| American Federation of Teachers (AFT) | A national organization of teachers that is primarily concerned with improving educational conditions and protecting teachers' rights.
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| board certification | Recognition of advanced teaching competence, awarded to teachers who demonstrate high levels of knowledge, commitment, and professionalism through a competitive review process administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
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| career ladder | A system designed to create different status levels for teachers by developing steps one can climb to receive increased pay through increased responsibility or experience.
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| collaborative action research | Connects teaching and professional growth through the use of research relevant to classroom responsibilities.
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| collective bargaining | A negotiating procedure between employer and employees for resolving disagreements on salaries, work schedules, and other conditions of employment. In collective bargaining, all teachers in a school system bargain as one group through chosen representatives.
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| learning communities | The creation of more personal collaboration between teachers and students to promote similar academic goals and values.
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| merit pay | A salary system that periodically evaluates teacher performance and uses these evaluations in determining salary.
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| National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) | A professional organization charged with establishing voluntary standards for recognizing superior teachers as board certified.
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| National Education Association (NEA) | The largest organization of educators, the NEA is concerned with the overall improvement of education and of the conditions of educators. It is organized at the national, state, and local levels.
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| peer review | The practice of having colleagues observe and assess teaching, as opposed to administrators.
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| professional development | School district efforts to improve knowledge, skills and performance of its professional staff.
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| mentors | Guides or advisers, and a component of some first-year school induction programs designed to assist new teachers.
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