Teachers, Administrators & the School System

Teachers, Administrators & the School System February 29, 2012

Professional Development “The research is remarkably clear. We need to focus deeply on the quality of instruction and creating authentic collaborative cultures in our schools. We need to ensure that principals have the knowledge, skills, and time to be instructional leaders and to provide effective school-based support for teachers.” 2009 Report of the Education Professional Development Committee (EPDC) to the NS Department of Education

EPDC - Recommendations Theme 1: Leadership Leaders at all levels consistently create time and space for school-based professional learning.

EPDC - Recommendations Theme 2: School-based goal setting Schools are the most effective site for determining and enacting meaningful professional learning that has an impact on student learning.

EPDC - Recommendations Theme 3: Curriculum and program coherence Province-wide consensus about the type, timing, viability, and nature of what is taught and learned in schools is a necessary condition for effective professional development.

PLCs can be school-based, district based, cross-district or national [provincial]; the membership in a particular PLC is determined by its focus. For example, a grade-level team of teachers may form a PLC to focus on improving their ability to coordinate their students’ curriculum; a multigrade group of teachers may collaborate on ways to ensure a coherent learning pathway for their students; a group of math teachers may work together to adopt and implement a new mathematics program in ways that best benefit their students; teachers and administrators may meet as a PLC to learn and support innovative teaching strategies; principals or superintendents may concentrate on more effective ways to handle the particular challenges of their roles; a school system may meet regularly with core district representatives to improve operational effectiveness and to build capacity to support school and district efforts to improve schools; groups may form across districts, often as part of a national school reform initiative, to focus on common issues in their work. (Annenberg Institute (2003) as quoted in the InPraxis Group Inc. Report, Summary of Professional Learning Communities: An Exploration)

EPDC - Recommendations Theme 4: Assessment • A shared commitment to assessment and support for meaningful professional and student learning by all educational partners. • Data

School Accreditation • NS Education Act, section 22: • A school advisory council for a public school shall (a) after consultation with the staff of the school, develop and recommend to the school board a school improvement plan;

School Accreditation • 2002: Pilot • 2005-6: Launched in 49 schools • 2010-11: delegated to school boards, “Accreditation coordinator”

School Accreditation An accredited school is an improving school. To be accredited: • A school must present convincing evidence (data) demonstrating improvement in each of its goals related to student achievement and school performance • A school must also show improvement in the demonstrated use of student data, collaboration, and the ability to alter strategies based on observation

School Accreditation • data-driven • a continuous school improvement model • built on an inclusive self-assessment process • a process that both builds and nurtures professional learning communities • a process that provides opportunities for professional growth • a means to strengthen school-community relations • long term, sustainable and meaningful change

School Accreditation • Provincial Requirements • multiple sources of data to be used to guide decisions and demonstrate progress toward goal • school improvement plans should be written documents • written plans include goals, strategies, actions, a measuring growth plan, and a professional learning plan • plans should be reviewed by professionals from outside the school before implementation begins • progress during implementation is monitored, with annual reports to the school community • collaboration, partner involvement and two-way communication is part of the process • School Advisory Councils, or other parent-school organizations, are part of the process

School Accreditation SMART goals: • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Realistic • Timely • Database

Survey Question Do you agree that teachers are the greatest factor to ensuring the quality of education in the classroom?

Source: NS EPDC Report (2009)

Teachers, Administrators & the School System