SASB. Specialty Areas Studies Board.

Scholarship. Systematic inquiry into the areas related to teaching, learning, and the education of teachers and other school professionals. Scholarship includes traditional research and publication as well as the rigorous and systematic study of pedagogy and the application of current research findings in new settings. Scholarship further presupposes submission of one's work for professional review and evaluation.

School Faculty. Licensed practitioners in P-12 schools who provide instruction, supervision, and direction for can¬didates during field-based assignments. See P-12 Schools Personnel and Professional Education Faculty. 

School Partners. P-12 schools that collaborate with the higher education institution in designing, developing, and implementing field experiences, clinical practice, delivery of instruction, and research.

Scoring Guide. A tool such as a rubric, evaluation form, etc. used by faculty to evaluate an assessment. Scoring guides should differentiate varying levels of proficiency on performance criteria.

Service. Faculty contributions to college or university activities, P-12 schools, communities, and professional asso¬ciations in ways that are consistent with the institution and unit's mission.

Service Learning. A teaching/learning method that integrates community service into academic courses, using structured reflective thinking to enhance learning of course content. Through meaningful service, candidates are engaged in problem solving to create improved schools and communities while developing their academic skills, their sense of civic responsibility, and their understanding of social problems affecting children and families. When used as a pedagogical strategy, service learning can help candidates understand the culture, community, and families of students, as well as the connections between the school and the community.

Skills. The ability to use content, professional, and pedagogical knowledge effectively and readily in diverse teaching settings in a manner that ensures that all students are learning.

SPAs. Specialized Professional Associations. The national organizations that represent teachers, professional education faculty, and other school professionals who teach a specific subject matter (e.g., mathematics or social studies), teach students at a specific developmental level (i.e., early childhood, elementary, middle level, or secondary), teach students with specific needs (e.g., bilingual education or special education), administer schools (e.g., principals or superintendents), or provide services to students (e.g., school counselors or school psychologists). Many of these associations are member organizations of NCATE and have standards for both students in schools and candidates preparing to work in schools.

SPA Program Standards. See Professional Standards.

State Program Standards Review. The process by which specialized professional associations evaluate the degree to which a state's program standards are aligned with the NCATE and SPA standards. (In states where state program standards are judged to be substantially aligned with SPA standards, the state standards will be approved by NCATE's Specialty Area Studies Board, and NCATE will defer to the state's review of institutions' teacher education programs.)

SPB. State Partnership Board.

Standards. Written expectations for meeting a specified level of performance.

State Consultant. An individual from the state agency with teacher education authority who serves as a resource to the BOE team during on-site visits, along with an NEA/AFT state affiliate representative. The consultant provides clarification of state conditions and policies.

State Director of Teacher Education. State education agency official responsible for administering policies and programs related to teacher preparation and licensing.

State Board of Teaching. State governing body with authority for teacher licensing, licensing of other school professionals, license renewal/revocation, and/or teacher education program approval within a state.

State Professional Standards Response. A state's written response to a specialized professional association's review of the state's program review standards.

State Program Approval. Process by which a state governmental agency reviews a professional education program to determine if it meets the state's standards for the preparation of school professionals.

State Program Review. The process by which the state assesses the quality of programs offered by an institution for teachers and other school professionals.

State Program Standards Report. Documentation submitted to a SPA by a state to demonstrate how state program standards are aligned with SPA program standards.

State Protocol. Rules, procedures, and expectations for NCATE, the state, the state higher education commission (when applicable), and the unit for conducting joint state-NCATE site visits in NCATE partnership states.

State Standards. The standards adopted by state agencies responsible for the approval of programs that prepare teachers and other school professionals. State standards may include candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Structured Field Experiences. Activities designed to introduce candidates to increasingly greater levels of responsibility in the roles for which they are preparing. These activities are specifically designed to help candidates attain identified knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions outlined in professional, state, and institutional standards.

Student Teaching. Preservice clinical practice in P-12 schools for candidates preparing to teach. 

Students. Children and youth attending P-12 schools as distinguished from teacher candidates.

Support Personnel. Individuals other than faculty employed by an institution of higher education to ensure the functioning of the unit. Support personnel can include professionals in non-faculty roles as well as individuals providing administrative support, including work-study students.