PLU Teacher Candidate Final Assessment

Supports student learning through developmentally appropriate instruction:

• Distinguished - implements challenging learning experiences that recognize patterns of learning and development across cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical areas 
• Proficient - implements developmentally appropriate instruction that accounts for learners’ strengths, interests and needs 
• Emergent - implements grade-level appropriate instruction, but does not account for individual learners’ differences 
• Undeveloped - implements instruction that exceeds or does not match a developmentally appropriate level for the students 
• Unable to Observe

Uses knowledge of students’ socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic differences to meet learning needs:

• Distinguished - anticipates individual learning needs by proactively differentiating instruction using knowledge of learners’ socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• Proficient - demonstrates thorough knowledge that learners are individuals with differences in their backgrounds as well as their approaches to learning and performance
• Emergent - demonstrates a basic knowledge about learners’ backgrounds and how to meet their learning needs
• Undeveloped - demonstrates minimal knowledge about learners’ backgrounds and how to meet their learning needs
• Unable to Observe

Exhibits fairness and belief that all students can learn: 

• Distinguished - anticipates individual learning needs by proactively differentiating instruction using knowledge of learners’ socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds 
• Proficient - demonstrates thorough knowledge that learners are individuals with differences in their backgrounds as well as their approaches to learning and performance 
• Emergent - demonstrates a basic knowledge about learners’ backgrounds and how to meet their learning needs 
• Undeveloped - demonstrates minimal knowledge about learners’ backgrounds and how to meet their learning needs 
• Unable to Observe

Creates a safe and respectful environment for learners: 

• Distinguished - collaborates with learners to facilitate self-reflection and ownership for ongoing improvement of the classroom community 
• Proficient - consistently models safety and respect to encourage a positive classroom learning community that is respectful of all learners’ differences, including race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and language 
• Emergent - models safety and respect to encourage a positive classroom learning community 
• Undeveloped - ignores unsafe or disrespectful behaviors contributing to a negative classroom learning community 
• Unable to Observe

Structures a classroom environment that promotes student engagement: 

• Distinguished - develops a highly engaging learning environments, accounting for student differences and learning needs 
• Proficient - develops a learning environment that is consistently engaging for most students 
• Emergent - attempts to develop a learning environment that is engaging for most students 
• Undeveloped - needs assistance in developing a learning environment that is engaging for most students 
• Unable to Observe

Responds appropriately to student behavior: 

• Distinguished - monitors student behavior and responds appropriately on a consistent basis 
• Proficient - monitors and responds to student behavior effectively 
• Emergent - inconsistently monitors and responds to student behavior 
• Undeveloped - needs assistance with monitoring student behavior or in responding consistently 
• Unable to Observe

Effectively teaches subject matter: 

• Distinguished - displays mastery of content knowledge and learning progressions that allow flexible adjustments to address learners at their current level of understanding to either remediate or deepen the learners’ understanding 
• Proficient - instructional practices indicate understanding of content knowledge and learning progressions; practices are complete and appropriate for the content 
• Emergent - displays basic content knowledge; instructional practices indicate some awareness of learning progressions; practices are incomplete or inaccurate for the content 
• Undeveloped - displays minimal content knowledge; instructional practices indicate little awareness of learning progressions, and practices are too often incomplete or inaccurate for the content 
• Unable to Observe

Connects core content to relevant, real-life experiences and builds on/activates background knowledge: 

• Distinguished - designs and facilitates challenging learning experiences related to the students’ real-life experiences and relevant core content 
• Proficient - designs instruction related to the students’ real-life experiences and relevant core content 
• Emergent - designs instruction related to the core content but learning tasks have only superficial relationships to the students’ interests or life experiences 
• Undeveloped - designs instruction related to the core content but learning tasks have no relevance to the students’ interests or life experiences 
• Unable to Observe

Connects lesson objectives/goals/targets with school curriculum and state standards: 

• Distinguished - plans demonstrate an understanding of prerequisite relationships between goals and standards and structure and sequence; proactively anticipates misconceptions and prepares to address them 
• Proficient - plans a variety of learning experiences that are aligned with learning goals and standards in a structure and sequence designed to meet student needs 
• Emergent - plans for learning experiences that are aligned with learning goals 
• Undeveloped - lesson plans are not aligned with learning goals 
• Unable to Observe

Uses multiple methods of assessment: 

• Distinguished - designs and modifies multiple formative and summative assessments that align with learning targets and assessments are differentiated to meet student needs 
• Proficient - uses multiple assessments that align with the learning targets 
• Emergent - uses multiple assessments, but not all are aligned with the learning targets 
• Undeveloped - uses limited assessment methods and items that are not aligned with learning targets 
• Unable to Observe

Uses assessment data to inform planning for instruction:

• Distinguished - assessments are strategically designed to inform planning and to provide multiple forms of evidence for monitoring students’ progress relative to learning targets
• Proficient - uses pre-assessment and formative assessment strategies that align with learning targets and data are used to inform planning
• Emergent - pre-assessment and formative assessment strategies are not aligned adequately with learning targets, so data does not effectively inform planning
• Undeveloped - pre-assessment and/or formative assessment data are not utilized to inform planning
• Unable to Observe

Provides students with meaningful feedback to guide next steps in learning:

• Distinguished - provides descriptive success and next-step feedback to individual learners and involves them in self-assessment to improve their own work
• Proficient - provides effective feedback to learners that aids in the improvement of the quality of their work
• Emergent - feedback provided to learners is actionable but does not necessarily improve the quality of the work
• Undeveloped - feedback provided to students is not actionable
• Unable to Observe

Differentiates instruction for a variety of learning needs:

• Distinguished - differentiates instruction in the areas of content, process, product, or learning environment in the best interests of the students
• Proficient - varies instruction for individuals or small groups to create learning experiences that are well matched to student needs
• Emergent - varies teaching of individual or small group learning experiences, but variations are not well-matched to student needs
• Undeveloped - teaches individual or small group learning experiences without differentiating instruction
• Unable to Observe