At this book's core is the fundamental belief that teacher quality is the single most important factor in student learning. It shows you how to improve your students' academic achievement by focusing on what teachers know and are able to do. This brief handbook serves as a practical tool which provides professional growth benchmarks for aspiring and practicing teachers; a framework to use when hiring new teachers; common language for dialogues on learning and for teacher evaluation; and a clearer focus on professional development. Six Standards of Practice is presented in simple, practical, classroom-oriented terms. Also displayed are rubrics which reveal and distinguish "emerging", "developing", "proficient", and "advanced" practices.