a graph, which appear to support the writer's point of view. The instructor observes that the students are unable to discern how the scale of the graph affects the appearance of the data. The instructor decides to interrupt the lesson and asks students to use different scales to graph the same data. Through this impromptu work, students gain the ability to manipulate the appearance of a graph and to identify this manipulation in graphs created by others.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotal1	D1set4ROMSS	D1set4PPDA
			Total for Domain:
2. Plans and delivers high-quality, evidence-based instruction
2.1. Designs learner-centered instruction and classroom environments View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 2.1.1. Presents content that connects to learners' goals and interests and is applicable to their lives 2.1.2. Establishes a community of practice among learners to encourage peer–to–peer learning and a rapport with other students so that they feel encouraged to voice ideas and opinions without fear of negative consequences. 2.1.3. Encourages learner self–regulation and metacognition through a variety of skill-building activities to improve learning and overcome difficulties 2.1.4. Provides multiple means and modalities for presenting and engaging learners with concepts, ideas, and materials View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 2.1.1. Based on a needs assessment, an advanced ESL teacher finds that several learners in class want to work in health fields and a few other students were health workers in their home countries. The teacher integrates units on health themes with language learning activities. Learners practice oral communication skills by giving 5-minute presentations on health topics of their choice. 2.1.2. An ABE literacy teacher works with learners to generate and agree on a set of norms for engaging in respectful classroom discussions. The instructor asks students to do a shared writing activity to print the norms on a poster board. The poster is displayed prominently in the classroom, which allows the teacher and learners to refer to the norms when needed. 2.1.3. A beginning ESL instructor teaches students the kind of language needed to analyze their own learning experiences and to share feedback (e.g., "I don't like group work because") and express emotions about their own learning (e.g., "I am frustrated. I don't know many words in English."). Midway through the semester, the instructor shows the class a videotape of a role-play that the students did at the beginning of the semester. The instructor invites the class to share ideas in response to the prompt: "Before we _______, but now we _______." 2.1.4. An ESL civics teacher plans a learning unit on the system of checks and balances in the three branches of the U.S. government. The teacher creates a flowchart to show the responsibilities and role of each branch. The teacher then assigns students to groups to research one of the branches, asking each group to provide guiding questions about the following: how many members the branch has, how the members of the branch are chosen to serve, the amount of time they serve, and the duties they undertake. The students are scheduled for time in the program's computer lab to do Internet research and develop their presentations. Several days after the students make their presentations, the teacher creates a scenario so that each group of students can represent a branch of government to pass a law. The students are asked to create a classroom process for passing the law.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD21	D2set1ROMSS	D2set1PPDA
2.2. Designs standards-based instructional units and lesson plans View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 2.2.1. Focuses teaching and learning on a targeted set of standards that builds on their connections to one another 2.2.2. Outlines a clear and explicit standards-based purpose for the lesson, stated in terms of the desired student learning outcomes 2.2.3. Designs a coherent sequence and progression of learning so that lessons build on one another, takes advantage of the connections among standards, and permits deep and thoughtful coverage 2.2.4. Selects and uses resources and textbooks to align with the learning goals of the standards as a whole, as well as to individual standards 2.2.5. Elicits direct, observable evidence of learners' abilities to independently demonstrate the targeted set of standards View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 2.2.1. An ABE reading/writing teacher, preparing learners for an HSE exam, integrates a small cluster of standards in the unit, focused on analyzing the U.S. Founding Documents. To learn how to draw evidence from those texts to support a range of claims and conclusions, the teacher asks learners to write several short essays about the texts. They practice their computer skills when creating, refining, and sharing their writing. The teacher focuses classroom discussion on what the students have read or written. 2.2.2. An ASE bridge to college instructor ties a standards–based lesson on writing arguments to college readiness and, specifically, to an HSE exam. The teacher begins the lesson with a writing activity that prompts students to identify what they have just done and learned (e.g., "I have been working on"; "I am able to"). At the end of the lesson, the instructor reviews the purpose, summarizes student learning, and previews what students will be working on next (rather than previewing homework or textbook pages to be covered in subsequent lessons). 2.2.3. An ASE mathematics instructor organizes instruction so that students first learn the properties of operations for simple whole numbers and then extend their learning to fractions, operations with negative numbers, expressions with letters, and finally to polynomials. As the application of properties is extended during the course of the lessons, the teacher explicitly points out how the properties of operations work together to form the basis of algebra. 2.2.4. When training radiographers in screen film image processing, rather than moving through the textbook page by page the career technical instructor focuses the instruction on those pages in the textbook that address the learning standards. The instructor knows that understanding the concept of ratios, proportions, and functions will take substantial explicit instruction, problem-solving, and exercise, while other standards will require only a single lesson or two. 2.2.5. Throughout a lesson, an ABE instructor checks in with students through a series of questions and answers to determine their understanding of a text under study. The instructor circulates around the room as students work on a writing assignment to make sure they understand the directions and to check on their progress in completing the assignment. Every 4 weeks, the instructor provides students with a culminating assignment. Through a combination of written comments, individual student conferences, and classroom discussions, the instructor provides prompt and accurate feedback on each student's progress in mastering the targeted standards.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD22	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
2.3. Uses instructional techniques that are effective with adult learners View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 2.3.1. Engages students actively in their own learning through relevant, thought-provoking questions; problems; and tasks that stimulate interest 2.3.2. Varies instructional activities and examples to improve conceptual understanding and skill development 2.3.3. Addresses diverse learning modalities, abilities, needs, and interests through differentiated instruction 2.3.4. Provides various opportunities for classroom interaction, where learners are grouped with others with a range of same-to-different needs, interests, and abilities, as well as opportunities for individual work, when appropriate 2.3.5. Uses explicit instruction in instructional design to set a purpose for learning that is clear to the learner, breaks down content into smaller parts that follow a logical sequence, includes modeling, and provides immediate feedback to learners 2.3.6. Designs instruction within the course content that targets specific skills, such as active listening, note-taking, skimming and scanning, formal writing, effective communication, and study habits, to encourage learner development View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 2.3.1. An ABE mathematics teacher gives learners tracing paper that they use to compare the angles formed when a transversal crosses a pair of parallel angles. After making comparisons, the learners share their observations and develop a general rule that will be true for all angles formed in these instances. 2.3.2. An ASE teacher guides learners through a series of activities that emphasize different ways of engaging with a new text. Learners practice annotating the reading with questions and comments, defining new vocabulary, summarizing and paraphrasing, discussing the reading in groups, and presenting discussion points to the whole class. 