Review and Revision of Scottish Teacher Education Standards: Leadership, Capacity, and Equity Building

1. Leadership Capacity and Equity Building through the Review and Revision of the Scottish Teacher Education StandardsEPNoSLWebinar 125 November 2014Gillian Hamilton(Chief Executive, ScottishCollege for EducationalLeadership)

2. 1: Context of Application - 1 • The General Teaching Council for Scotland is Scotland’s independent professional and regulatory statutory body for teachers • We accredit initial teacher education courses, regulate the profession and promote professionalism • Our Standards have a role in all 3 areas

3. 2: Context of Application - 2 • We revised our Standards and concepts of leadership and equity following the report Teaching Scotland’s Future (2011)

4. Professional Skills and Abilities / Professional Actions Professional Knowledge and Understanding Professional Values and Personal Commitment 3: Context of Application - 3 The Structure of the GTC Scotland Standards The Standards for Registration* (Provisional - SPR , and Full - SFR) The Standard for Career-long Professional Learning The Standards for Leadership and Management (for middle leaders and Head Teachers) * Mandatory standards

5. 4: Context of Application - 4 Common to all of the Standards are: • Professional Values and Personal Commitment: social justice, integrity, trust and respect, professional commitment • Learning for Sustainability • Leadership

6. 5: School Leadership Policy Areas • Develop appropriate and acceptable Standards, with relevance to school leadership • Use open and inclusive practices in reviewing and developing them • Building leadership capacity and developing equity

7. 6: Main Goals of the Practice Our main goals were: • to involve all parties in the revision • to make the Standards acceptable and well-used • to enable all teachers, from students to Head Teachers, to play a leadership role • to further develop the values to encourage equity

8. 7: Key Initiators Many diverse voices seeking consensus: • A broadly-based Steering Group • Three Writing Groups • Face-to-face meetings with teachers • Use of social media • Support materials group

9. 8: Current / Prospective Beneficiaries Current and prospective beneficiaries are: • Learners who have well-qualified and professional teachers • Teachers who have increased professionalism and efficacy

10. 9: Contact and online information • Standards and support materials: http://www.gtcs.org/standards/standards.aspx • Individual contact: tom.hamilton@gtcs.org.uk

11. 10: Description of Good Practice Good practice described previously, but in terms of equity: • the same values are outlined in every Standard - social justice, integrity, trust and respect, professional commitment – and spelled out in further detail • there is consensus on these values • the Professional Update process will embed the values • there is a leadership role for all teachers

12. 11: Quality Characteristics of Good Practice • Example of field-tested good policy practice • The revised Standards have been well-regarded and are increasingly used

13. 12: Reflections on why this Practice is Recommended • Effectiveness – collegial approaches lead to acceptance • Efficiency – inclusive approach is time consuming but worth it • Relevance – to various theories of professionalism • Sustainability – review every 5 years • Synergies – from a wide range of partners • Transferability – cannot be adopted, but may be adapted

14. 13: Relationship with Wider Issues and Policy • National level issue in a small nation • Fits with educational and political consensus in Scotland

15. The General Teaching Council for Scotland