Question 1: To what extent does the certification program for accomplished teachers clearly and accurately specify advanced teaching practices and the characteristics of teachers (the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and judgments) that enable them to carry out advanced practice? Does it do so in a manner that supports the development of a well-aligned test?

Question 2: To what extent do the assessments associated with the certification program for accomplished teachers reliably measure the specified knowledge, skills, dispositions, and judgments of certification candidates, and support valid interpretations of the results? To what extent are the performance standards for the assessments and the process for setting them justifiable and reasonable?

Question 3: To what extent do teachers participate in the program?

Question 4: To what extent does the advanced-level certification program identify teachers who are effective at producing positive student outcomes, such as learning, motivation, school engagement, breadth of achievement, educational attainment, attendance rates, and grade promotion?

Question 5: To what extent do teachers improve their practices and the outcomes of their students by virtue of going through the advanced-level certification process?

Question 6: To what extent and in what ways are the career paths of both successful and unsuccessful candidates affected by their participation in the program?

Question 7: Beyond its effects on candidates, to what extent and in what ways does the certification program have an impact on the field of teaching, the education system, or both?

Question 8: To what extent does the advanced-level certification program accomplish its objectives in a cost-effective manner, relative to other approaches intended to improve teacher quality?