2.3.3. An ESL literacy teacher uses a common prompt'a picture of a car accident'to provide context for a variety of reading tasks. Low-beginning students match word cards with pictures and do word sorts to practice word recognition. More skilled beginning students copy words or work on reading comprehension questions. All learners dictate and share their own stories about car accidents they have experienced directly or witnessed. These stories will be used as texts for future reading lessons. 2.3.4. Learners in a multilevel ESL classroom are first grouped in like ability teams, where they engage in different activities (appropriate for their levels) to build vocabulary necessary in job interviews. Then, groups are changed to include individuals from different levels (mixed ability), where learners make lists of good interview behaviors and briefly practice them to ensure lower level students understand. Groups develop interview questions about certain professions and conduct mock interviews of individuals from other groups. 2.3.5. An ABE writing teacher introduces peer review techniques by showing a short video of two learners engaged in a peer review session. The students and the teacher discuss the session: "What kinds of questions did the students ask each other? Do you think Student B will be able to write a better paper because of his classmate's input" The teacher also asks, "Do you think showing your writing to your peers helps you? Why or why not" The teacher then introduces language expressions and strategies used in peer review, and the learners practice in role–playing situations. The teacher observes the role–play, makes note of common challenges, and addresses those challenges in a subsequent lesson. 2.3.6. Learners in a high–level ESL bridge to career course are given instruction on focused listening, where they are asked to identify specific information from a relatively long discourse or lecture while filtering out irrelevant information. Learners are asked to summarize the information as concisely as possible in an outline format that they learned in a previous lesson.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD23	D1set1ROMSS	D2set3PPDA
2.4. Designs instruction to build learners' technology and digital media literacy skills View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 2.4.1. Demonstrates the value of technology to stimulate learning, pique interest, and provide opportunities to apply ideas and concepts to learners' daily lives 2.4.2. Provides appropriate hands-on opportunities for learners to interact with computers, the Internet, and other digital media on a regular basis, from basic operations to more sophisticated ones in order to build technology literacy skills 2.4.3. Provides tasks and projects within the course content that require technology for research, presentation, data management, and other skills 2.4.4. Teaches critical analysis and evaluation strategies of Web-based information and digital media, including an understanding of authenticity, agenda, purpose, and point of view View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 2.4.1. An ASE bridge to business teacher shows learners how to create and interpret several types of data representation as part of social studies, science, and mathematics instruction. Once learners have shown that they can create data graphs accurately by hand, the teacher guides them to create these representations using electronic spreadsheets (such as Excel). The learners integrate these high-quality graphs into slide presentations, such as PowerPoint, for classroom demonstrations and presentations. Facility with these technological tools is very beneficial to these learners, who intend to enter business careers. 2.4.2. An ABE literacy teacher teaches a multilevel class in which a few of the learners have not yet learned the basic mechanisms of using a mouse and navigating a computer environment. The teacher introduces the students to several online tools that provide hands-on practice with the mouse. The teacher gives more proficient learners a list of recommended literacy websites and asks them to find the websites on the Internet, describe the purpose of each site, and rate the site (1=not useful, 2=useful, 3=very useful). The class members share their reactions to the usefulness of the sites they visited. 2.4.3. In an ASE advanced writing course, the teacher provides the topic of "Good and Bad Dieting," with specific instruction on how to research information using search engines on the Internet. Learners are asked to use the information they find to complete mind maps and then organize the information into three main categories, which will be used in a later lesson on essay writing. 2.4.4. A teacher of a multilevel ESL class divides the class into four mixed ability groups. The teacher chooses a current news topic and then asks the learners to visit three news outlets (e.g., a local news site, an international news site, and an ethnic media site) in whatever language the learners choose to read. The teacher asks the learners to work together to find and compare the kinds of information found at each site on the topic, using the following questions: "What article(s) did you find on this topic? What are the headlines? Are the articles on the home page? What information do you find? What photos do you see? What is different across the sites? What is similar? Why do you think there are differences and similarities?"	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD24	D2set4ROMSS	D2set4PPDA
2.5. Designs instruction to build learners' higher-order thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 2.5.1. Provides activities that require suspending judgment, coming to consensus, discussing alternatives, prioritizing, negotiating, problem-solving, evaluating, and other skills 2.5.2. Provides opportunities for inquiry and for learners to construct meaning and develop ideas from open-ended questions 2.5.3. Provides learners opportunities to apply their knowledge, skills, and new learning to identify obstacles and solutions to real-life and classroom projects through independent and collaborative problem-solving activities View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 2.5.1. After high–level ABE learners independently read the beginning of an article rating the best places to live in the United States, the teacher leads a discussion about what learners believe are the characteristics of a good city (e.g., safety, entertainment, size, commerce, and other criteria). Then, in groups, learners are asked to decide by consensus which characteristics they deem most important and to rank them. Finally, learners are asked to read the rest of the article and report if they agree with the author's conclusions, based on their groups' priorities. 2.5.2. Learners in an intermediate ASE class are interested in working in food services. The teacher develops a science unit, constructing research questions associated with the leavening properties of different ingredients such as yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. The teacher creates open-ended research questions that provide guidelines for inquiry, including the following: "What are common leavening agents in food preparation? In what types of recipes and in what combinations are those agents used and why" The teacher concludes the lesson by having students work in groups to develop recipes that include those agents and try the recipes at home. Learners share the results of their experiments. 2.5.3. A bridge to manufacturing teacher presents learners with a design problem within a unit on measurement. The learners are given a certain number of wall sections of a certain height and width so that they can create a variety of rectangular, prism–shaped toolshed designs. Learners sketch the possibilities and determine the measurements that will maximize the floor area and capacity of the shed. After the students submit their designs, the class members move to the program's computer lab, where they search common shed fabrication designs and are given the opportunity to revise their original designs.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD25	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
			Total for Domain:
3. Effectively communicates to motivate and engage learners
