Pedagogical knowledge: The subject matter that is taught is different from the subject matter of the academic major that teachers learned from their professors and their own study. It is transformed into something else: a school subject that has its own structure and logic that helps the student make sense of the subject matter. The knowledge that supports this conversion of the academic major into a school subject is called pedagogical knowledge (sometimes called pedagogical content knowledge).

Someone who has pedagogical knowledge knows what is a telling example; a good analogy, algorithm, or heuristic; a provocative question; a compelling theme; a different way of representing a subject matter; and more than one example, metaphor, or mode of explanation. Typically the content of methods courses and clinically based courses in the teacher education program show the prospective teacher the methods of instructing, motivating, and evaluating students. TEAC expects that a program devote the equivalent of an academic minor to developing students’ pedagogical knowledge.

Preaccreditation: A recognized USDE status that TEAC grants to a program for five years, indicating that the evidence in the Inquiry Brief, while inconclusive, is promising and that accreditation is likely within five years. It is also a program accreditation status that indicates that the standards for the Inquiry Brief Proposal have been met.

Preponderance: The amount or degree of evidence that is sufficient to satisfy a TEAC principle or standard. As a general guideline, TEAC uses preponderance to connote that 75 percent of whatever is being modified by "preponderance” is sufficient for a claim.

Probe: A specific action taken by the auditor to establish whether a target is accurate.In cases where the outcomes of a probe are variable or uncertain with regard to the accuracy of the target, the auditors probe further until a stable pattern is uncovered or until a probe’s result is unambiguous (see confirming probe). An acceptable pattern for the verification of a target has at least 75 percent of the probes yielding verification or confirmation.

Program: A planned sequence of academic courses and experiences leading to a degree, state license (or certificate), or some other credential that entitles the holder to perform professional education services in schools. In cases where the institution offers more than one program, or where graduates are eligible for different professional licenses, the institution determines how it wishes to represent and organize the evidence about its programs. It may submit one Brief that treats all the programs as one coherent program with special license options or tracks. Or it may submit several Briefs, as many as one for each of its distinct programs.

The number of programs and Briefs has no bearing on the program’s annual fees to TEAC, but it will affect the fee levied in the audit year.

Program approval: The 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 personnel. Program approval can be coordinated with TEAC program accreditation through a state-TEAC accreditation agreement; in certain cases, TEAC accreditation can replace program approval.

Program faculty: The individuals who are assigned responsibility for the program and are held accountable by the institution for the quality of the program. The program faculty is often lead by a dean, director, chair officially designated to represent the professional education program.

Provisional accreditation: An indication that there is sufficient evidence in the Inquiry Brief that the program faculty can remedy the weaknesses in the Inquiry Brief and become fully accredited within two years.

Return to Glossary