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Putting the Pieces Together
chair.jpg (11036 bytes) “Ontario has the potential to construct an integrated system to ensure competency in the teaching profession. At present, however, the various components of the Ontario system designed to ensure competence remain unconnected and disparate. As a result, even with the best intentions and efforts on the part of all stakeholders, systemic dysfunction results. In such a system, the whole is actually less than the sum of its parts.”

Members of the College Council are faced with a puzzle as they consider the options for the advice they must shortly provide to the Minister of Education on teacher testing.

The College’s research has provided a clear picture of best practices being adopted by the teaching profession around the world to ensure, maintain and demonstrate competence. The College can also look at the experience and plans of the other self-regulating professions in Ontario that share many aspects of our regulatory culture.

But Ontario’s education system gives many partners different pieces of the responsibility for ensuring that teachers are competent. A system that regularly assesses the competence of all certified teachers in Ontario requires all these players to contribute to putting the pieces together.

The Education Act and Regulation 298 place the responsibility for performance appraisal in publicly-funded schools with the employer. Employers are expected to develop appraisal processes, but education legislation does not set any standards or common expectations for these processes.

For many years, institutions, organizations and employers in Ontario’s education system have generated lists of expectations of competent teachers through mission statements, publications and performance review policies.

In the last three years, the College of Teachers has introduced the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and approved in principle draft ethical standards. It has made these standards key components of the accreditation of pre-service teacher education programs at Ontario universities. As the College broadens its accreditation activities for in-service education programs, the expectation is that these programs must also be standards-based.

AROUND THE WORLD
This standards-based approach is widely seen as the most effective way to ensure and demonstrate competence in the teaching profession. The College’s research shows that in Australia, New Zealand, France, Scotland, England and Wales, teacher licensing bodies are developing standards-based systems of ensuring and promoting teachers’ professional competence. Some of these include some type of mandatory career-long professional learning.

The standards movement is also gaining momentum in many parts of the United States, often – but not always – in conjunction with testing.

Thirty-one states report the use of teacher standards for licensing and six additional states indicate they are in the development stage. The report indicates that 28 states apply their teacher standards to all teaching fields. Twelve states report specific fields for which teacher standards apply.

A written test is commonly used as part of the certification process for new teachers. Many states rely on one of the Praxis I and/or Praxis II, the National Teacher Exam (NTE), the College Basic Academic Subject Exam, or another standardized test of basic skills. A few states use a state exam that is fully customized for use at this initial licensing stage.

In 1998, 38 states reported requiring a written assessment at some point in the certification and licensure of new teachers. Among the states with teacher assessments:

• 36 states assess "basic skills"
• 27 states assess "professional knowledge of teaching"
• 22 states assess "subject matter knowledge"
• 28 states assess teachers with two or more of these components.

The same survey, by the U.S. Council of Chief State School Officers, also reported on policies on teacher performance assessment. Results for 1998 show eight states use portfolios of required professional learning, with four requiring the portfolio during the first or second year of teaching and several using the portfolio on completion of pre-service education. The results also showed that 13 states require classroom observation as part of the assessment process for licensure.

ONTARIO PROFESSIONS
The College survey of Ontario’s self-regulating professions shows that most require ongoing professional learning and many require practice reviews, which could be compared to the regular assessments or performance appraisals of classroom teachers by principals. A significant number require tests of new entrants before certification and some test members who have been inactive for a few years before they are re-certified. However, none require current members to be tested to maintain their right to practise.

“Council’s ad hoc committee on this teacher testing issue has identified 22 options for discussion by the Ontario teaching profession and the public. All these options have emerged from our summary of the research on both the teaching profession around the world and other professions in this province,” says College Chair Donna Marie Kennedy. "But the important element that the committee has added is to put all of the information we have gathered and synthesized into the context of Ontario’s education system.

“That means understanding and respecting that a number of different education partners have very important roles in the assessment and promotion of teacher competence and that no one organization can do as good a job on its own as we all can together.”

THE OPTIONS
Minister of Education Janet Ecker asked the College for “advice … on how to implement a teacher testing program that is cost-effective and within the following parameters:

• regular assessment of the teachers’ knowledge and skills (A)
• methodologies which include both written and other assessment techniques (B)
• a link to re-certification (C)
• remediation for those who fail assessments (D), and
• de-certification as a consequence if remediation is unsuccessful.” (E)

The ad hoc committee struck by Council to develop a response to the Minister conducted an in-depth review of the College’s extensive research material on testing and competence for the teaching profession around the world and in a wide range of professions in Ontario. This review gave rise to 22 options that could form the basis of the College’s response.

In response to her request for cost-effectiveness, the College will also include cost implications in its advice to the Minister. The APPLE principle, developed and employed by nursing regulatory bodies, may be a useful guide for assessing the options. They should be:

A = Administratively feasible
P = Publicly credible
P = Professionally acceptable
L = Legally defensible
E = Economically feasible

The consultation paper organizes the options for discussion by the parameters outlined in the Minister’s letter to the College.

A. Regular assessment of teachers’ knowledge and skills

Option A1 The Ontario College of Teachers will continue to refine the policies and processes for the accreditation of pre-service and in-service teacher education programs to ensure that such programs meet both the regulatory requirements outlined in the Ontario College of Teachers Act/96 and the standards of practice and ethical standards approved by the Council of the College.

