Running head: EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

Exploring the NEPF and Telling My Story

Marissa C. Mizuno
National University

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690 Capstone
Stacia Levy

EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

Abstract
This paper identifies the domains and standards of the Nevada Educator Performance
Framework. The framework has been divided into two domains. Each domain is further broken
down into individual standards that outline the instructional and professional responsibilities of
an effective educator. This paper further focuses on Standard 1 of the Instructional Practice
Domain by identifying and evaluating the progress that has been made towards achieving
competency within the domain, specific strengths and needs associated with the standard,
potential competencies to be used within a professional portfolio, and rationale for specified
goals.

EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

Exploring the Nevada Educator Performance Framework

Education is a field in which teachers must constantly strive to learn, grow, and improve
themselves and their practices. The Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) allows
teachers to observe and monitor that growth. The framework identifies the criteria for effective
instruction and leadership (Nevada Department of Education, 2015, p. 3). The NEPF is divided
into two major domains. The Instructional Practice Domain evaluates the teachers ability to
deliver instruction and address individual student needs. The Professional Responsibilities
Domain evaluates how the teacher influences and prepares for learning outside of instruction,
seeks opportunities for self-reflection and growth, and promotes school community and
engagement (Nevada Department of Education, 2015, p. 6-7). The domains are further broken
down into individual standards.
Nevada Educator Performance Framework
Instructional Practice Domain
Professional Responsibilities Domain
Standard 1: New Learning is Connected to
Standard 1: Commitment to the School
Prior Learning and Experience
Community
Standard 2: Learning Tasks have High
Cognitive Demand for Diverse Learners

Standard 2: Reflection on Professional

Growth and Practice

Standard 3: Students Engage in MeaningMaking through Discourse and Other

Strategies

Standard 3: Professional Obligations

Standard 4: Students Engage in Metacognitive

Activity to Increase Understanding of and
Responsibility for Their Own Learning
Standard 5: Assessment is Integrated into
Instruction

Standard 4: Family Engagement

Standard 5: Student Perception

My Professional Development Quest Portfolio will demonstrate competency in each of

the ten standards of an effective educator by highlighting exemplary artifacts, providing clear
rationale, and reviewing relevant supporting literature.

EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

Telling My Story
I will be focusing on Standard 1 of the Instructional Practice Domain New Learning is
Connected to Prior Learning and Experience. Within this standard, the teacher must
demonstrate an ability to activate all students initial understandings of new concepts and skills,
make explicit connections between previous learning and new concepts, make the purpose and
relevance of new learning clear, and provide students with opportunities to build on or challenge
initial understandings (Nevada Department of Education, 2015, p. 63). As a first-year science
teacher, I have demonstrated significant progress and growth towards achieving competency
within this standard. I believe that this standard is particularly important because prior
knowledge influences learning and memory (Shapiro, 2004, p. 160). Ultimately, activating prior
knowledge and providing students with relevant context leads to positive learning outcomes.
I ensure that prior knowledge is activated through a bell ringer activity that connects the
lesson of the day to overarching themes and concepts discussed in previous lessons. A question
or prompt is posted on the board each day for students to address at the beginning of each class
period. Questions range from simple recall to higher level critical thinking questions that
encourage students to make inferences based upon prior knowledge. In addition, various
strategies and activities are utilized in order to provide students with the appropriate context and
experience needed to interpret and make sense of scientific knowledge. Students comprehend
science through existing conceptual structures (Mesa, Pringle, & King, 2014, p. 62). Thus, it is
important for teachers to take the time to identify students initial understandings so that lessons
may be adapted to maximize learning and retention.
My strengths include activating initial understandings of new concepts and skills, making
connections between prior learning and new information, and providing students with

EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

opportunities to build upon their initial understandings. These strengths are highlighted within
my Professional Development Quest Portfolio and supported with artifacts such as interactive
science notebooks, pre and post instruction modeling, and KWL charts. My students maintain
science notebooks throughout the school year. As a chronological record of the topics we have
discussed in class and the work students have completed, the notebooks allow students to
recognize important relationships between units and build upon their prior knowledge and initial
understandings. Students are also asked to create pre- and post-instruction models and graphic
representations. As a result, students gain a better understanding of any misconceptions they
may have, how their views change throughout a unit, and how they can improve their
understanding of concepts. Introductory activities, such as KWL charts, are also utilized at the
beginning of a unit in order to activate and identify students prior knowledge of a topic. The K
represents what students know, the W represents what students want to learn, and the L
represents what the students learn throughout the lesson. KWL charts allow me to identify both
correct and incorrect preconceptions. Thus, instruction can be targeted to address student needs.
One area of improvement is ensuring that students recognize the purpose and relevance
of new learning. Students often ask me why they need to learn certain topics and many times I
find myself without a sufficient answer. When students feel that they can relate to the content
and truly understand the purpose of each lesson, they will be more motivated and learning
outcomes will improve. Science is a subject that encourages critical thinking, teaches problemsolving skills, and supports inquiry-based learning. However, these reasons have not adequately
improved student buy-in. By identifying this indicator as an area of improvement, I can monitor
progress towards achieving competency through my Professional Development Quest Portfolio
in order to become a more effective educator.

EXPLORING THE NEPF AND TELLING MY STORY

References
Mesa, J. C., Pringle, R. M., & King, N. (2014). Surfacing students prior knowledge in middle
school science classrooms: Exception or the rule? Middle Grades Research Journal, 9(3),
61-72.
Nevada Department of Education. (2015). Nevada educator performance framework statewide
evaluation system: Teacher and administrator protocols/tools. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.nv.gov/Educator_Effectiveness/Educator_Develop_Support/NEPF/Tools
_Protocols/final2015NEPFToolsandProtocols/.
Shapiro, A. M. (2004). How including prior knowledge as a subject variable may change
outcomes of learning research. American Educational Research Journal, 41(1), 159-189.