An Overview of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) System in South Africa

1. An Overview of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) Systemin South Africa Presentation to the Basic Education Portfolio Committee 21st February 2012

2. Focus of the Presentation • Overview of the CPTD system • The CPTD System Pilot

3. National Policy and Legislative Context

4. National Policy and Legislative Context • SACE is a professional council established in terms of the SACE Act no. 31 (2000) • The Act mandate SACE to: • Register all public and independent school educators, ABET practitioners (?), and FET college Lectures (?) (BELA Act No.15 of 2011, ECD Sector – Council Resolution); • Promote the development of educators; and • Ensure educators’ adherence to the Code of Professional Ethics

5. National Policy and Legislative Context... • SACE’s additional mandate comes from the National Policy Framework on Teacher Education and Development (NPFTED) in South Africa, April 2007 • Section 53 of the NPFTED (2007) states that “…the South African Council for Educators (SACE), as the professional body for professional educators, will have the overall responsibility for the implementation, management and quality assurance of the CPTD system. SACE will be provided with the necessary resources and support to undertake that role”

6. National Policy and Legislative Context... • This mandate is supported and enhanced by the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training’s Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa, 2011 – 2025 • The plan indicates the following explicitly: • that it (the plan) must be considered by other planning processes such as those related to IQMS, WSE, NEEDU and the SACE CPTD Management System • The TED ICT support system will be linked to the SACE CPTD Management System

7. National Policy and Legislative Context... • SACE has an important quality management role to play in promoting and supporting the system for identifying and addressing teacher development needs. • SACE responsibilities in this regard include ensuring that: • the providers of teacher development programmes are fully approved by SACE, • and the professional development courses available for teachers are endorsed by SACE; • and can lead to the accrual of Professional Development (PD) points on successful completion.

8. National Policy and Legislative Context… • Recently, the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, September 2011 provided official and specific powers to SACE in terms of managing the CPTD System by amending section 5(b)(iv) of the SACE Act • Section 19 of the BELA Act no.15 of 2011 provides that SACE • “must manage a system for promotion of the Continuing Professional Development of all teachers”.

9. National Policy and Legislative Context… • This amendment implies, amongst other things, the following: • The legislation has given SACE direct powers to manage a system for the continuing professional development called – the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) Management System • The CPTD Management System is now part of the SACE programmes fully and fits neatly into the Professional Development Division of SACE.

10. National Policy and Legislative Context… • In fact, section 5(b) of the SACE Act, as amended by the BELA Act, locates CPTD directly under SACE’s Professional Development role, scope and functions • This calls for the reconceptualisation of the Professional Development Division within a broader context of the SACE Act as amended, and the entire organisation (SACE)

11. National Policy and Legislative Context… • SACE working on various proposals to be finalised in March / April 2012 with full staffing and financial implications for the organisation • The proposals will be informed by the pilot report and the implementation plan.

12. National Policy and Legislative Context… • Section 91 of the NPFTED says: “the Department of Education will ensure that SACE has the necessary resources to undertake its CPTD development and management roles”

13. National Policy and Legislative Context • This has been interpreted as the Department of Education (now DBE) availing the physical, financial, and human resources for the processes of developing and managing the CPTD System • Secondly, the DoE (Legal Section) has been arguing that the SACE Act is silent on SACE receiving any direct funding from National treasury • It further argues that SACE should have a section, in the SACE Act, that will make it easy for it to receive ongoing funding from DoE (now DBE) without any hassles

14. National Policy and Legislative Context… • Subsequently, Section 19 of the SACE Act has been amended by an insertion of a new clause under subsection 1 as follows: “ money appropriated by Parliament ” • The appropriation of money by Parliament to various government departments is done through the Financial Appropriation Act.

15. National Policy and Legislative Context… The amended section 19 of the SACE Act now reads as follows: “The funds of the council consists of- (A) money appropriated by parliament (a) compulsory fees (b) money received from donations, interests or fines; and (c) other money received by the council from any other source”

16. National Policy and Legislative Context… • It is very important to note that SACE could be funded from four different sources. • Section 19 of the SACE Act, as amended, implies that SACE may, in addition to other sources of funding, be funded by the fiscus in respect of any of its statutory functions.

