Post on 31-Mar-2015
Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework
Consultation proposal
The importance of teachersThe Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians
makes clear that Australia aspires not to be among the best in the
world, but to be the best. It acknowledges the challenges and
opportunities of the 21st century and provides two simple, but powerful,
goals to guide Australian education:
> Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence
> Goal 2: All young Australians become:
– successful learners
– confident and creative individuals
– active and informed citizens
Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians, 2008
Innovative international practices
In today’s global economy, countries need high-quality education systems that will teach their citizens the skills necessary to meet the challenges of tomorrow
Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education, © OECD, 2011
http://www.oecd.org/document/7/0,3746,en_2649_35845621_49428807_1_1_1_1,00.html
Activity: Vision
What are we trying to achieve in our school?
Work as a table group to brainstorm your responses
Importance of teacher performance and development
> Internationally, there is unequivocal evidence that the quality of teaching is the most significant in-school factor affecting student outcomes
> There is also strong evidence that better appraisal and feedback leading to targeted development can improve teacher performance
The Foundation
Studies show that more effective teachers are the key to producing higher performing students. Conservative estimates suggest that students with a highly effective teacher learn twice as much as students with a less effective teacher
B Jensen, Better teacher appraisal and feedback, Grattan Institute, 2011
The Provocation> Australian teachers report that they do not always get the feedback
they need to improve
> 63% of teachers believed that appraisals of their work are done purely to meet administrative requirements
> 61% of teachers reported that teacher appraisal has little impact on the way they teach in the classroom and provides them with little or no idea of how to improve their performance
OECD Reviews of evaluation and assessment in education: Australia, 2009
> Australian teachers regularly express dissatisfaction with the external delivery professional development model because whilst it heightens their awareness that change or improvement is needed it doesn’t enable them to implement and sustain improved teaching practices once they return to their school
P Cole 2004 IARTV paper
Research and evidence
Teacher performance has been shown to improve when the following conditions are present:
> Opportunities for teacher self-reflection and objective setting
> Regular classroom observation and provision of constructive feedback from their school leader, as well as their peers
> Frequent feedback on classroom performance as an ongoing dialogue, not a once a year discussion
> Shadowing, coaching and mentoring from peers and leaders
> Opportunities to contribute to and engage in teamwork, collaboration and action learning with other teachers to obtain the best possible outcomes for students
Growing our potential, Hay Group, 2012
Professional learning
> The Australian Charter for the Professional Learning of Teacher and School Leaders
> Companion document to the National Professional Standards for Teachers, the National Professional Standard for Principals and the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework
> A resource for planning, design and evaluation
The Framework and the Charter
> The draft Framework and the draft Charter work together
> They articulate what teachers require for professional growth and development
> Assessment, appraisal and feedback on performance are required for professional growth to occur
> The Charter describes the relationship between these aspects and advises on how professional learning can happen to greatest effect
Key features of the Charter
> Articulates the central importance of professional learning to teacher quality and student learning
> Recognises the importance of culture and context
> Describes four key characteristics of professional learning
– relevant
– collaborative
– futures focused
– sustainable
> Calls on teachers, school leaders and system leaders to take action
Solution focussed thinking
> Don’t fix what isn’t broken
> Stop doing what doesn’t work, and do something else
> Positive change is happening all the time: our challenge is to identify and amplify useful change
Effective performance and development practices
Dandenong North Primary School, Victoria
While you view the video try to identify the existing practices being used to build a positive performance and development culture
Activity: Existing practices at Dandenong North Primary School
Think, Group, Share
What strategies are contributing to Dandenong North Primary School’s attempts to build a comprehensive approach to teacher performance and development?
> Record your responses on the worksheet
> Each group to present their responses
> Consolidate the responses
> Identify those that might be relevant to your school, and what would need to change
Our work together…
> The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership is currently working together with stakeholders on a national consultation on a draft Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework
> Once adopted, the Framework will strengthen a performance and development culture in our schools that focuses on improving teaching and, through this, improving student learning
The Framework seeks to:
create a culture of improvement,
feedback and growth for all teachers within all schools everyday
The importance of a national Framework> A new resource for Australia’s teachers
> Supports teachers to receive effective performance and development opportunities
> Ensures that every teacher, every year, in every school receives regular, appropriate and constructive feedback on their performance
> Provides opportunities to identify areas for development
> Provides effective and ongoing support to further improve practice
The importance of a national Framework cont.
> We will have a national commitment to a clear, shared and sustained focus on student learning, and on quality teaching as the means to achieve this
> Through development and implementation of the framework Australian education systems should be well placed to be among the best in the world
Unpacking the draft Framework
Components of the draft Framework:
> Principles
> School context
> Performance and development cycle
> Outcomes
> Support to schools
Principles and school context
Major themes:
> Focus on student outcomes
> Clear understanding of effective teaching
> Leadership
> Flexibility
> Performance and development culture
Activity: Major themes of effective performance and development
What would your allocated theme look like in practice?
