Analysis of Teacher Standards in New Jersey

Without reading either of the teacher standards there are many differences. The Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensing, Assessment and Development: A Resource for State Dialogue developed by Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) first developed their standards in 1992. The New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders developed a set of standards for the first time in 2003. Since they were written in two different decades a person might think that the older standards might be outdated. The New Jersey Standards might be up to date with the No Child Left Behind Act. The standards developed by INTASC are intended for beginner teachers. The New Jersey standards are for veteran and beginner teachers. The New Jersey standards are written more in depth than the INTASC standards so one may think that the New Jersey standards are a better source for teachers since they are written in depth. Once reading the material there are many other differences that have a bigger impact on the curriculum.

The New Jersey standards state they want their teachers to know the content area for all areas, not just the discipline they teach like in the INTASC standards. INTASC wants their teachers to understand the concepts in their area of interest. If teachers are knowledgeable in all subject areas their students will benefit better from their teaching. Both sets of standards want the teachers to relate their knowledge of their discipline to other subject areas. The standards both state they want the teachers to keep up to date with new ideas and understanding of their content area. In each of the standards this requirement is not in the same category. In the INTASC standards they see this as a disposition, but in the New Jersey standards it is considered part of knowledge. If the teachers have new ideas for projects in their classroom they will not get bored with the curriculum each year but their students will be interested as well.

The second regulation both of the sets have is about a student’s development in the classroom. The New Jersey standards mention that not only do students develop and learn in different schools but also in different environments, family settings and community circumstances. They are more in detail to what influences a child’s development in the classroom that is it not just what is in the classroom. The INTASC group wants the teachers to use groups to assess children. The New Jersey standards do not specify whether working in groups is evident or not. If the teachers put into perspective the different backgrounds of their students they may understand them as a person and as a student as well. This could help the teacher and the student both because the teacher could help the student with areas they are not strong in and the student would not get as frustrated with content they do not understand.

In the third standard, INTASC states that the teacher should understand that the child is influenced at home in the community like the New Jersey standards state in the second standard. The New Jersey standards understand that other influences may have a negative influence on the students and their learning ability. Both sets of standards expect their teachers to understand the learning boundary when it comes to English as a second language. They want the teachers to learn more about their students who come from very diverse backgrounds about their culture. The INTASC standards require the teachers to create a learning community where every culture is accepted. This idea would allow the students to interact with their peers who are different from them in that way. Both sets of standards want the students to be able to learn the same criteria with the help they may need. They want the teachers to be open to new ideas and teaching methods. This will not only help the students but also make the teachers better in all areas.

The fourth standard concerns with strategies. Both collections of