Nebraska is a member of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC).  INTASC is a consortium of state education agencies, higher education institutions, and national educational organizations dedicated to the reform of the education, licensing, and on-going professional development of teachers.  Created in 1987, INTASC's primary constituency is state education agencies responsible for teacher licensing and professional development. Its work is guided by one basic premise: An effective teacher must be able to integrate content knowledge with pedagogical understanding to assure that all students learn and perform to their maximum potential.  INTASC's mission is to promote standards-based reform through the development of model standards for supporting and assessing beginning teachers.  To carry out this mission, INTASC provides a vehicle for states to work jointly on formulating model policies to reform teacher preparation and licensing, and provides a mechanism for states to collaborate.

In 1990, INTASC began to develop a set of standards for beginning teachers to serve as a framework for the systemic reform of teacher preparation, licensure, and professional development.  These core standards are broadly recognized as providing a basis for reforming aspects of teacher preparation, licensure, and professional development.

The core standards serve as the foundation for the development of new teacher competencies contained in Nebraska’s Rule 20 Guidelines.  Model standards that provide the specifics of subject matter preparation have also been prepared to complement the core standards.  INTASC committees continue to work to develop standards in the Arts, Foreign Language, Elementary Education, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Special Education.  INTASC's Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities:  A Resource for State Dialogue (2001) articulate for the first time what all GENERAL EDUCATION teachers, as well as special education teachers, should know and be able to do to effectively teacher students with disabilities.

For more information on listed standards, see Core Standards.

Nebraska participated in an INTASC consortium activity to develop Model Standards for the Review and Accountability of Teacher Preparation Programs.  This work will serve as a basis for future discussions in Nebraska regarding assessment and accountability of Nebraska teacher preparation programs.  INTASC Standards 1.htm