1. Focus Group on the Draft InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards

2. Focus Group Set-Up Moderator: [Insert Name] Note taker: [Insert Name] Purpose: To solicit feedback on the Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue. We can impact the future of the teaching profession! Note: We do NOT need to reach consensus.

3. Focus Group Set-Up Confidentiality Audio taping Ground rules Introductions

4. Overview Please open the standards document and any notes you took prior to this focus group

5. Overview First, we will consider the standards as a whole. After, we will go standard-by-standard to provide an opportunity to comment on each individual standard.

6. General Questions on the Standards Overall How representative are the core teaching standards as a whole of a clear, coherent vision for effective teaching? What aspects or qualities of the standards are particularly strong? What aspects or qualities are weak, missing, or should be strengthened? How might they be strengthened?

7. General Questions If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to the standards overall, what would be your top three recommendations?

8. Specific Questions About Each Standard Now we’ll talk about each standard individually. For each, I’ll ask about strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for improvement.

9. Standard #1: Learner Development What aspects or qualities of Standard #1 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #1, what would be your top recommendation?

10. Standard #2: Learning Differences What aspects or qualities of Standard #2 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #2, what would be your top recommendation?

11. Standard #3: Learning Environments What aspects or qualities of Standard #3 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #3, what would be your top recommendation?

12. Standard #4: Content Knowledge What aspects or qualities of Standard #4 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #4, what would be your top recommendation?

13. Standard #5: Innovative Applications of Content What aspects or qualities of Standard #5 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #5, what would be your top recommendation?

14. Standard #6: Assessment What aspects or qualities of Standard #6 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #6, what would be your top recommendation?

15. Standard #7: Planning for Instruction What aspects or qualities of Standard #7 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #7, what would be your top recommendation?

16. Standard #8: Instructional Strategies What aspects or qualities of Standard #8 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #8, what would be your top recommendation?

17. Standard #9: Reflection and Continuous Growth What aspects or qualities of Standard #9 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #9, what would be your top recommendation?

18. Standard #10: Collaboration What aspects or qualities of Standard #10 are particularly strong? Why? What aspects or qualities are weak or should be strengthened? How? If you were advising the InTASC Committee on changes to make to Standard #10, what would be your top recommendation?

19. Overall Assessment What is your overall assessment of the draft core teaching standards? ‗ Needs no or only minor work ‗ Needs moderate work ‗ Needs major work/rethinking ‗ Entirely rewrite ‗ No opinion

20. Final Comments Is there anything you would like to add that we have not discussed?

21. Thank you! We will send the feedback we generated here to the CCSSO Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) to help them refine and finalize the standards. You may submit personal comments via the public comment survey form at www.ccsso.org/intasc. www.ccsso.org/intasc