Standards and Specifications

QTII intends to develop Standards and Specifications based on research backed theory, to specify the common characteristics needed by all teachers, courses, departments, schools, and textbooks, in order to be considered "Effective."

For an example of the form some of the specifications might take, please see the proposed Teacher Certification Specifications. 

Below we list the "Starting Point Standards" for effective teachers, effective courses, effective departments, effective institutions, and effective textbooks.

This list of "Starting Point Standards" is as of March, 2003, and is of course subject to evolution and development.

Definition of Effective Teaching

 For all QTII purposes, Effective Teaching is defined as those instructor controllable activities that interact to provide the highest likelihood of verifiable student learning.

 These activities should be applicable to any given group of students, usable by any given instructor or administrator, and should provide evidence that the student has learned the designated material to the proper level of learning.

 To ensure effective teaching, QTII hereby establishes the following standards for teachers, courses, departments, schools, and textbooks. 

Standards for Effective Teachers (Summary)

An effective teacher is one who:

1. Provides appropriate objectives for each course taught.
2. Uses proper lesson plans for each class session.
3. Uses effective classroom teaching techniques.
4. Evaluates student learning using proper tests.
5. Establishes and measures affective objectives.
   

Standards for Effective Teachers (Details)

An effective teacher is one who:

1. Provides appropriate objectives for each course taught. These may be pre-existing objectives, or they may be generated specifically for that course. At the very least, there must be properly written learning objectives for each topic to be taught and tested. Properly written objectives are student centered, understandable, attainable, and specify the topic to be learned and the level to which it is to be learned, according to a domain taxonomy.
   
   Ideally: An effective teacher will provide a complete chain of objectives for each course taught, to include a course objective, segment objectives, subordinate learning objectives deconstructed to the terminal level, behavioral objectives for each terminal learning objective, and criterion objectives for each behavioral objective. At least the terminal learning objectives or behavioral objectives must be provided to the students at the beginning of the course. We advise teachers provide students with the entire chain of objectives.
   
2. Uses proper lesson plans for each class session. A proper lesson plan is one which conforms to these characteristics:

1. It establishes the learning and behavioral objectives to be accomplished during the lesson.
2. It takes into account the starting expected knowledge level of the students, and the difficulty of the material, so there is neither too little nor too much material covered for the time allotted.
3. It outlines the structure of the lesson presentation, to include introduction (attention, motivation, overview), body (main points, sub points, transitions), and conclusion (summary, remotivation, closure), and teaching methodology to be used in the lesson.
4. It includes personalized notes from the individual teacher about the presentation material, methodology, and style, such as which analogies, questions, examples, and style to use, which have been successful, and what to stay away from.
5. It includes time references to prompt pacing of the lesson.
   
5. Uses effective classroom teaching techniques. Effective classroom teaching techniques include

•  proper attention to student interaction, involvement, and feedback

• proper questioning techniques

• proper teaching methodology for the student level, topic complexity, and class size

• proper presentation style

• following a proper lesson plan

4. Evaluates student learning using proper tests. A proper test is valid and reliable, and free of common test construction errors. Each test will have a properly-constructed rationale. The difficulty index will not be below .30 for any individual test item, or below .40 for an entire test. The test will be comprised of the proper types of test items for the material and level of learning being tested.
   
5. Establishes and measures affective objectives. Student attitudes are recognized as critical to learning and retaining course material. Effective teachers design their teaching so as to incorporate attitude development objectives, teaching techniques, and evaluation.

Standards for Effective Courses (Summary)

An effective course is one which:

1. Has established appropriate objectives
2. Provides objectives to students
3. Follows an appropriate lesson plan for each class session
4. Measures student learning using proper tests
5. The teacher uses effective classroom techniques
6. Ensures each standard above is adhered to for each administration of the course.

Standards for Effective Courses (Details)

An effective course is one which:

1. Has established appropriate objectives. An effective course has an established set of properly written objectives that must include at least learning objectives for each topic to be taught and tested. Properly written objectives are student centered, understandable, attainable, and specify the topic to be learned and the level to which it is to be learned, according to a domain taxonomy.
   
   Ideally: There will be a chain of objectives, to include a course objective, segment objectives, subordinate learning objectives down through the terminal level, behavioral objectives for each terminal learning objective, and criterion objectives for each behavioral objective.
   
2. Provides learning and/or behavioral objectives to students. Students must receive these objectives with the course syllabus, at the beginning of the course. It is recommended that the students be provided the entire chain of objectives.
   
3. Follows an appropriate lesson plan for each class session. A proper lesson plan is one which conforms to these characteristics.

1. It establishes the learning and behavioral objectives to be accomplished during the lesson.
2. It takes into account the starting expected knowledge level of the students, and the difficulty of the material, so there is neither too little nor too much material covered for the time allotted.
3. It outlines the structure of the lesson presentation, to include introduction (attention, motivation, overview), body (main points, sub points, transitions), and conclusion (summary, remotivation, closure), and teaching methodology to be used in the lesson.
4. It includes room for personalized notes from the individual teacher about the presentation material, methodology, and style, such as which analogies, questions, examples, and style to use, which have been successful, and what to stay away from.
5. It includes time references to prompt pacing of the lesson.

