• What is INTASC?

The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is a program of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). CCSSO is a non profit organization that represents the fifty-seven chief education officers responsible for setting education policy in the states and territories. Within CCSSO, INTASC works with the state education agencies responsible for teacher licensing, professional development and program approval to promote standards-based reform of the licensing process.

  • What is INTASC's mission?

The mission of INTASC is to provide a forum for its member states to learn about and collaborate in the development of:

  • compatible educational policy on teaching among the states;
  • new accountability requirements for teacher preparation programs;
  • new techniques to assess the performance of teachers for licensing and evaluation; and
  • new programs to enhance the professional development of teachers.
  • Is my state a member of INTASC?

At the present time, thirty-five states and territories are members of INTASC. They include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

  • What has INTASC accomplished so far?
  1. Developed model “core” standards for what all beginning teachers should know, be like, and be able to do in order to practice responsibly, regardless of the subject matter or grade level being taught;
  1. Translated the core standards into model licensing standards in mathematics, English language arts, science, the arts and foreign languages and special education, and are developing standards for elementary education, social studies/civics;
  1. Initiated development of a new licensing examination, the Test for Teaching Knowledge, which will measure a beginning teacher’s knowledge of the core standards;
  1. Developed and validated a model performance assessment in the form of a candidate portfolio in math, English/language arts and science that is linked to INTASC standards;

  1. Developed principles for quality teacher preparation programs to guide teacher preparation programs on how to incorporate INTASC’s performance-based standards;
  1. Hosted a series of training academies to help states develop capacity to implement a performance-based licensing system by training individuals to score INTASC portfolios, to serve as mentors for beginning teachers, and to reform teacher preparation programs so that they incorporate the model standards;
  1. Provided ongoing technical assistance to states as they implement standards-based licensure systems; and,
  1. Commissioned papers on the legal implications of a standards-based education system and assessment instruments for licensing.
  • How do the INTASC standards fit in with the standards drafted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)?

The INTASC core principles and content standards articulate the knowledge and skills that beginning teachers should demonstrate as they begin full-time employment. They serve as a guide to help states assess teacher performance, approve teacher preparation programs and set guidelines for professional development. The NBPTS sets standards for voluntary recognition of accomplished teachers and NCATE sets standards for voluntary accreditation and recognition of preparation programs. The INTASC core principles are based on the framework of NBPTS, and have been officially endorsed by NCATE. The content standards of INTASC, NBPTS and NCATE are driven by K-12 student standards recommended by the various professional associations, and represent what individual professionals should know and be able to do to effectively teach to the standards. Thus, all three organizations are carrying out their distinctive functions based on the same foundation of knowledge and skills for teachers.

  • Are states required to use the INTASC standards?

No. The INTASC standards are model standards and intended to be a RESOURCE that all states can use to develop their own state standards. INTASC encourages states to take the model standards and discuss and debate them among their own stakeholders to come up with their own language. INTASC’s hope is that states will agree with and honor the values in the model standards and in this way move us toward consensus and compatible educational policies around what good teaching looks like and how it can be assessed.

  • How would attending the academies help states and districts ensure that Alternative Route Programs produce professionals that meet the “highly qualified” teacher definition as put forth in the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation?

NCLB states that teachers in an alternate route program may be considered to meet the certification requirements of the definition of a highly qualified teacher if they are participating in an alternate route program under which they (1) receive high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction before and while teaching, and (2) participate in a program of intensive supervision that consists of structured guidance and regular ongoing support for teachers, or a teacher mentoring program.

Participants in the Building Effective Standards-Based Teacher Mentoring and Induction Programs will work to develop a deep understanding of the INTASC Core Principles and how they can be used to build an induction program that assists beginning teachers as they work to improve the instruction they provide to students.

Explain here how the Academies address these points.

  • Do the academies meet the definition of high quality professional development as required in NCLB?

NCLB provides several criteria by which to judge whether or not professional development is of “high quality.” The 2003 INTASC Academy staff believe that the Academies meet the criteria for high quality professional development by:

  • Giving teachers, principals, and administrators the knowledge and skills to provide students with the opportunity to meet challenging state academic content standards and students academic achievement standards;
  • Supporting the recruiting, hiring, and training of highly qualified teachers, including teachers who become highly qualified through state and local alternative routes to certification; and,
  • Providing instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice. Title IX, section 9101(34) of ESEA

NCLB Title II funds may be used to pay the costs associated with having teachers and other LEA staff attend a one-day or short-term workshop or conference if it is part of, and integral to, professional development activities that are high quality and that may reinforce or lay the groundwork as part of a larger, systemic, professional development plan.

  • Which Academy should I attend and what will I learn?

INTASC is hosting two different Summer 2003 INTASC Academies because the needs of higher education personnel differ from the needs of PK-12 school personnel and policy makers. Participants in both Academies will understand the INTASC Core Principles in greater depth. For the first two days of the 2003 Summer Academies participants from both Academies will work together to develop a deep understanding of the INTASC Core Principles. During this part of the Academies, the perspectives from higher education and PK-12 education will enrich the discussion and the understanding of the Core Principles. Participants in the Building Effective Standards-Based Teacher Mentoring and Induction Programs will learn to apply the Core Principles to quality mentoring and induction programs through gathering evidence about teaching, conferring with beginning teachers about their teaching, and by recommending professional development interventions that will bring about improvement in the teaching knowledge and skill of beginning educators. Participants in the Building Effective Standards-Based Teacher Preparation Assessment Systems Academy will use the INTASC Core Principles to build defensible teacher candidate assessment systems.

Which Academy should I attend and what will I learn?”