The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, better known as INTASC, is a program that fosters collaboration between teachers across state borders. The idea is that those educators will work together and establish new standards, practices and principles that all teachers will follow. You can learn more about some of the functions of the INTASC before or after becoming a teacher.
Establish Teaching Standards
One of the core functions of the INTASC is that it establishes teaching standards. According to the official website of the group, these standards apply to the teaching environment, the content that teachers use, how they plan for the instruction of their students and the ethics that they must follow. These standards may change slightly after each consortium. Teachers can attend the consortium or read the press releases published online to find out more about changes made to those standards.
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Final Standards
During the annual meeting, members of the organization and other participants can talk about how well those standards work in action. This gives others the chance to see if those standards need any changes or adjustments. Though the INTASC can establish standards, it must vote to determine the final standards that teachers should follow. This final list is available online from the official site. Teachers and administrators can download a free copy of the final standards as a PDF form, view information on the site and request an official copy of those standards.
Professional Responsibility
One function of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium deals with the professional responsibility of teachers. Anyone watching television or reading a newspaper today can come across stories of teachers acting in an unethical or unprofessional manner. The INTASC strives to teach those educators the importance of professional responsibility and show them how they should act around students, the parents of their students and other teachers. These standards can also apply to how teachers act in the community and how they collaborate with other educators. As with other standards, teachers can talk about their opinions and how certain standards may not work in the real world during the consortium.
Releasing Publications
The INTASC is also responsible for releasing publications that inform schools, educators and the general public about the standards it puts in place every year. Many of these publications are available online. The organization also publishes abstracts of some of these documents online to show you the general information found in the full piece. You can then contact the organization directly and request a full copy. Publications are available for specific types of teachers such as elementary school or high school teachers as well as those teaching specific subjects like science or history.
Policy Changes
One of the lesser known functions of the INTASC is that it pushes for policy changes at the state and local levels. While the organization can establish its own general standards, there is no guarantee that school boards or districts will put those policy changes into action. The organization runs discussion groups to talk about why cities, counties and states should make those changes. It uses the feedback given by educators as a way to broach those policy changes to school administrators. The INTASC also advocates for education policy changes on the national level.
The INTASC is one of the most prominent education nonprofit organizations in the country. It brings together educators from coast to coast to talk about policy changes and other educational changes. Some of the functions of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium include advocating for policy changes and establishing new standards for teachers.