3.1. Communicates high expectations of learners and motivates them to persist to meet their goals View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 3.1.1. Communicates learning goals and explains to learners in clear language how day–to–day instruction, assignments, and projects support them in achieving those goals 3.1.2. Encourages learners to ask questions and seek out help when they are experiencing difficulty difficulty. 3.1.3. Builds learner confidence by providing feedback on progress in relationship to learning goals and encouragement and clear feedback about the steps needed to continue moving toward goal attainment View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 3.1.1. An advanced ESL teacher begins each class with a review of the day's agenda, including the learning objectives for the day's lesson. At the end of each lesson, the teacher reviews what the intended objectives for the lesson were and what was actually accomplished. The teacher also indicates what will be covered in the next class. 3.1.2. An ASE teacher demonstrates through daily interactions with learners that trying out ideas, being uncertain, and struggling are a normal part of the learning process. Rather than extending praise only to "correct" answers and showing embarrassment or disappointment in response to learner mistakes, the teacher gives praise for effort and resilience and emphasizes how much can be learned from both errors and correct responses. 3.1.3. A literacy-level ABE teacher schedules one-on-one meetings with students to discuss progress in relationship to their learning goals (while other students are engaged in small group collaborative work). In one of these meetings, a learner who had come to the program with the goal of obtaining a high school credential expresses his frustration with his perceived level of progress. The teacher acknowledges that a high school credential is a long–term goal and describes the short–term and midterm goals that were established earlier in the semester to reach that longer term goal. The teacher then reviews the current progress the learner is making in relationship to immediate goals for the semester.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD31	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
3.2. Communicates in a clear and understandable way View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 3.2.1. Speaks and writes clearly and accurately when giving directions for tasks, clarifying content, questioning, and evaluating student work and ideas 3.2.2. Uses language and notation that is appropriate for learners, based on their backgrounds and abilities 3.2.3. Selects level-appropriate materials and presents them in an understandable and organized format to support the goals of the lesson View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 3.2.1. A teacher of a multilevel ESL class is spending a lot of time going around the classroom re-explaining task instructions. After listening to an audiotape of himself giving instructions, the teacher decides to practice scripting the instructions for a few days. The teacher sets reminders to repeat instructions in different ways. First, he explains orally and demonstrates with gestures. Next, he models what the learners should do. Finally, he asks the learners to practice as a whole class before working on the task individually or in small groups. 3.2.2. A team of ABE teachers organizes a "library" of books according to reading levels. The teachers then use the levels to recommend books for learners' independent reading. As learners read, the teachers monitor and question them to determine whether the chosen books are appropriately challenging. 3.2.3. A high–level ABE teacher selects news articles as part of a lesson on statewide elections. In order to support students in reading to identify the main ideas of an article, the teacher creates a graphic organizer to accompany the article and, after having students read the article independently, creates mixed ability groups so that students can complete the graphic organizer with the main ideas.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD32	D3set3ROMSS	D3set2PPDA
3.3. Engages in active listening, dialogue, and questioning to facilitate and support learning View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 3.3.1. Uses questioning strategies for understanding and responding to student comments and questions in order to engage learners in inquiry, challenging their own assumptions, and problem-solving 3.3.2. Builds stop, reflect, and check–in points in lesson plans to provide learners with opportunities to clarify, confirm, or deepen their understanding of the lesson task or content View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 3.3.1. Learners in an intermediate ASE course are asked to answer the following questions about knowing how to calculate the circumference of a circle: How do you measure the circumference of a circle? Why do we need to know this? What professions might need this information (fashion designers, landscapers, manufactures, carpet layers, and so forth)? How can you use this information? Can you think of an easy way to remember the formula? 3.3.2. During the course of every lesson, a bridge to college teacher employs several questioning strategies to help students fully understand the lesson objectives. Rather than relying on an individual student response to represent class-wide understanding, the teacher creates a classroom culture where all learners listen to, critique, and speak in support of other learners' ideas. The teacher also routinely presses learners not to simply provide "answers" to problems or questions but to always explain and justify their process and thinking.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD33	D3set3ROMSS	D3set3PPDA
3.4. Models an understanding of diversity View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 3.4.1. Uses diversity of learners' home languages, cultures (ethnic, racial, sexual, religious, class based) and prior language/literacy learning experiences as a resource for learning and building a classroom 3.4.2. When evaluating learner performance, tailors feedback based on an understanding of linguistic, cultural, and ability differences, such as when learners are members of vernacular–speaking communities, are second language learners, or possibly have learning difficulties 3.4.3. Uses language and chooses classroom material that respect learners' identities as individuals View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 3.4.1. An ABE literacy teacher invites learners to create a class calendar of different holidays and festivals celebrated by learners in the class. The teacher uses the calendar to reinforce the spelling of days of the week and months of the year. In addition, the class votes for those holidays they will celebrate in class. The teacher invites learners to share cultural practices they'd like others to know about. For example, learners of Muslim faith may fast during Ramadan and may refuse food at break time. 3.4.2. An intermediate ESL teacher identifies common errors made by native speakers of Spanish, such as using adjectives after nouns as is common in Spanish instead of before nouns as is common in English. The teacher shows learners how English and Spanish are different in this area, demonstrating an understanding of the differences. 3.4.3. A teacher reviews mathematics texts, looking for problems that can be used in an ASE mathematics class. The teacher discovers a few problems that are mathematically rich but that contain gender and other cultural stereotypes. The teacher recognizes that the problems, as written, would offend some learners, would create a classroom atmosphere that undermined trust, and would distract from the content of the lesson. The teacher rewrites the problems to remove those references.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD34	D1set1ROMSS	D1set1PPDA
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4. Pursues professionalism and continually builds knowledge and skills
4.1. Possesses content area knowledge and teaching skills required for subjects and populations taught View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 4.1.1. Demonstrates knowledge of subjects and populations taught through the development of lesson plans, activities, and a selection of resources that have evidence of effectiveness and are aligned with instructional goals and standards 4.1.2. Builds knowledge and skills both in content areas and pedagogy through formal education, preservice learning, job-embedded learning, or participation in professional development activities 4.1.3. Evaluates areas where one's own pedagogical and/or content knowledge needs to be strengthened and seeks out professional development settings and resources to address these needs as part of a professional development plan 4.1.4. Connects professional learning to instructional practice by implementing what has been learned, evaluating the impacts, and refining practice going forward View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 4.1.1. An intermediate ASE teacher is planning a learning unit on writing instruction. The teacher structures the unit to include lessons on each of the phases of the writing process: prewriting, writing, revising, and editing. Through review of writing samples, the teacher identifies common areas of need among students and identifies paragraph development as an area for explicit instruction. 4.1.2. An ESL teacher will be assigned a multilevel class in the next semester. The teacher's knowledge of teaching adult English language learners was gained through completion of a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate program, but the program did not include methods for instruction in a multilevel setting. The teacher seeks resources for building knowledge and preparing for teaching the class by working with an experienced teacher in his program and by enrolling in a freely available online course. 4.1.3. An ASE teacher who has always focused reading instruction on fiction and autobiography learns that graduates often struggle to read nonfiction texts in college. The teacher finds and enrolls in a professional development seminar series devoted to high-quality instruction of nonfiction texts. Following the seminars, the teacher plans to read a series of research articles on this issue as further preparation before planning a nonfiction unit for students. 4.1.4. An ABE mathematics teacher wants to improve learners' conceptual understanding of the differences in measuring length, area, and volume. The teacher attends professional development workshops that describe the importance of using concrete manipulatives in developing these concepts. After using these tools in the classroom, the teacher believes that the learners have a clearer notion of measurement concepts but wants to do a better job of linking the manipulatives to learners' understanding of measurement units. The teacher plans adjustments to address this weakness in the next cycle.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD41	D4set1ROMSS	D4set1PPDA
