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Current Professional ProjectsThis page lists the current projects the New Zealand Teachers Council is undertaking. The projects reflect the Council's key strategic goals in the Statement of Intent 2008-2011 to strengthen teaching standards and the capability of teachers and to promote effective leadership within the profession. Induction and Mentoring Pilot ProgrammeThe induction and mentoring pilot programme builds on the Council's Learning to Teach research programme which focused on the experiences of provisionally registered teachers during their period of induction to the profession. The research identified that there was considerable disparity in the quality of induction programmes provisionally registered teachers were experiencing and there was a lack of specific training for mentor or tutor teachers. The Council is providing considerable resource to contractors to develop and run pilot induction and mentoring programmes throughout the 2009 year. Up to five pilot programmes will be run within the range of teaching settings in New Zealand and encompassing a range of mentoring and mentor training models. These programmes are trialling draft Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring of PRTs and for Mentor Support. Review of the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions ProjectThe Council's Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions describe the standards teachers need to meet to gain and maintain a current practising certificate. Since 2006 the Council has been working with a reference group to revise and reposition the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions. New standards, the Registered Teacher Criteria (RTC), have been developed to replace the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions, and will be phased in from 2010. An outline of the time frame for the implementation of the Registered Teacher Criteria can be found on the Registered Teacher Criteria Implementation page. For queries relating to the Registered Teacher Criteria, their use and implementation, in the first instance please refer to the FAQs for Implementing Registered Teacher Criteria. Pilot programme to trial the draft Registrered Teacher CriteriaThe project to review the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions involved a pilot programme run during 2009 to trial the use of the draft RTC in schools and early childhood centres. The Council wanted to find out if the draft RTC provided a valid and useful framework to guide both the professional learning and appraisal of teachers when seeking to gain and maintain their registration. To assist the teachers and professional leaders who took part in the pilot programme, a handbook was compiled which provided:
A copy of the handbook is available here for download in both PDF (opens 800 Kb file in new window) and HTML formats. The comparative matrix is similarly available as a separate document in both PDF (opens 400 Kb file in new window) and HTML formats. Note that these documents were created for use in the pilot programme only - the final Registered Teacher Criteria will be gazetted following the completion of the pilot at the end of 2009. Development of an overarching Registration PolicyAs part of the review of the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions, the Council is also developing an overarching registration policy which will include:
Whakamana Te ReoThe Council has embarked on a research project to investigate issues in the initial teacher education (ITE) programmes that prepare teachers for Māori medium settings in schools and early childhood education. The first report, a description of current programmes and issues, will be published in October 2008. The second step will be the commissioning of a literature review and needs analysis for graduates of Māori medium ITE programmes. The Council will be launching the first report with a hui of ITE educators and tūmuaki of kura and early childhood education centres who employ the graduates of the ITE programmes. Leadership in Early Childhood Education ProjectThe Council has embarked on a programme to investigate issues for the leadership strand of the Early Childhood Education Strategic Plan. A think tank day early in 2008 identified some steps which the Council has agreed to pursue. The first of these is a position paper, outlining issues and recommendations for the support of leadership in early childhood education, currently being drafted by Kate Thornton, Helen Aitken and Jeannette Clarkin Phillipps. This will form the basis of further steps in the project. Code of Ethics / Ngā Tikanga Matatika WorkshopsWorkshops have been conducted around New Zealand in both English and Māori medium, called Ethics into Practice. These workshops provide teachers with tools for identifying and working through ethical dilemmas as they occur in everyday practice. Review of Processes for Approval and Reapproval of Initial Teacher Education ProgrammesThe Council has commissioned a review of its processes for the approval and reapproval of initial teacher education programmes. Recommendations for future processes are currently being considered by the Council, prior to consultation with the sector. When this process is complete, guidelines for approvals and reapprovals will be re-written, incorporating the Council's Graduating Teacher Standards. |
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