Standards for Teachers of English/Language Arts.

This paper describes the Indiana Professional Standards Board and nine standards for English/language arts teachers. An extensive preface discusses the board, fulfilling the board's mission, a unified system of quality assurance, the core standards, the standards development process, and the standards assessment process. The nine standards address: (1) concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of English/language arts; (2) knowledge of language development and learning theory; (3) knowledge of and adaptation to diverse learners; (4) instructional strategies and curriculum design; (5) learning environment; (6) communication using media and technology; (7) assessment; (8) professional development; and (9) school and community. Each standard includes knowledge statements (describing the body of knowledge critical to successful teaching), disposition statements (describing habitual behaviors which communicate the traits valued by the teaching profession), and performance statements (describing application of that knowledge) used in meeting the standard. Recommendations for developing English/language arts programs for teachers of early childhood and middle childhood, early adolescence, and adolescence and young adulthood; and a draft 17-item glossary are attached. (RS)