4.2. Participates in professional development networks and learning communities View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 4.2.1. Participates regularly in a professional learning network or community of practice, with the express purpose of improving teaching and learning 4.2.2. Shares content and pedagogical resources with program staff in collaborative professional development projects 4.2.3. Participates in the development and implementation of a shared vision among members of a professional network or learning community, with the intent of creating new and improved conditions for teachers and learners 4.2.4. Shares, gives, and accepts feedback related to student learning through professional networks and learning communities View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 4.2.1. An intermediate ESL teacher's second language reading pedagogy relies largely on experience teaching high school English literature. The teacher decides to join a study circle with other local ESL teachers to improve her knowledge base and strengthen her practice as an ESL reading teacher. The teacher is able to make adjustments to instructional practice, with improved focus on alphabetics, reading fluency, and vocabulary development. 4.2.2. A team of ASE teachers decide they want to improve their science instruction. They read and discuss a series of articles on climate change and work together to develop questions that are focused on critique and evaluation of the information presented, and they devise activities and experiments that will be appropriate at an ASE level. After teaching the lessons, the group reconvenes to share observations of student learning and revise the lessons for later use. 4.2.3. An intermediate ASE teacher, while participating in a teachers' meeting about the institution's goals and vision, realizes that there is a great deal of emphasis on obtaining a high school diploma, but little emphasis is directed toward passing the high school credential test. The teacher decides to write for the institution blog in order to raise awareness. She submits an article on the diversity of learner needs and how preparation courses can be useful for some learners who have differing needs from the learners who will receive high school diplomas. 4.2.4. A group of ABE and ASE teachers agree to engage in a semester–long project focused on improving the amount and quality of "learner talk" in their classes. The teachers devise an observation protocol that they use while observing each other's classes to record questions and directions that seem to encourage or stifle productive learner discourse. Over time, the teachers begin to adjust their teaching practices in response to patterns they notice through the project.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD42	D4set2ROMSS	D4set2PPDA
4.3. Refines instructional practices through reflection on experience, evidence, and data View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 4.3.1. Identifies the phases involved in the reflective teaching process and articulates the link between engaging in the process and student learning outcomes 4.3.2. Understands the nature and purpose of teacher reflection tools (e.g., teaching journal/diary, self-observation, action research) and uses these tools in response to the local teaching context 4.3.3. Regularly seeks out opportunities to tap into current professional wisdom, empirical research, and theory as a vehicle for reflecting on and improving one's own teaching View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 4.3.1. An ABE literacy teacher is concerned about nonparticipation patterns during phonics activities among a few learners. The teacher starts a teaching journal to focus attention on the learners' behaviors and her own reactions. At a teachers' meeting, the teacher shares her reflective process and observations, and when colleagues acknowledge similar concerns, the teacher and colleagues decide to undertake a collaborative journal writing project. Over time, the teachers are able to broaden their views on the challenges of nonparticipation, question their assumptions about classroom expectations, and devise a plan for talking to the learners about their own expectations for classroom participation. 4.3.2. A multilevel ESL teacher is concerned that all learners are not being reached and that the lower level learners are falling behind because the teacher hasn't been able to give them enough time. The teacher teams up with a colleague to investigate how to improve the outcomes of these learners. The two teachers discuss the issue, and the teacher's partner observes him and scripts what is observed, avoiding opinions. The teacher does the same observation and scripts for his partner, and they meet in conference to discuss their findings. 4.3.3. An intermediate ASE teacher hears someone mention evidence–based reading instruction (EBRI) in a meeting but is not familiar with this teaching approach. The teacher searches for articles that describe the approach and research papers that might describe its effectiveness. She is more interested in the approach after consulting these sources but also recognizes how different EBRI is from her current practice. She decides to sign up for an online professional development course on EBRI before trying to employ this in the classroom.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 2 4	subTotalD43	D1set1ROMSS	D4set3PPDA
4.4. Participates in and contributes to program improvement efforts View Performance Indicators Performance Indicators 4.4.1. Routinely shares instructional plans, data, and reflections on learner progress with other program staff members 4.4.2. Identifies patterns in learner achievement to suggest program–wide changes in course structure, content, pedagogy, or professional development 4.4.3. Identifies patterns in learners' academic and career goals to suggest program–wide changes in advising and contextualized instruction and to encourage collaboration with higher education, industry, and other institutions View Sample Illustrations Sample Illustrations 4.4.1. Midway through the semester, an advanced ESL teacher meets with colleagues to discuss learners' oral skill development. The teacher wants to know how to improve oral skill instruction to better prepare learners for the speaking demands of credit ESL classes. The teacher brings sample lesson plans, a list of curricular objectives, and video clips of learners working in groups and giving individual speeches. 4.4.2. An ASE bridge to college teacher notices that learners routinely arrive in class needing a great deal of work in writing and mathematics. These areas are the ones that the high school credential test-takers frequently fail. The teacher begins a program-wide discussion of possible responses to this problem. The program's leadership, with additional input from teachers, decides that teachers will no longer teach all subjects that are tested. Instead, teachers will specialize in one or two content areas. In this way, teachers will be able to focus their energy and professional development activities on a narrower range of content that particularly interests them. 4.4.3. An intermediate ESL teacher sees that after completing his class, learners are not completing the next advanced ESL classes or ABE classes. The teacher believes that these learners are not comfortable moving to new classes that demand more academic rigor. The teacher suggests to the head of the ESL department that they create a transition course that will prepare learners for career and academic success. The pilot course is accepted, and the teacher is chosen to teach it.	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4	subTotalD44	D4set4ROMSS	D4set4PPDA
			Total for Domain:

