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For Teachers Issue 12 - Spring 2009
IN THIS ISSUE: From the Director From the DirectorWorld Teachers’ Day In his address to graduating teacher education students at Massey University in May 2005, Emeritus Professor Ivan Snook observed: “The ability of people to participate in society is dependent on the quality of the education they receive. And this depends, not on large bureaucracies, glossy brochures, curriculum documents, or flowery mission statements, but on the personal qualities of teachers.” Teachers do matter. They are a potent force in helping shape the type of society to which New Zealanders aspire. UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day acknowledges the vital contribution teachers make to society. It is celebrated internationally in over 100 countries and in New Zealand and Australia we celebrate World Teachers’ Day on 30 October. On World Teachers’ Day, the Council has planned a forum to discuss evidence gathered from the trialing of the draft Registered Teacher Criteria in the Canterbury region. These criteria should help us describe what we expect teachers to know, be able to do and, most importantly, care about. In 2005, the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Council contracted Debra Hall to survey the community and senior secondary school students about their perceptions of the status of teachers and they said:
On 30 October let’s all celebrate the positive contributions teachers make to the lives of children and young people.
E Ngā Mana, e Ngā Kaitiaki o Te Reo Rangatira , he Mihi Mahana ki a Koutou – Mihi ki ngā mema hou o MMAG.The Council recently accepted the nominations of three new members to its Mäori Medium Advisory Group (MMAG). Tony Trinick, Haromi Williams and Arthur Savage were given a warm welcome by Council kaumatua Haami Jackson and chair Kathy Smith, at their first hui in Hui Tanguru. Tony Trinick Since graduating from Palmerston North Teachers College in 1977, Tony has held teaching positions throughout the primary, intermediate, secondary and tertiary sectors. He is currently the associate dean, Mäori, in the Faculty of Education at the University of Auckland. Tony’s broadbased expertise has been recognised by his appointments to a variety of advisory groups on topics such as te reo Mäori, science, mathematics, the monitoring of teacher education programmes, curriculum development, assessment, and language proficiency. This uri of Whänau a Apanui also fulfils his kaitiaki responsibilities on whänau / hapü trusts. His leadership expertise was recognised by Te Pouherenga Kaiako o Aotearoa who appointed him the convener of the MMAG. Haromi Williams Graduating from Hamilton Teachers College in the early 70’s, Haromi began teaching in a primary school before moving into areas that utilised her first language - te reo o Ngai Tuhoe, and skills in pre-school and secondary schools. After a stint in the Australian education system, including some time as a principal in New South Wales, she returned to New Zealand and the tertiary sector- first at UNITEC then at Te Whare Wänanga o Awanuiarangi and finally at Anamata. Currently, Haromi works full time as executive manager with the Tuhoe Education Authority and fulfils her kaitiaki role on various national Iwi/hapü/whänau and local community advisory bodies. Arthur Savage A graduate of Palmerston North Teachers College, Arthur brings 33 years of diverse experience within early childhood education / kohanga, primary (English and Mäori), secondary, Resource Teacher Mäori, and community (Te Reo me öna tikanga) education settings. He brings an in-depth understanding of teaching issues through his membership of Te Reo Areare in the NZEI and Te Huarahi in the PPTA and has held governance roles at a kohanga and bilingual school. Arthur has held various senior management roles and is currently head of department, Mäori, at William Colenso High School. In addition to the manaakitanga and awhina aspects, inherent in mahi above, he exercises other kaitiaki responsibilities as a marae trustee.
New Members join the Early Childhood Education Advisory GroupLast year’s call for nominations to positions on the Teachers Council’s Early Childhood Education Advisory Group (ECEAG) resulted in three new members and one returning member. Amanda Coulston was reappointed to the management/employer position and she continues to provide a knowledgeable perspective on issues that managers face in the ever changing climate of early childhood education (ECE). The three new members, Eneleata Tapusoa, Kay Lloyd-Jones and Jacqui Heywood, bring a wealth of ECE experience to the advisory group, contributing knowledge of Pasifika, education and care, and kindergarten issues, respectively. Eneleata Tapusoa Eneleata is a committed and passionate teacher who has been involved in A’oga Fa’a Samoa, one of the first Centres of Innovation. She is particularly interested in bilingual education and issues facing Pasifika teachers. Kay Lloyd-Jones Kay is a manager of a number of centres on the University of Otago campus and has taught in education and care settings as well as kindergarten and home based services. She brings this vast experience to her position on the advisory group. Jacqui Heywood Jacqui is a professional service manager from the Auckland Kindergarten Association. She has an in-depth knowledge of kindergarten issues as well as having experience in other settings, New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) advocacy, and organising networks for teachers. We are particularly pleased with the calibre of people on our advisory group and discussion at the table is robust and thoughtful. Nominations are just in for the next four members of the ECEAG with knowledge of punanga/Mäori; home-based; teacher education, and convener postions. Appointments will be announced in November.