4. Measures student learning using proper tests. A proper test is valid and reliable, and free of common test construction errors. Each test will have a properly-constructed rationale. The ease index will not be below .30 for any individual test item, or below .40 for an entire test. The test will be comprised of the proper types of test items for the material and level of learning being tested.
   
5. The teacher uses effective classroom techniques. The teacher complies with the QTII Effective Teacher standards for effective classroom techniques. QTII Classroom Techniques Certification will satisfy this standard.
   
6. Ensures each standard above is adhered to for each administration of the course. Self-explanatory.

Standards for Effective Departments (Summary)

A “Department” is a subordinate unit of an institution. There may be departments within departments. An effective department is one which

1. Requires each classroom instructor to be an effective teacher or to be in the process of becoming one.
2. Requires each course to be an effective course or be in the process of becoming one.
3. Utilizes effective curriculum coordination techniques.

Standards for Effective Departments (Details)

A “Department” is a subordinate unit of an institution. There may be departments within departments. An effective department is one which

1. Requires each classroom instructor to be an effective teacher or to be in the process of becoming one. All instructors will have one year to comply with effective teaching standards.
   
2. Requires each courses to be an effective course or be in the process of becoming one. All courses will have one year to comply with effective course standards.
   
3. Utilizes effective curriculum coordination techniques. This means the department conducts or ensures
   
1. Pretests. Incoming students are administered proper pretests to determine current knowledge, skills, and attitudes. As a result of the pretests, students are placed in proper courses, and courses may be adjusted to accommodate variations in incoming student knowledge.
2. Intradepartment curriculum coordination. Within the department, topics within courses are coordinated among courses, such that there are no omissions or redundancies among topics taught, and so there is a smooth flow of learning continuity from one course to the next within the department curriculum.
3. Interdepartment curriculum coordination. Where students take courses in other departments, an effective department will ensure curriculum continuity coordination with the departments administering those other courses.
4. Ongoing utility and suitability reviews. For each topic taught in each course, there must be a valid and articulated rationale for why it is being taught. These rationales must be reviewed periodically. Where applicable, there must be an ongoing research effort to determine the usefulness in follow-on areas of the topics taught, whether the follow-on areas be later courses or careers.

Standards for Effective Institutions (Summary)

An effective institution is one which has

1. Effective instructors.
2. Effective courses.
3. Effective departments.
4. Effective curricula.
5. Effective counseling and advising.

Standards for Effective Institutions (Details)

An effective institution is one which has

1. Effective instructors. All instructors either are already or are in the process of becoming effective teachers. Hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions consider an individual’s teaching effectiveness.
   
2. Effective courses. All courses either are already or are in the process of becoming effective courses.
   
3. Effective departments. All departments either are already or are in the process of becoming effective departments.
   
4. Effective curricula. Effective institutions will ensure curriculum coordination within and between all departments, and will coordinate curriculum with other effective institutions so as to accommodate transfer and graduate students. They will also conduct regular, ongoing research to determine the effectiveness of all curricula, whether the topics being taught are the topics that need to be taught.
   
5. Effective counseling and advising. All individuals who provide academic counseling and advising services to students or prospective students are trained in counseling and advising subjects and techniques. Further delineation of this standard will be developed in the future.

Standards for Effective Textbooks (Summary)

An effective textbook is one which

1. Has an established chain of objectives.
2. Has established affective objectives.
3. Provides ample, adequate, and valid examples and non-examples.
4. Provides sufficient exercises.
5. Conforms to mechanical readability guidelines.
6. Conforms to intellectual readability guidelines.

Standards for Effective Textbooks (Details)

An effective textbook is one which

1. Has an established chain of objectives. This will include a course objective, segment objectives, subordinate learning objectives down through the terminal level, behavioral objectives for each terminal learning objective, and criterion objectives for each behavioral objective. All objectives will be properly-written and established at the appropriate level of learning.
   
2. Has established affective objectives. Affective objectives, sample behaviors, and suggested evaluation methods are included in the teacher’s edition.
   
3. Provides ample, adequate, and valid examples and non-examples. There should be at least one proper example and one non-example furnished for each major concept developed. For more complex concepts, there should be sufficient  examples and non-examples to demonstrate all aspects of the concept.
   
4. Provides sufficient questions, problems, and exercises. There will be sufficient material within the text and at the end of each chapter to lead student development to the appropriate level of learning through drill and practice. Where the student will be required to demonstrate a skill, such as performing a calculation, there should be sufficient in-chapter and end-of-chapter exercises to demonstrate and provide adequate practice on all aspects of the skill.
   
5. Conforms to mechanical readability guidelines. Considers and conforms to the latest guidance on chunking, headings, hierarchy and subordination, classification, sidebars, insets, white space, etc.
   
6. Conforms to intellectual readability guidelines. Provides the student with an experience that is easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to learn from. Conforms to established guidelines for
• grammar, syntax
• hierarchical structuring
• cognitive development sequencing, time, and practice requirements
• easy to find and use main and sub points
• definitions, figures, illustrations, formulae, inter-text references, review material, etc.

        QTII -- Establishing, Teaching, and Certifying Standards for Effective Teaching