> Record your theme on the worksheet
> Discuss with the group (5 minutes)
> One group member to record and share
> Whole group sharing
Leadership
> School leadership is essential to creating a culture of professional improvement, feedback and growth within a school
> Leadership must come from all levels within a school
> Within the Framework opportunities for shared leadership exist through the roles of delegate and mentor/coach
> Principals and other school leaders are entitled to support to implement performance and development in their schools
National Professional Standard for PrincipalsThe Standard for Principals takes into account the crucial contribution made by principals in:
> Raising student achievement at all levels and all stages
> Promoting equity and excellence
> Creating and sustaining the conditions under which influencing, developing and delivering community expectations and government policy quality teaching and learning thrive
> Contributing to the development of a 21st century education system at local, national and international levels
A shared understanding of effective teaching derived from the National Professional Standards for Teachers
The Standards will provide a common language for coming to a shared understanding of what effective teaching looks like in the context of a particular school
Organisation of the StandardsFour Professional Career stages: Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead
Three Domains: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Professional Engagement
Seven Standards:
1. Know students and how they learn
2. Know the content and how to teach it
3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
6. Engage in professional learning
7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
Activity: A shared understanding of effective teaching
> Use the sticky notes to record three ideas about how the Standards might help you create a shared understanding of effective teaching
> One member of your pair will present your responses and place them on the table worksheet
Performance and development culture
> The challenge is to create a school culture that focuses on improvement in teaching and learning, in a climate of trust, collaboration and ongoing feedback
> These improvement activities need to align with the school’s plans
> It is only within this performance and development culture that a focus on teacher performance and development can deliver its full benefits
Activity: Supportive school culture
What conditions make the development of a school culture that focuses on an improvement in teaching and learning possible?
Performance and development occurs in a cycle which provides a focus for appraising, developing and refining teaching and recognising the entitlements of teachers to receive feedback and support
Elements of the cycle are interwoven, will not necessarily occur in order and may take more or less time depending on circumstances
However, the cycle provides a useful way of thinking about the process, and assists in identifying its important elements
Activity: Performance and development cycle
The cycle provides a useful way of thinking about the process of performance and development and assists in identifying its important elements
What elements are essential to an effective approach to performance and development?
Essential elements for effective performance and developmentThe essential elements are derived from research and existing effective practice:
> Objectives– documented objectives agreed with the principal/delegate – opportunity to regularly revise objectives
> Action & development– opportunity to deliver against objectives, identify their development needs and
negotiate support to take action to meet them
> Evidence– evidence of performance from multiple sources, including impact on student
outcomes, direct observation and collaboration with colleagues
> Feedback, including formal review– receive regular formal and informal feedback and participate in a formal review
against objectives annually by principal/delegate including written feedback
Performance and development practicesResearch evidence clearly indicates that an effective and achievable
performance and development cycle includes the following practices:
> Observation
> Collegiality – working collaboratively
> Formal feedback
> Informal feedback
> Coaching
> Mentoring
> Goal setting
> Reflection and self assessment
> Collaborative professional learning
> Professional learning relevant to school and student needs
Activity: Impact / Achievability Matrix
Impact
Low Achievability High
High
Low
2
3 4
1
Activity: Impact / Achievability Matrix
> Matrix base quadrant boards
> 10 cards identifying effective performance and development practices
> 2 spare blank cards
Task:
> Work in groups of 4
> Each person in turn is to place the ten cards in their chosen square for their school at this time. Take time to explain the reason/s for your choice
> Together reflect on what you have learnt about your school’s/organisation’s current structures recording any insights
Anticipated benefits for teachers
> Effective, ongoing and constructive feedback on performance
> Increased professional growth through mentoring and coaching
> Access to support and development opportunities
> Enhanced professional satisfaction
> Access to networks through school and system wide collaboration
> Formal recognition of professional achievements
Links to other processes
Support for implementation
> Advice and support
> A toolkit of stimulus materials, worksheets and templates
> Examples of effective practice
> Professional learning modules
> Web presence
> Online communities of practice
Activity: Thinking about implementation
> Form groups of 4
> First brainstorm the challenges
> Now identify any mitigation strategies that your group can think of
> Finally outline the priorities for support required to enable effective implementation
> Share with all participants
Activity: Existing practices in your school
Ringwood Secondary College, Victoria
Activity: Existing practices in your school
> What existing strategies are contributing to your school’s attempts to build a comprehensive approach to teacher performance and development?
> What would you like to see in a future video highlighting your school’s performance and development practices?
Stimulus card pack
Table discussion…
> Look through your card pack which offers a series of hot topics
> Select a hot topic for discussion at your table
> Share your thinking with us
> Share your own hot topics with the Australian educational community
Contact us: www.aitsl.edu.au
Who dares to teach must never cease to learn
John Cotton Dana