Competency

Relevance to My Teaching

Not Relevant <–> Relevant

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

My Own Proficiency

Very Proficient <–> Needs Improvement

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Program Priority Level

Low Priority <–> High Priority

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Subtotals

Reflections on
My Self-Scoring

Possible Professional
Development Activities

1. Monitors and manages student learning and performance through data

Assesses learners' prior knowledge, learning needs, and college and career readiness goals
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotal1

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

1.2. Sets learning goals and a course of study
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotal2

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

1.3 Monitors learning through summative and formative assessment data
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
1.3.1. At the end of each day's lesson, an ABE instructor asks learners to write individual responses to one or two brief prompts relating to that day's key lesson objectives. These answers provide the instructor with a snapshot of student understanding that the instructor combines with other formative assessments in planning for the next lesson.
1.3.2. After 3 weeks of instruction, a bridge to college instructor holds a conference with each learner to review his or her attendance, class participation, organizational habits, and academic progress. The conferences provide each learner with an early opportunity to discuss areas of strength and concern.
1.3.3. A team of ESL instructors reviews the results and diagnostic information from the program's standardized language skills assessment at the end of a cycle and uses a shared rubric to decide which students will advance to the next level. In addition to appropriately placing learners, the collaboration strengthens teachers' abilities to evaluate student writing.
1.3.4. At the beginning of a semester, an HSE teacher administers a learning goal assessment. At the end of an instructional unit, the HSE teacher administers a teacher-developed formative assessment. The HSE teacher shares the results with learners and works with them to tie the results to their learning goals (e.g., "I'll be able to identify main ideas more easily by the end of the semester"), not just global skill improvements (e.g., "I'll be a better reader").