Pilot in Secondary Schools for Induction of PRTs and Mentor Teacher SupportMassey University’s Centre for Educational Development has been contracted by the Teachers Council to work on a project which is part of its Induction and Mentoring Pilot programme. Colleen Douglas, leader of the Centre’s Teaching and Leadership team, is organising the project in her region. ForTeachers caught up with her to ask how the two year project was progressing. Why did your team want to get involved in this pilot programme? Our team is involved in providing support and development for provisionally registered teachers (PRTs), PRT coordinators and also specialist classroom teachers (SCTs) - so it was a project close to our hearts. Who are you working with? We are working with six small to medium sized rural/provincial secondary schools – two in Hawke’s Bay, two in Taranaki and two in Manawatu/Wanganui. Schools work in partnership with the other school in their region. There is a team from each school including the PRT coordinator, the SCT, and the mentors. In total there are 30 people from the schools’ teams who are involved. The three Massey University facilitators involved also work in different pairs with each cluster and they have a background in working with PRTs, SCTs and heads of departments. The pilot focuses on these key areas:
How have the schools responded? We have been overwhelmed at how committed, professional and positive the schools’ teams are. This is what some are saying: “The skills I have gained as a mentor have made me look at my role as a teacher as well.” “This has transformed my relationship with my PRT.” “I now have the confidence and skills to make a difference for my PRTs.” “This has re-energised me . . . I am learning, trialling , modeling , and gaining real success in my role.” It has also strengthened the relationship between the schools and reduced the isolation that some PRT coordinators and SCTs feel. Tell us more about the ‘self assessment’ tool the teachers are developing. How do you see it being useful? The self assessment tool is an e-tool which has been developed by the teams in all the schools. It will help the PRTs chart their development towards meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria (RTC). For each criteria, the tool looks at the key indicators, the questions a PRT or their mentor might ask, some strategies that could develop that indicator, a place for the PRT’s reflection, what their evidence may look like, and the goals they will set. This tool has been trialled by PRTs in the schools and they found it very useful as it helps them focus specifically on the knowledge and skills they will need to meet the new RTC. What do you think the teachers / leaders have most enjoyed, or been challenged by? Teachers have enjoyed the learning, the fact that their contribution in the pilot will benefit all schools, the collegiality and partnership between schools, and the knowledge that they are making a difference to the professional growth of their PRTs. The challenge has been keeping the time and energy for the project when there are competing demands in schools. What has your team discovered so far that you think will be interesting to the Council, other teachers, and secondary schools and to the profess ion at large? The Council will be interested in the induction and mentoring plans each school is developing – they will provide exemplars for other schools. The partnership model and blended delivery (workshop, professional learning group, wiki) provide the Council with some successful strategies to share with the profession. Other mentors will find the self assessment tool a great resource in working with their PRTs. Maybe they will also see the value of combining with another school. The wider profession will be interested in the far reaching effects that training in coaching and mentoring has in secondary schools with teachers and with students.
