The teacher demonstrates through classroom-based instruction that she/he understands how children and adolescents grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary among students and within individuals across the cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural, emotional, and physical realms.
| Components of Standard I-C | DESCRIPTORS OF EACH PERFORMANCE LEVEL | |||
| Ineffective | Developing | Effective | Model | |
| I-C-1: Principals of Child and Adolescent Development |
Demonstrates little or no knowledge of developmental levels of students in this age group, or of differences in how students learn. Provides the same learning experience for all students without regard for differences in developmental level. | Demonstrates knowledge of the developmental levels of this general age group, but does not identify the characteristics and learning differences of individual students in the class. Provides some variation in learning experiences, which enables some but not all students to progress toward the intended outcome. | Demonstrates knowledge of the developmental levels of students in the class and the different ways students learn. Provides differentiated learning experiences to enable all students to progress toward the intended outcome. | Demonstrates expert knowledge of the developmental levels of students in this general age group and of specific individuals in the class and uses this knowledge to differentiate and expand learning experiences, thus enabling all students to make significant progress toward the intended outcome. |
| I-C-2: Diversity in Ability, Language, Culture, and Background Experiences | Displays little or no knowledge or understanding of students’ interests, linguistic and cultural heritage, medical needs, social-emotional development, or cognitive abilities, nor why such knowledge is important. Does not plan or implement learning activities that take these characteristics into account. | Recognizes the value of understanding students’ interests, linguistic and cultural heritage, medical needs, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities, but such knowledge in relation to students in the class is incomplete or inaccurate. Does not plan or implement learning activities that take these characteristics into account. | Demonstrates a grasp of the interests, linguistic and cultural heritage, medical needs, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities of individual students. Provides learning activities that are responsive to these differences, challenging, and developmentally appropriate. | Demonstrates a firm understanding of individual students’ interests, linguistic and cultural heritage, medical needs, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities. Implements a strategy for gathering, maintaining and updating such information. Systematically designs and provides developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences for each learner. |