1 2 3 4

subTotal3

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

1.4. Adapts instruction based on formative and summative student assessment data
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotal1

D1set4ROMSS

D1set4PPDA

Total for Domain:

2. Plans and delivers high-quality, evidence-based instruction

2.1. Designs learner-centered instruction and classroom environments
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
2.1.1. Based on a needs assessment, an advanced ESL teacher finds that several learners in class want to work in health fields and a few other students were health workers in their home countries. The teacher integrates units on health themes with language learning activities. Learners practice oral communication skills by giving 5-minute presentations on health topics of their choice.
2.1.2. An ABE literacy teacher works with learners to generate and agree on a set of norms for engaging in respectful classroom discussions. The instructor asks students to do a shared writing activity to print the norms on a poster board. The poster is displayed prominently in the classroom, which allows the teacher and learners to refer to the norms when needed.
2.1.3. A beginning ESL instructor teaches students the kind of language needed to analyze their own learning experiences and to share feedback (e.g., "I don't like group work because") and express emotions about their own learning (e.g., "I am frustrated. I don't know many words in English."). Midway through the semester, the instructor shows the class a videotape of a role-play that the students did at the beginning of the semester. The instructor invites the class to share ideas in response to the prompt: "Before we _______, but now we _______."
2.1.4. An ESL civics teacher plans a learning unit on the system of checks and balances in the three branches of the U.S. government. The teacher creates a flowchart to show the responsibilities and role of each branch. The teacher then assigns students to groups to research one of the branches, asking each group to provide guiding questions about the following: how many members the branch has, how the members of the branch are chosen to serve, the amount of time they serve, and the duties they undertake. The students are scheduled for time in the program's computer lab to do Internet research and develop their presentations. Several days after the students make their presentations, the teacher creates a scenario so that each group of students can represent a branch of government to pass a law. The students are asked to create a classroom process for passing the law.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD21

D2set1ROMSS

D2set1PPDA

2.2. Designs standards-based instructional units and lesson plans
View Performance Indicators
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Sample Illustrations
2.2.1. An ABE reading/writing teacher, preparing learners for an HSE exam, integrates a small cluster of standards in the unit, focused on analyzing the U.S. Founding Documents. To learn how to draw evidence from those texts to support a range of claims and conclusions, the teacher asks learners to write several short essays about the texts. They practice their computer skills when creating, refining, and sharing their writing. The teacher focuses classroom discussion on what the students have read or written.
2.2.2. An ASE bridge to college instructor ties a standards–based lesson on writing arguments to college readiness and, specifically, to an HSE exam. The teacher begins the lesson with a writing activity that prompts students to identify what they have just done and learned (e.g., "I have been working on"; "I am able to"). At the end of the lesson, the instructor reviews the purpose, summarizes student learning, and previews what students will be working on next (rather than previewing homework or textbook pages to be covered in subsequent lessons).
2.2.3. An ASE mathematics instructor organizes instruction so that students first learn the properties of operations for simple whole numbers and then extend their learning to fractions, operations with negative numbers, expressions with letters, and finally to polynomials. As the application of properties is extended during the course of the lessons, the teacher explicitly points out how the properties of operations work together to form the basis of algebra.
2.2.4. When training radiographers in screen film image processing, rather than moving through the textbook page by page the career technical instructor focuses the instruction on those pages in the textbook that address the learning standards. The instructor knows that understanding the concept of ratios, proportions, and functions will take substantial explicit instruction, problem-solving, and exercise, while other standards will require only a single lesson or two.
2.2.5. Throughout a lesson, an ABE instructor checks in with students through a series of questions and answers to determine their understanding of a text under study. The instructor circulates around the room as students work on a writing assignment to make sure they understand the directions and to check on their progress in completing the assignment. Every 4 weeks, the instructor provides students with a culminating assignment. Through a combination of written comments, individual student conferences, and classroom discussions, the instructor provides prompt and accurate feedback on each student's progress in mastering the targeted standards.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD22

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

2.3. Uses instructional techniques that are effective with adult learners
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
2.3.1. An ABE mathematics teacher gives learners tracing paper that they use to compare the angles formed when a transversal crosses a pair of parallel angles. After making comparisons, the learners share their observations and develop a general rule that will be true for all angles formed in these instances.
2.3.2. An ASE teacher guides learners through a series of activities that emphasize different ways of engaging with a new text. Learners practice annotating the reading with questions and comments, defining new vocabulary, summarizing and paraphrasing, discussing the reading in groups, and presenting discussion points to the whole class.
2.3.3. An ESL literacy teacher uses a common prompt'a picture of a car accident'to provide context for a variety of reading tasks. Low-beginning students match word cards with pictures and do word sorts to practice word recognition. More skilled beginning students copy words or work on reading comprehension questions. All learners dictate and share their own stories about car accidents they have experienced directly or witnessed. These stories will be used as texts for future reading lessons.
2.3.4. Learners in a multilevel ESL classroom are first grouped in like ability teams, where they engage in different activities (appropriate for their levels) to build vocabulary necessary in job interviews. Then, groups are changed to include individuals from different levels (mixed ability), where learners make lists of good interview behaviors and briefly practice them to ensure lower level students understand. Groups develop interview questions about certain professions and conduct mock interviews of individuals from other groups.
2.3.5. An ABE writing teacher introduces peer review techniques by showing a short video of two learners engaged in a peer review session. The students and the teacher discuss the session: "What kinds of questions did the students ask each other? Do you think Student B will be able to write a better paper because of his classmate's input" The teacher also asks, "Do you think showing your writing to your peers helps you? Why or why not" The teacher then introduces language expressions and strategies used in peer review, and the learners practice in role–playing situations. The teacher observes the role–play, makes note of common challenges, and addresses those challenges in a subsequent lesson.
2.3.6. Learners in a high–level ESL bridge to career course are given instruction on focused listening, where they are asked to identify specific information from a relatively long discourse or lecture while filtering out irrelevant information. Learners are asked to summarize the information as concisely as possible in an outline format that they learned in a previous lesson.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD23