17. National Policy and Legislative Context… • This will be done in terms of processes of applying for funds to National treasury in terms of government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework. • Any funding of SACE in terms of this provision will be made to National Treasury via the DBE budget and bidding processes

18. The CPTD Management System

19. Introduction • The Teacher Development Summit in June-July 2009 laid the basis for a new, strengthened, integrated national plan for teacher development • CPTD is an important part of that plan • The South African Council for Educators (SACE) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) are working together to bring CPTD to all teachers

20. Introduction…. • All workers, including professionals like teachers, need lifelong learning to do their jobs better • To improve their knowledge • To improve their skills • To keep up to date with new research • To learn from colleagues • Better teachers will help learners to learn better and become better citizens

21. What is the CPTD ManagementSystem? It is a system for recognising all useful teacher development activities • By approving quality and credible professional development providers • By endorsing relevant and good professional development quality activities and programmes • By allocating professional development (PD) points to such activities • By crediting each teacher’s CPTD account / record with the PD points they have earned

22. Purpose of the CPTD System • Ensure that all professional development programmes contribute more effectively and directly to the improvement of teaching and learning; • Emphasise and reinforce the professional status of teaching; • Provide educators with clear guidance about which Professional Development (PD) activities will contribute to their professional growth;

23. Purpose of the CPTD System.. • Protect teachers from fraudulent providers; and • Expand the range of activities that contribute to the professional development of teachers

24. Vision of the CPTD system • Tosupport and facilitatethe process of continuing professional development • To give recognitionto teachers who commit themselves to continuing professional development • To revitalize the teaching profession

25. What is SACE’s Role in Continuing Professional Development • It is very important to clarify the role of SACE in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to avoid confusing it with that of the employers • “SACE IS NOT A PROVIDER OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT” • Employers of educators – Provincial Departments of Education, SGBs, and Independent Schools / Boards – have, amongst other things, the responsibility to provide CPD to educators as their employees

26. What is SACE’s Role in Continuing Professional Development • The Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa, 2011 – 2025 provides some guidelines and priorities with regard to the provisioning of the CPD for educators • SACE has the responsibility to develop the entire profession and part of this involves: • Promoting teaching as a profession; • Developing standards of entry into the profession; • Promoting the image and status of the teaching profession; • managing a system for promotion of the Continuing Professional Development of all teachers .

27. What is SACE’s Role in CPTD • In managing the CPTD System, SACE must: • Provide all teachers with information on how to develop themselves professionally • Keep a record of teachers’ professional development and points earned on its CPTD Information System (CPTD-IS) • Keep a record of approved providers and endorsed activities manually and electronically on the CPTD-IS • Screen external providers of professional development activities and approve those that meet SACE’s quality criteria

28. What is SACE’s Role in Continuing Professional Development… • Evaluate activities submitted to SACE by external providers and endorse those that meet SACE’s criteria of relevance, effectiveness and quality • Monitor and evaluate the CPTD Management System in order to ensure that it helps improve teachers’ professionalism and the quality of teaching and learning in schools

29. The Basic Structure of the CPTD System • Teachers engage in three kinds of SACE Endorsed Professional Development (PD) activities / programmes • Personal (Teacher priority) • School organised (School priority) • Externally organised (Profession priority) • Endorsed PD activities have points value • Pre-determined points and points allocated through endorsement process

30. The Basic Structure of the CPTD System.. • Target: Teachers to earn 150 PD points every three years • Teachers are awarded Certificate of Achievement on completion of each cycle target • Teachers maintain a personal PD portfolio • Rewards / Sanctions • Section 60 of the NPFTED • Council Resolution

31. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes

32. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes • Purpose • Establishment of quality culture • Promote quality assurance in the teaching profession • Improvement in provider and programme quality • Protect teachers against fraudulant providers and poor quality programmes

33. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes QCs - HEQC SACE QA Terms Approval (Providers) Endorsement (Activities / Programmes Points (shelf life) Evaluators (6) Endorsement Committee Endorsement of all Programmes / Activities including Accredited Ones. Accredited-endorsed programmes – credits/points • QA Terms • Accreditation (Programmes) • Provider Approval (No) • Credits (Permanent) • Evaluators (1500) • Accreditation Committee • Accreditation of HEI programmes

34. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes... • Three Quality Councils (NQF Act no.67 of 2008) mandated to perform quality assurance functions – HEQC, QCTO, UMALUSI • SACE joined the QA terrain BUT it is not a QC • Demarcations, Overlaps, possible contestations • Questions raised about duplication of QA functions by SACE • Collaborations, Partnerships, MoUs, Sharing Resources and best practices

35. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes… • SACE Quality Assurance Terms • Approval of Providers, and • Endorsement of PD Activities / Programmes • Providers in this context refers to: • Employers (9 x Provincial DoEs, SGBs, Independent Schools, and others), • Other Government Departments, • HEIs, • Private Providers • NGOs / CBOs / FBOs, • Teacher Unions, • Professional Associations, and • Others

36. CPTD System Quality Management and Assurance Processes… • Providers must be SACE approved • to offer SACE endorsed activities • for which participating teachers get PD points • These are three separate operations

37. Provider Approval • Approval is a decision by SACE that a provider meets its criteria and is fit to offer quality PD activities • All providers must apply for SACE approval when they submit activities for endorsement • Only “SACE Approved Providers” may provide SACE endorsed PD activities

38. Provider Approval • What Does Provider Approval Status Mean? • has met SACE’s criteria for approval of providers • has signed up to SACE’s Code of Practice for providers • is fit to offer professional development activities endorsed by SACE

39. Provider Approval • agrees to offer only activities that are endorsed by SACE • will provide SACE with lists of successful teacher participants in endorsed activities • agrees to feedback from participants and monitoring by SACE • Provider Approval Status lasts for a period of three years

40. Provider Approval… • Providers fall into two categories • Category A: Accredited by one of the three Quality Councils • Category B: Not accredited by any of the three Quality Councils • Category A providers: approval is in principle automatic, but they must still be approved to offer X and Y activities

41. Provider Approval… • Category B providers are likely to comprise • Professional associations • Unions • National and provincial DoEs • NGOs • They must apply for SACE approval only if they intend to provide activities themselves

42. Provider Approval… • SACE must apply an appropriate set of criteria similar to accreditation • Provider/Endorsement Unit screens for formal compliance • SACE Evaluators Panel screens provider for approval to offer X and Y activities • Evaluators make site visits and interview providers’ presenters • Evaluators report and recommend

43. Provider Approval Criteria • Purpose statement • Financial viability • Tax clearance certificate • Physical resources • Facilities for delivery of activity • Staff expertise, qualifications, experience • Track record/evaluations/references • Any other information required by SACE

44. Endorsement of Activities / Programmes

45. Endorsement of Activities... • Endorsement is a term introduced by the NPFTED alongside the introduction of the CPTD system • Endorsement includes a process of examining the quality of an activity with respect to how it contributes to the professional development of the teacher • A process of evaluating and approving professional development activities against a set of criteria and coming up with an endorsement decision • Quality Councils – Accreditation and SACE - Endorsement

46. Endorsement Process • Process • Application (manual to SACE) • Check Listing and Screening for completeness and requirements (Endorsement Unit Staff, prepare documents and assign Evaluators) • Evaluation (Evaluators, Reports and Recommendations to Endorsement Sub-Committee) • Endorsement (Endorsement Committee, Scrutinise Reports and Recommendations from the Evaluators and make Final Recommendation to Council) • Council through PRODCO (delegated authority

47. Endorsement of Activities.. • Applicable largely to Type 3 professional development activities (Externally Initiated Activities) • Only SACE Approved Providers will submit proposed teacher development activity to SACE for endorsement • SACE evaluators will evaluate the activity and made a positive recommendation to the Endorsement Sub-Committee

48. Endorsement of Activities.. • SACE’s Endorsement Sub-committee will certify that the activity meets each of the SACE criteria at a satisfactory level • SACE’s Endorsement Sub-committee will endorse the proposed activity for a maximum of three years • The SACE Approved Provider may offer the endorsed activity for a maximum of three years

49. Endorsement Criteria Fitness of Purpose • Relevance and Appropriateness • The extent at which the institution / organisation / provider’s mission, goals, and activities are responsive to national priorities, agenda, and needs • Addresses the needs of the system / profession through the organisation’s mission and goals

50. Endorsement Criteria • Fitness of Purpose (Criteria) • Aligns with identified system needs • Strengthens subject competence • Strengthens professional practice • Promotes professional commitment, responsibility • Promotes system transformation