Nebo Standards of Effective Teaching

All Nebo teachers are encouraged to utilize the Nebo Standards of Effective Teaching (NSET) as a growth tool.  The standards reflect a continuum from teacher-centered performance to student-centered practice.  Level I teachers specifically self-assess in each of the five standards as part of mentor observation/coaching cycles and in conjunction with online portfolio reflections.  Portfolio reflection prompts guide teachers to identify successes within a given standard.  Teachers then pinpoint an area of desired growth and articulate a goal including specific action steps and timeline for refinement. 

Based on the Utah Professional Teacher Standards, the Nebo Standards of Effective Teaching are a framework for professional teaching practice.  They were developed by a committee of educators and stakeholders to provide a common language and a vision of the scope and complexity of teaching.

The NSET and Continuum of Teacher Development were adopted by Nebo in 2009 as a tool for teacher reflection and goal-setting as well as the instrument administrators use for teacher evaluations.

The Standards are organized around five interrelated domains of teaching practice:

Standard 1      Creating and maintaining a positive classroom environment that promotes student learning

Standard 2      Planning curriculum and designing instruction to enhance student learning

Standard 3      Engaging and supporting all students in learning

Standard 4      Assessing and evaluating student learning

Standard 5      Demonstrating professionalism to support student learning

Each Standard contains more specific components, or indicators, that delineate specific teaching practices.  The Continuum provides a framework for teachers to advance from a basic to a master level of performance.  The Standards and Continuum are based on the research of best teaching practices and define high quality teaching as the core of a successful education for all students. These are adapted from Utah Professional Teacher Standards of Teacher Development brochure, page 3.

All Nebo teachers are expected to be familiar with and emulate the Nebo Standards of Effective Teaching.  Self-ratings and goals directly transfer to conversations with administrators as part of the evaluation process.  The NSET truly supports teachers as professional, reflective practitioners who focus on students.