Government Requires 
Professional Learning for

All College Members

Bill 80 will require all Ontario teachers to complete a minimum of 14 professional learning courses every five years to maintain their licence to teach.

A new requirement to successfully complete 14 professional learning courses over the next five years – seven core and seven elective – will commence this fall for 40,000 randomly selected classroom teachers and 6,500 newly licensed teachers.

The professional learning requirement is the first component of the government’s teacher testing program directly affecting practising classroom teachers. It will extend to all members of the College in Ontario in 2002. The members of the first cohort of 40,000 teachers will be informed by mail in September that they have been selected.

A second component of the government’s teacher testing program – a uniform performance appraisal process system for teachers across the province – is on the way and will be implemented in the fall in selected school boards as part of a pilot project.

The government announced the details of the professional learning requirement on June 7, along with a qualifying test for new applicants to the College, and passed amendments to the Ontario College of Teachers Act on June 28 to implement it. The provincial cabinet also approved a regulation enabling the establishment of the new Professional Learning Committee called for in the Act and another regulation outlining exemptions under the Act was expected to be approved later in the summer.

"Council sought legal advice and had to accept the fact that the College is a legislated professional body and will have to carry out its new mandate under the Act," said College Chair Larry M. Capstick following a special Council meeting in July on the issue.

"We support professional learning – as do all teachers – but insist that it must be meaningful to our members and contribute to their own professional growth. That the only way it’s going to have a positive impact in the classroom and benefit students."


C O M M I T T E D    T O    S H A R E    I N F O R M A T I O N

"We’re very aware that College members want to know as soon as possible what this required professional learning program will mean for them," said College Registrar Joe Atkinson. "Right now, because policies and regulations are still being developed, we can’t provide a great deal of information, but everyone at the College is absolutely committed to sharing information about the Professional Learning Program with our members just as soon as we have it.

"What we know so far indicates that teachers should have no difficulty in satisfying these requirements for professional learning. The vast majority of our members do much more professional development than this legislated requirement.

"In fact, minimum requirements for professional learning are common in other professions and for educators in a number of jurisdictions across North America.

Qualifying Test for New Teachers

The government also announced on June 7 that all new applicants to the College – including those from Ontario faculties of education as well as from out of province – will have to pass a qualifying test as of May 2002. The test is in addition to the recently implemented language proficiency test for applicants who did not complete their teacher education program in English or in French.

The government selected a consortium of the Educational Testing Service and the Ontario Principals’ Council to develop the qualifying test following a request for proposals announced in March. The development process will include a pilot study and field tests with selected participants as well as consultation with parents, teachers, faculties of education, school boards, student representatives and the College.

The government’s request for proposals for the test indicated that it should provide appropriate and fair evidence that each new teacher has an acceptable level of knowledge in the Ontario curriculum as well as knowledge of teaching skills and strategies, learning theory, special education, classroom management, the use of educational technologies and knowledge of legislation relating to expectations for teachers.

A number of other professions in Ontario – lawyers, doctors and accountants for example – already have a test in place for newcomers to the profession. The implementation of any testing requirement will be subject to approval by the College Council, which is responsible for determining the requirements for entry to the profession.

"We know that in some areas of the province – and particularly for our Francophone members – access to professional learning courses is currently uneven. We will address access as an urgent priority so that no group of teachers is disadvantaged by this professional learning program."

College Chair Larry Capstick pointed out, "The vast majority of teachers already exceed the government’s requirements for professional learning by far. In 2000, for example, a little over 16,000 teachers took more than 21,000 Additional Qualification courses. And that doesn’t count teachers involved in summer institutes or pursuing other types of professional learning like additional university degrees or continuing education courses."


B U S I N E S S    P L A N

During the Council’s discussion in June of the government’s legislation, a number of Council members expressed concerns that the costs of the program to teachers and the College are not known and difficult to assess because the details are incomplete and being announced by the Minister as they are developed.

The College evaluated the various components of the program – including design changes to the College’s registry – and submitted a business plan to the ministry in August.

Costs for the program will include, for example, communicating with College members, developing a computer system to keep track of the professional learning of up to 180,000 educators, approving providers and courses across the province and setting up an appeal process for providers as well as courses if they are not approved.

The College will also have to implement a new data collection system to track members’ employment information. For example, principals will be required to complete required professional learning that is appropriate for school administrators, likewise supervisory officers and College members working in non-traditional jobs.

The College will set up e-services through its web site that will allow individual teachers to have access to a personal password-protected file where all their courses will be recorded so that they can keep up to date on their progress. This information will not appear on the College’s public register.


C O R E    A N D    E L E C T I V E    C O U R S E S

Teachers will have to successfully complete seven core and seven elective courses over a five-year period. The courses are to be part of their professional learning activities and must include assessments. Teachers will be responsible for the cost of the courses.

New Appraisal Process Coming

The new appraisal process being developed and likely to be introduced in the fall "will establish standards for the assessment of teachers in the classroom by principals and boards. These standards will provide the basis for ongoing assessment and continuous improvement of every teacher’s classroom performance," says the Ministry of Education’s web site.

"Links between new performance appraisal standards and remediation policies will provide teachers whose performance is not satisfactory the time, supports and opportunities they need to improve."

An initial list of approved professional learning providers and courses will be available on the College web site in October. Other providers and courses will be added by 2002 and the College Registrar said he expects the lists to continue to grow over time.

The core courses must be in the areas of the Ontario curriculum, student assessment, special education, teaching strategies, classroom management and leadership, use of technology and communicating with parents and students.

Elective courses are up to individual members to choose according to their needs or interests. Additional Qualification courses will qualify as elective or core courses and may count for more than one course. Teachers can select a core course as an elective in addition to the required core courses.