D1set1ROMSS

D2set3PPDA

2.4. Designs instruction to build learners' technology and digital media literacy skills
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
2.4.1. An ASE bridge to business teacher shows learners how to create and interpret several types of data representation as part of social studies, science, and mathematics instruction. Once learners have shown that they can create data graphs accurately by hand, the teacher guides them to create these representations using electronic spreadsheets (such as Excel). The learners integrate these high-quality graphs into slide presentations, such as PowerPoint, for classroom demonstrations and presentations. Facility with these technological tools is very beneficial to these learners, who intend to enter business careers.
2.4.2. An ABE literacy teacher teaches a multilevel class in which a few of the learners have not yet learned the basic mechanisms of using a mouse and navigating a computer environment. The teacher introduces the students to several online tools that provide hands-on practice with the mouse. The teacher gives more proficient learners a list of recommended literacy websites and asks them to find the websites on the Internet, describe the purpose of each site, and rate the site (1=not useful, 2=useful, 3=very useful). The class members share their reactions to the usefulness of the sites they visited.
2.4.3. In an ASE advanced writing course, the teacher provides the topic of "Good and Bad Dieting," with specific instruction on how to research information using search engines on the Internet. Learners are asked to use the information they find to complete mind maps and then organize the information into three main categories, which will be used in a later lesson on essay writing.
2.4.4. A teacher of a multilevel ESL class divides the class into four mixed ability groups. The teacher chooses a current news topic and then asks the learners to visit three news outlets (e.g., a local news site, an international news site, and an ethnic media site) in whatever language the learners choose to read. The teacher asks the learners to work together to find and compare the kinds of information found at each site on the topic, using the following questions: "What article(s) did you find on this topic? What are the headlines? Are the articles on the home page? What information do you find? What photos do you see? What is different across the sites? What is similar? Why do you think there are differences and similarities?"

1 2 3 4

subTotalD24

D2set4ROMSS

D2set4PPDA

2.5. Designs instruction to build learners' higher-order thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills
View Performance Indicators
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Sample Illustrations
2.5.1. After high–level ABE learners independently read the beginning of an article rating the best places to live in the United States, the teacher leads a discussion about what learners believe are the characteristics of a good city (e.g., safety, entertainment, size, commerce, and other criteria). Then, in groups, learners are asked to decide by consensus which characteristics they deem most important and to rank them. Finally, learners are asked to read the rest of the article and report if they agree with the author's conclusions, based on their groups' priorities.
2.5.2. Learners in an intermediate ASE class are interested in working in food services. The teacher develops a science unit, constructing research questions associated with the leavening properties of different ingredients such as yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. The teacher creates open-ended research questions that provide guidelines for inquiry, including the following: "What are common leavening agents in food preparation? In what types of recipes and in what combinations are those agents used and why" The teacher concludes the lesson by having students work in groups to develop recipes that include those agents and try the recipes at home. Learners share the results of their experiments.
2.5.3. A bridge to manufacturing teacher presents learners with a design problem within a unit on measurement. The learners are given a certain number of wall sections of a certain height and width so that they can create a variety of rectangular, prism–shaped toolshed designs. Learners sketch the possibilities and determine the measurements that will maximize the floor area and capacity of the shed. After the students submit their designs, the class members move to the program's computer lab, where they search common shed fabrication designs and are given the opportunity to revise their original designs.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD25

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

Total for Domain:

3. Effectively communicates to motivate and engage learners

3.1. Communicates high expectations of learners and motivates them to persist to meet their goals
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotalD31

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

3.2. Communicates in a clear and understandable way
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotalD32

D3set3ROMSS

D3set2PPDA

3.3. Engages in active listening, dialogue, and questioning to facilitate and support learning
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotalD33

D3set3ROMSS

D3set3PPDA

3.4. Models an understanding of diversity
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

1 2 3 4

subTotalD34

D1set1ROMSS

D1set1PPDA

Total for Domain:

4. Pursues professionalism and continually builds knowledge and skills

4.1. Possesses content area knowledge and teaching skills required for subjects and populations taught
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
4.1.1. An intermediate ASE teacher is planning a learning unit on writing instruction. The teacher structures the unit to include lessons on each of the phases of the writing process: prewriting, writing, revising, and editing. Through review of writing samples, the teacher identifies common areas of need among students and identifies paragraph development as an area for explicit instruction.
4.1.2. An ESL teacher will be assigned a multilevel class in the next semester. The teacher's knowledge of teaching adult English language learners was gained through completion of a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate program, but the program did not include methods for instruction in a multilevel setting. The teacher seeks resources for building knowledge and preparing for teaching the class by working with an experienced teacher in his program and by enrolling in a freely available online course.
4.1.3. An ASE teacher who has always focused reading instruction on fiction and autobiography learns that graduates often struggle to read nonfiction texts in college. The teacher finds and enrolls in a professional development seminar series devoted to high-quality instruction of nonfiction texts. Following the seminars, the teacher plans to read a series of research articles on this issue as further preparation before planning a nonfiction unit for students.
4.1.4. An ABE mathematics teacher wants to improve learners' conceptual understanding of the differences in measuring length, area, and volume. The teacher attends professional development workshops that describe the importance of using concrete manipulatives in developing these concepts. After using these tools in the classroom, the teacher believes that the learners have a clearer notion of measurement concepts but wants to do a better job of linking the manipulatives to learners' understanding of measurement units. The teacher plans adjustments to address this weakness in the next cycle.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD41

D4set1ROMSS

D4set1PPDA

4.2. Participates in professional development networks and learning communities
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
4.2.1. An intermediate ESL teacher's second language reading pedagogy relies largely on experience teaching high school English literature. The teacher decides to join a study circle with other local ESL teachers to improve her knowledge base and strengthen her practice as an ESL reading teacher. The teacher is able to make adjustments to instructional practice, with improved focus on alphabetics, reading fluency, and vocabulary development.
4.2.2. A team of ASE teachers decide they want to improve their science instruction. They read and discuss a series of articles on climate change and work together to develop questions that are focused on critique and evaluation of the information presented, and they devise activities and experiments that will be appropriate at an ASE level. After teaching the lessons, the group reconvenes to share observations of student learning and revise the lessons for later use.
4.2.3. An intermediate ASE teacher, while participating in a teachers' meeting about the institution's goals and vision, realizes that there is a great deal of emphasis on obtaining a high school diploma, but little emphasis is directed toward passing the high school credential test. The teacher decides to write for the institution blog in order to raise awareness. She submits an article on the diversity of learner needs and how preparation courses can be useful for some learners who have differing needs from the learners who will receive high school diplomas.
4.2.4. A group of ABE and ASE teachers agree to engage in a semester–long project focused on improving the amount and quality of "learner talk" in their classes. The teachers devise an observation protocol that they use while observing each other's classes to record questions and directions that seem to encourage or stifle productive learner discourse. Over time, the teachers begin to adjust their teaching practices in response to patterns they notice through the project.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD42

D4set2ROMSS

D4set2PPDA

4.3. Refines instructional practices through reflection on experience, evidence, and data
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
4.3.1. An ABE literacy teacher is concerned about nonparticipation patterns during phonics activities among a few learners. The teacher starts a teaching journal to focus attention on the learners' behaviors and her own reactions. At a teachers' meeting, the teacher shares her reflective process and observations, and when colleagues acknowledge similar concerns, the teacher and colleagues decide to undertake a collaborative journal writing project. Over time, the teachers are able to broaden their views on the challenges of nonparticipation, question their assumptions about classroom expectations, and devise a plan for talking to the learners about their own expectations for classroom participation.
4.3.2. A multilevel ESL teacher is concerned that all learners are not being reached and that the lower level learners are falling behind because the teacher hasn't been able to give them enough time. The teacher teams up with a colleague to investigate how to improve the outcomes of these learners. The two teachers discuss the issue, and the teacher's partner observes him and scripts what is observed, avoiding opinions. The teacher does the same observation and scripts for his partner, and they meet in conference to discuss their findings.
4.3.3. An intermediate ASE teacher hears someone mention evidence–based reading instruction (EBRI) in a meeting but is not familiar with this teaching approach. The teacher searches for articles that describe the approach and research papers that might describe its effectiveness. She is more interested in the approach after consulting these sources but also recognizes how different EBRI is from her current practice. She decides to sign up for an online professional development course on EBRI before trying to employ this in the classroom.

1 2 3 4

1 2 2 4

subTotalD43

D1set1ROMSS

D4set3PPDA

4.4. Participates in and contributes to program improvement efforts
View Performance Indicators
View Sample Illustrations

Sample Illustrations
4.4.1. Midway through the semester, an advanced ESL teacher meets with colleagues to discuss learners' oral skill development. The teacher wants to know how to improve oral skill instruction to better prepare learners for the speaking demands of credit ESL classes. The teacher brings sample lesson plans, a list of curricular objectives, and video clips of learners working in groups and giving individual speeches.
4.4.2. An ASE bridge to college teacher notices that learners routinely arrive in class needing a great deal of work in writing and mathematics. These areas are the ones that the high school credential test-takers frequently fail. The teacher begins a program-wide discussion of possible responses to this problem. The program's leadership, with additional input from teachers, decides that teachers will no longer teach all subjects that are tested. Instead, teachers will specialize in one or two content areas. In this way, teachers will be able to focus their energy and professional development activities on a narrower range of content that particularly interests them.
4.4.3. An intermediate ESL teacher sees that after completing his class, learners are not completing the next advanced ESL classes or ABE classes. The teacher believes that these learners are not comfortable moving to new classes that demand more academic rigor. The teacher suggests to the head of the ESL department that they create a transition course that will prepare learners for career and academic success. The pilot course is accepted, and the teacher is chosen to teach it.

1 2 3 4

subTotalD44

D4set4ROMSS

D4set4PPDA

Total for Domain:

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Adult Education Teacher Competencies Self-Assessment

Introduction

Directions

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