Option A2 The Minister of Education be requested to review and revise those aspects of Regulation 298 made under the Education Act that relate to the performance appraisal of members of the Ontario College of Teachers such that the components of performance appraisal be set by the government.

Option A3 The Minister of Education be requested to review and revise, where appropriate, those aspects of Regulation 298 made under the Education Act that relate to the assignment of teachers to programs/subjects for which they do not hold additional qualifications as outlined in Regulation 184 made under the Ontario College of Teachers Act/96.

B. Methodologies which include both written and other assessment techniques

Option B1 In addition to possession of an undergraduate university degree or other qualifications appropriate to the division/subject area of concentration, applicants to a teacher education program at an Ontario faculty of education be required to complete successfully a written assessment of basic knowledge and skills with regard to literacy and numeracy prior to entrance to the program.

Option B2 Teacher candidates enrolled in a teacher education program in Ontario, in addition to program and practicum requirements, be required to complete a written assessment of knowledge and skills related to Ontario curriculum, pedagogy, and education legislation and policy appropriate for beginning teachers prior to entrance to the profession in Ontario.

Option B3 Applicants for membership in the Ontario College of Teachers who completed their teacher education program outside Ontario, in addition to program and practicum requirements, be required to complete a written assessment of knowledge and skills related to Ontario curriculum, pedagogy, and education legislation and policy appropriate for beginning teachers prior to entrance to the profession in Ontario.

Option B4 Employers be required to provide a two-year induction program to newly-graduated teachers employed on a regular basis to ensure that beginning teachers continue to develop and to refine the knowledge and skills required by members of the teaching profession and be required to report successful completion by the teacher for inclusion on the Certificate of Qualification.

Option B5 Employers be required to provide a two-year induction program to newly-graduated teachers employed on a regular basis to ensure that beginning teachers continue to develop and to refine the knowledge and skills required by members of the teaching profession and be required to report successful completion by the teacher in order that an Interim Certificate of Qualification issued at entry to registration with the Ontario College of Teachers be converted to a Certificate of Qualification.

Option B6 Employers be required to provide a two-year induction program to members of the Ontario College of Teachers who completed their teacher education program outside Ontario and are employed on a regular basis for the first time in Ontario to ensure that they develop and refine the knowledge and skills required by members of the teaching profession and be required to report successful completion by the teacher for inclusion on the Certificate of Qualification.

Option B7 Employers be required to provide a two-year induction program to members of the Ontario College of Teachers who completed their teacher education program outside Ontario and are employed on a regular basis for the first time in Ontario to ensure that they develop and refine the knowledge and skills required by members of the teaching profession and be required to report successful completion by the teacher in order that an Interim Certificate of Qualification issued at entry to registration with the College be converted to a Certificate of Qualification.

Option B8 The requirements for the accreditation of ongoing professional certification courses listed in Regulation 184/97 made under the Ontario College of Teachers Act/96 will include a well-defined provision for the assessment of candidates based upon criteria developed and approved by the Ontario College of Teachers.

Option B9 All members of the Ontario College of Teachers retain a professional portfolio highlighting their ongoing professional learning and achievements that is reported to the College periodically by employers, perhaps once every three to five years.

Option B10 All members of the Ontario College of Teachers be required to prepare an annual professional growth plan.

Option B11 All members of the Ontario College of Teachers be required to participate in prescribed ongoing education and to submit evidence of such participation to the College.

C. A link to re-certification

Option C1 Processes be established for the ongoing performance appraisal process outlined in Regulation 298 made under the Education Act to include the regular review of a professional portfolio developed by the Ontario College of Teachers and organized around both the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession.

Option C2 An orientation program be established for members of the Ontario College of Teachers who return to the profession following a break in employment in education in Ontario for a period of five years or more and successful completion of the program be reported by the employer for inclusion on the Certificate of Qualification.

Option C3 An orientation program be established for members of the Ontario College of Teachers who completed their teacher education program outside of Ontario, and successful completion of the program be reported for inclusion on the Certificate of Qualification.

D. Remediation for those who fail assessments

Option D1 The process for written assessment of basic knowledge and skills with regard to literacy and numeracy prior to entrance to a teacher education program in Ontario include a provision for remediation for unsuccessful candidates.

Option D2 Ontario faculties of education be required to demonstrate during the accreditation process conducted by the Ontario College of Teachers that there are policies and processes in place to support and remediate teacher candidates experiencing difficulty meeting program assessment requirements and to provide for the exit from the program of candidates who continue to experience difficulty.

Option D3 All providers of in-service programs accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers will be required to demonstrate through the accreditation process that policies and processes are in place to support and remediate candidates experiencing difficulty in meeting program assessment requirements.

Option D4 The Minister of Education be requested to ensure that employers provide support and remediation for members of the Ontario College of Teachers when issues of teacher competency arise as part of the performance appraisal process required by Regulation 298 made under the Education Act.

E. De-certification as a consequence if remediation is unsuccessful

Option E1 Legislation be introduced to ensure that employers be required to notify the Ontario College of Teachers where there are members whose ongoing performance appraisals, after the provision to the members of appropriate support and remediation, cause the employer to be concerned about the members’ possible incompetence, in accordance with Section 30 (3) of the Ontario College of Teachers Act/96, incapacity, in accordance with Section 31 (2), or professional misconduct, in accordance with Regulation 437/97.

No other self-regulating profession in Ontario administers tests to members for the purpose of maintaining their certification or continuing to hold a licence to practise their profession.