The National Education Association (NEA) recognizes the urgent need to transform the U.S. education system to support effective teaching and improve student learning. Based on its vision of great public schools for every child, NEA has identified the core purposes and values of a comprehensive teacher growth and development system to meet the demands of the 21st century. The U.S. public education system involves many stakeholders whose various roles and responsibilities aim to support and enhance student learning. Unfortunately, within the education system itself, there is a lack of alignment and coherence. Efforts to reform a single component, such as teacher evaluation, cannot produce a "silver bullet." Focusing on only one component can lead to reforms that merely tinker around the edges. NEA advocates the development of new systems of teaching and learning that align student and teacher assessment with the ultimate goal of improving both. This report provides a concept map that shows how student learning standards can have a systemic connection with teacher education and assessment. A chart is also provided that identifies how a successful teacher assessment and development process could proceed.