When this is fully implemented, the College expects a variety of providers like faculties of education, teachers’ federations, principals’ organizations and private providers will offer both core and elective courses. Distance education courses will play an important part in ensuring that the courses are accessible across the province in both English and French.


T I M E T A B L E

The required professional learning program is set up on a five-year cycle. Teachers who can demonstrate that they will not be able to complete all the courses by the required deadline may be granted an extension on a case by case basis. The College’s Registration Appeals Committee – whose mandate has been expanded by Bill 80 and subsequent regulations – will be responsible for granting extensions.

The first cohort of participants must complete the required courses by December 2006. At least six months before the end of the five-year cycle – in June 2006 – they will receive a status report of their professional learning activities from the College.

The report will confirm completion of the courses or identify the outstanding professional learning activities required to maintain membership in the College. Members will be given the opportunity to correct any errors.

According to the legislation, teachers who have not completed the required courses by October 2006 must receive notification from the College that their Certificates of Registration and Qualification will be suspended by the end of December 2006. The outstanding requirements will again be identified and teachers will be provided with another opportunity to correct any error or provide an explanation as to why they cannot complete the courses.

Teachers who have failed to demonstrate that they have met the requirements and have been suspended as of January 1, 2007 will receive another notice by August 31, identifying the requirements that have not been met and outlining the College’s obligation to cancel their certificates by October 31. This final step also allows members to provide evidence that they have completed the required courses or to appeal decisions made by the College.

Provincial Government’s Teacher Testing Program:_Components Implemented or Announced to Date Provincial Government’s Teacher Testing Program: Components to Come
• language proficiency

• professional learning program

• qualifying test for new applicants
• internship program

• province-wide appraisal process

• teaching excellence recognition

• quality assurance process for schools – involving parents, educators and experts

Members who have had their certificates suspended or cancelled will no longer be allowed to work in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.


N E W    P R O F E S S I O N A L    L E A R N I N G    C O M M I T T E E

Bill 80’s changes to the Ontario College of Teachers Act require the College to oversee the required professional learning program through a Professional Learning Committee. It is composed of a maximum of 11 members, including six chosen by Council – two elected members, two appointed members and two members of the College at large. In addition, the Minister may make up to five appointments to the committee.

The four Council members appointed to the committee bring a broad range of education experience to its work.

Bernard J. Adam, who was acclaimed to Council from the French-Language Public Elementary/Secondary category, has taught a wide range of subjects at the Intermediate and Senior levels.

Jerry De Quetteville, elected from the Southcentral Region, is a long-time elementary teacher and an experienced summer institute presenter.

Public appointee Patrick Daly is chair of Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board since 1991, president of the Ontario School Trustees’ Council and past president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association.

Public appointee Elayne McDermid worked for many years in the public school system as a teacher-librarian specialist, physical education specialist and Language Arts, French, Mathematics and Science teacher.


M E M B E R S    A T    L A R G E    C A N    P A R T I C I P A T E

An ad on page 37 in this issue of Professionally Speaking encourages College members at large to apply to become a member of the Professional Learning Committee.

"The College will make sure there is strong representation on the new Professional Learning Committee created by legislation," said the College Chair, Larry Capstick. "Professional learning must respond to teachers’ needs. We want to hear from College members interested in making a positive contribution to the committee."

The committee’s mandate includes approving criteria for applying as a provider of professional learning courses, establishing the procedure for approval of a provider and a course, approving the courses, conducting regular reviews of providers and courses to ensure they continue to meet the approval criteria and perform other duties as prescribed in regulations.

The amended Act also allows the Professional Learning Committee to establish a fee for provider applications – to be defined in the bylaws – and to impose terms or conditions on any provider or course approval. The Committee also has the authority to define the procedure to remove approval of a provider or a course.

The College will also establish another committee to review appeals submitted by course providers that have not been approved by the Professional Learning Committee.

Qualifying Test for New Teachers

The government also announced on June 7 that all new applicants to the College – including those from Ontario faculties of education as well as from out of province – will have to pass a qualifying test as of May 2002. The test is in addition to the recently implemented language proficiency test for applicants who did not complete their teacher education program in English or in French.

The government selected a consortium of the Educational Testing Service and the Ontario Principals’ Council to develop the qualifying test following a request for proposals announced in March. The development process will include a pilot study and field tests with selected participants as well as consultation with parents, teachers, faculties of education, school boards, student representatives and the College.

The government’s request for proposals for the test indicated that it should provide appropriate and fair evidence that each new teacher has an acceptable level of knowledge in the Ontario curriculum as well as knowledge of teaching skills and strategies, learning theory, special education, classroom management, the use of educational technologies and knowledge of legislation relating to expectations for teachers. A number of other professions in Ontario – lawyers, doctors and accountants for example – already have a test in place for newcomers to the profession. The implementation of any testing requirement will be subject to approval by the College Council, which is responsible for determining the requirements for entry to the profession.

New Appraisal Process Coming

The new appraisal process being developed and likely to be introduced in the fall "will establish standards for the assessment of teachers in the classroom by principals and boards. These standards will provide the basis for ongoing assessment and continuous improvement of every teacher’s classroom performance," says the Ministry of Education’s web site.

"Links between new performance appraisal standards and remediation policies will provide teachers whose performance is not satisfactory the time, supports and opportunities they need to improve."

Provincial Government’s Teacher Testing Program: 
Components Implemented or Announced to Date
Provincial Government’s Teacher Testing Program:
Components to Come
• language proficiency
• professional learning program
• qualifying test for new applicants

• internship program
• province-wide appraisal process
• teaching excellence recognition
• quality assurance process for schools – involving parents, educators and experts

 

 

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