Draft Registered Teacher Criteria Works in Classroom PilotAround 60 teachers and professional leaders have participated in the draft Registered Teacher Criteria (RTC) pilot in 2009. These criteria will replace the existing Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions (STDs) as new standards that all teachers will need to meet when achieving and maintaining full registration. Research and teacher feedback has contributed to the draft RTC being more in line with current thinking about quality teaching practice. The feedback from the teachers and professional leaders in the trial shows a high level of support for the new criteria. “After the consultation, the next step was to pilot the draft RTC in a range of educational settings to see if teachers are able to use the criteria in their professional practice. We wanted to know if the criteria were valid and useful for both new and experienced teachers when developing and assessing teaching practice,” says the Teachers Council’s manager of policy and strategic development, Cynthia Shaw. The RTC pilot, conducted by UC Education Plus at the University of Canterbury, involved 59 provisionally registered teachers and their mentor teachers, fully registered teachers and professional leaders in early childhood education, primary, secondary and Mäori medium settings in the Canterbury region. Teachers participated in two workshops and had facilitators visit their schools and early childhood education services for interviews. “The feedback from the teachers involved in the pilot is that the RTC are seen as not only applicable across all settings but also ‘more appropriate’ and ‘friendly’ to the sectors than the current Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions,” says Cynthia. Included in the positive feedback are the following observations by a primary school teacher and early childhood education teacher, respectively: “I believe that all the criteria are achievable because it is what I believe should be happening in each classroom/school and with each teacher.” “For us [ECE teachers] it [RTC] has consolidated a lot. The new criteria have made it a lot clearer. . . easier to read and comprehend. . . it’s not daunting, it’s not a massive task, and it reflects what we already do.” For teachers to gain or maintain full registration, they will need to demonstrate, with evidence, that they meet all of the criteria. As part of the pilot, teachers identified the support they may need to meet the RTC. Suggestions included:
Professional leaders, involved in the pilot, felt that the RTC were significantly better than the STDs and said that they could relate what was happening in their settings more readily. Most of the leaders saw that it would take very little change to implement the RTC in their appraisal processes: “(Appraisal) is already happening in this format – at the end of year a teacher reflects on their performance relative to the professional standards – and that reflection comes from self/peer appraisal and student evaluations. From that the person sits down with their appraiser and comes up with goals for the following year. (secondary leader) “Every teacher self evaluates against STDs and this will be the same [with RTC] as part of an appraisal cycle. I will be modifying the appraisal cycle to fit the RTC. It’s good to bring them up to the front through appraisal and job descriptions, and they relate to where a teacher is in their career.” (primary leader) The RTC pilot is now completed and the Council would like to thank the UC Education Plus team and the many teachers who gave their time and professional expertise to test out the draft RTC. The University of Canterbury has presented its final report which has been discussed by the Steering Group. The findings will be used to further refine the draft RTC before they are finalised and gazetted. Implementation will be phased in from 2010.
New Impairment Process Established by CouncilThe Teachers Council has established an Impairment Committee, following the Impairment Process Rules 2009, coming into effect in May. These rules conform to the Education Act 1989. The Impairment Committee has a rehabilitative focus and its function is to provide specialist expertise in considering whether or not a teacher has an impairment. It will focus on assisting the teacher to address their impairment and to practise safely and competently in the classroom. ‘Impairment’ has been defined broadly and includes any impairment that may adversely affect a teacher’s ability to perform the functions required by a teacher. This could include physical and mental health issues, as well as addictions and substance abuse issues. The impairment process is an internal one. If it is considered that a teacher may have an impairment, the teacher is referred to the Council’s Impairment Committee. These cases are referred by the Council, the Complaints Assessment Committee, or the Disciplinary Tribunal. Upon receiving a referral, the Impairment Committee, with its particular expertise, will establish the following information:
The Impairment Committee will reach an agreement with the teacher on an appropriate way to address the impairment. This, along with the information ascertained above, will be provided as a report to the referring body. The rules are available on the Council’s website: http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/cnc/rules/impairmentrules2009.pdf
Consultation on the Requirements and Approval Processes for Initial Teacher Education Programmes.Teachers may not be aware of the Teachers Council’s statutory role in setting standards and requirements for approval of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes in New Zealand. There has been on-going interest in the media and the profession about quality of ITE programmes and of graduates from programmes. If you want your voice to be heard on this issue, now is the time to respond to our current consultation process. In 2007, the Council developed through a consultative process with the teaching community a set of Graduating Teacher Standards (GTS) which are now embedded in the framework for the approval and reapproval of ITE programmes. It is expected that all applications for the approval of programmes will be aligned to the GTS. Also in 2007, the Council began a review to establish a process for the approval, continuing approval and monitoring of ITE programmes which is fair, transparent, research informed, and sector acceptable. The process needs to take account of the involvement of other quality assurance bodies in the tertiary sector involved with the approval of ITE programmes, namely: the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP), New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Quality (ITPQ). The overall aims of the review are to increase the effectiveness of the approval and monitoring processes and to strengthen the quality of graduates entering the profession. The review is now at the stage of consulting with the wider education sector. There is a consultation document which details some of the current and possible requirements for ITE programmes in each sector of the education system where teacher registration is required. The document has two sections to which we are seeking your responses: 1. The requirements for ITE programmes, which includes the following sections:
2. The processes for the approval of ITE programmes in the university and non-university sectors.
The Council invites you and your colleagues to discuss the proposed criteria and provide feedback. The return date for responses is Friday 30 October 2009. You can download the rich text format document version from the Council’s website at: http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/education/ite-approval-review.stm Complete it electronically and email to: zenetta.ganic@teacherscouncil.govt.nz or Complete the form and post it to: The NZ Teachers Council, Box 5326, Wellington 6145. If you have any queries, please contact: Barbara Benson, Manager Teacher Education on 04 470 9057 or barbara.benson@teacherscouncil.govt.nz
Conceptualising Leadership in Early Childhood Education.Conceptualising leadership in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand has recently been published by the Teachers Council as an occasional paper. The need for such a discussion paper was identified by the Council’s Early Childhood Education Advisory Group (ECEAG) as part of a strategy to highlight issues in this sector which require some action. The paper was launched at the Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa/NZ Childcare Association’s conference in July and it has received favourable feedback from the sector. Early childhood education (ECE) teachers have identified leadership as an area that requires more support. We know that leadership in ECE is crucial to ensuring our children learn and achieve well, and ECE teachers have often called for professional development in leadership roles as many assume these with little support. There are also many types of leadership roles in ECE. While initial teacher education prepares teachers for working with children and their families and with colleagues, there is little to support a teacher’s growth in leadership capability. The diversity of ECE also means that leadership roles are different, depending on the philosophy of the service, its size, location and the number and mix of teachers. The literature surveyed in the paper raises a number of issues that have hindered a focus on leadership development for ECE teachers. The term ‘leadership’ has often conjured up business images of chief executives and charismatic personalities. Within ECE, however, there are often flat organisational structures and shared areas of responsibility. Research on leadership in ECE is lacking in contrast to the school sector. A Best Evidence Synthesis, titled: School leadership and student outcomes: identifying what works and why, (Robinson, Hohepa, Lloyd, in press) is due to be published; however, a comparable ECE study was not possible due to a dearth of research to draw on. Furthermore, leadership development programmes for ECE are not widely available. Exceptions have included the teachers’ refresher courses that have been targeted to ECE teachers and the work done by contractors through the Ministry of Education funded professional development programmes. Postgraduate courses have also contributed to strengthening teachers’ understanding and expertise about leadership practices. It is clear that current literature points to the need for more support for leadership in ways that build on an individual’s existing knowledge base and that provide opportunities for reflection and self questioning. Focusing on real-life situations, with an appreciation of the unique context of each person, ensures a collaborative approach to leadership. One of the Council’s responsibilities is to provide professional leadership to the teaching profession and towards this end it is addressing the ECEAG’s concerns about the lack of action in ECE with regard to leadership. The Council will host an ECE Leadership Workshop Day in November to which representatives from ECE organisations and interest groups will be invited, as well as people who have been involved in leadership development projects around the country. Presentations from Mäori and Pasifika perspectives, ERO and Anne Meade will add to the direction set by the occasional paper and provide a springboard for moving towards drafting a framework for leadership development in the sector. We hope that this will represent the start of a coherent plan that will see more support for ECE leadership in the near future. Watch this space.
Review of Registration RequirementsRegional Discussion Workshops. The Teachers Council’s director and staff met with more than 750 professional leaders between April and July this year to discuss key aspects of the registration system. The workshops were held in regional centres from Whangarei to Invercargill and included primary and secondary teachers, principals, department heads, and senior teachers from early childhood education services. The discussions and feedback provided valuable information which has been analysed and discussed by the Council. Some clear policy changes were raised, and these will help clarify for the profession what registration signals and what the appropriate requirements and processes should be. Some policy proposals, if agreed by the profession, would require changes to the Education Act and therefore could not be implemented immediately. Consultation on registration proposals. There will be a consultation period on the proposals, from late October until 27 November, 2009. The consultation document will be on the Council’s website. Depending on the feedback received, some of the policy changes could be implemented from 2010. Others, however, would require a one to two year time frame before they could be included in a final, overarching registration policy. Progress on the registration policy development will be provided on our website and in future editions of ForTeachers. If you have any queries, contact policy analyst, Marnie Hainsworth, at: marnie.hainsworth@teacherscouncil.govt.nz or Erin Pilcher, research analyst, at: erin.pilcher@teacherscouncil.govt.nz
New developments for Linking Minds travel scholarshipThe Linking Minds’ travel scholarship has been reviewed, following discussions among the four partner agencies and with input from former recipients of the international award. The deadline for applications for the 2010-2011 programme has been extended to mid-November of this year. Information, including application details, can be found on the websites of the partner agencies, including www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/communication/linkingminds.stm
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