Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Setting Priorities Among
Teacher Policies:
The Ontario Journey
Mary Jean Gallagher
Chief Student Achievement Officer of Ontario
Assistant Deputy Minister
Student Achievement Division
Ministry of Education
2
Snapshot – Province of OntarioOntario has:
• 40% of Canada’s 33.6 million people (it is the most populous province)
• 60% of 225,000 immigrants who come to Canada annually
• Over 1 million square kilometres of land
• 2.1 million students, 27% born outside Canada
• Almost 126,000 teachers (unionized teaching and support staff)
• About 5,000 schools in 72 school districts
• Funding of $22.8B (CDN) in 2012-13 (45% increase compared to 2002-03)
3
Educational Reform over 2+ Decades:
• Public concern (80’s and 90’s)
• Royal Commission (1993-1995)
• Structured building blocks
– Curriculum
– Student assessment system
– Standards
4
Ontario – Building Blocks and Contrasts
A) Building Blocks – 1991-1996• Ontario College of Teachers – self governance
• Province-wide assessments (1994/95)
• Transparency of results
• Outcomes – slight improvement, then flatline
5
Ontario – Building Blocks and Contrasts
B. Change Structures… and Chaos – 1997-2003
• Period of change – very directive and prescriptive
changes to education system
• Funding policies – equity and reduction
• School district size and governance
• Teacher continuing education mandatory, increased workload
• Emphasis on business principles and performance
management approaches
• Teacher unrest – annual bargaining – strikes
• Loss of public confidence
• Outcomes – flatline at best – increased dropouts in secondary
6
Ontario – Building Blocks and Contrasts
C. Gaining Ground: The Reform Strategy
2003 – present
• New government – the “Education Premier”
• A commitment to consultation and respect
• The building of partnerships
• Engaging the profession
7
125,000 more students at provincial standard
Elementary Outcomes: Achievement Results
4 key levers for
elementary reform:
1. Improving
classroom
teaching and
learning
2. Improving
school
effectiveness
3. Leadership
capacity building
4. Research and
evaluation
6 key levers for secondary reform:
1. Leadership infrastructure
2.Engaging and relevant programming
3.Effective instruction
4.Focused Interventions for students at risk of not graduating
5.Legislation and policy development
6.Research, monitoring and evaluation
8
Secondary Outcomes: Achievement Results
9
Implementation and Focus
1. A small number of ambitious goals
• High levels of student achievement
• 75% of students with high level of literacy and numeracy skill by age 12
• 85% of students graduating from high school within 5 years of starting
• Reduced gaps in student achievement
• Increased public confidence in education
2. A Guiding Coalition at the Top
10
Implementation and Focus
3. High Standards and Expectations
• A standards based curriculum
• A transparent standard of performance
• Independent assessments of student achievement
• Provincial standards of literacy and numeracy require creative thinking, problem solving, higher order thinking skills
11
Implementation and Focus
4. Leadership capacity building that emphasizes instruction
12
Needs Assessment
• Student achievement data
• Demographic data
• Program data
• Perceptual data
• Analysis of data
Smart Goals Targeted, Evidence Based Strategies
Resources
Professional Learning
MonitoringResponsibility
Evaluation
4. Leadership and capacity building related to instruction – School improvement planning as an engagement tool
13
Implementation and Focus
5. An asset stance that mobilizes effective practices and evidence as a strategy for improvement
Provincial Results for Junior Writing
(English-Language)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
All 54 54 59 61 61 67 67 70 73
Girls 64 64 68 72 72 76 78 79 82
Boys 44 45 50 51 50 58 57 61 64
SpecEd 12 11 14 17 17 28 28 31 36
ESL/ELL 24 27 34 39 42 53 55 58 61
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
14
Implementation and Focus
6. Intervention in a non punitive manner
7. Vigilance against distracters
8. Transparency, challenge and local-central ownership
15
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
1. Setting clear expectations for teachers
1. Clear expectations for what students should be able to
know and do.
• Same: clear curriculum and expected standards of
performance for students
2. Clear expectations for what teachers are supposed to
do.
16
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
1. Setting clear expectations for teachers ( cont’d)
3. Sufficient time for teachers to fulfill their duties
• Same:
– standards of practice for the teaching profession designed,
enforced by College
• Different:
• 90’s – teacher workload increased by government, preparation
time reduced
• Current – workload increases reversed, expectations increased –
preparation time and time for collaboration provided
17
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
2. Attracting the best into teaching
1. Minimum requirements to enter pre-service training and
teaching
• Same: entry requirements to teacher training consistent
2. Competitive pay and benefits
• Same
18
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
2. Attracting the best into teaching (cont’d)3. Appealing Working conditions
• Same:
– Schools and physical environments
• Different:
– 90’s – unrest in labour force, teaching treated as “labour”
– Now – emphasis on teaching as a noble profession with a high moral purpose – respect for and recognition of the profession
4. Attractive career opportunities• Different:
– 90’s – negative view of teaching as a career
– Now – recovering
19
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
3. Preparing teachers with useful training and
experience
1. Minimum standards for pre-service training programs
• Same: programs in Faculties of Education relatively similar,
accredited by Ontario College of Teachers
2. Required classroom experience for all teachers
• Same
20
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
3. Preparing teachers with useful training and
experience (cont’d)
3. A smooth transition from training into teaching
• Different:
– 90’s – left to individual districts and schools
– Now – required engagement in New Teacher Induction Program
and support (development, mentoring, collaboration)
21
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
4. Matching teachers’ skills with students’ needs
1. Incentives for teachers to work in hard to staff schools
• Same:
– Structures for staffing allocations within district school boards
• Different:
– 90’s – an ethic of “blaming teachers” for lack of success in schools
in challenging circumstances
– Now – an ethic of supporting teachers and leaders in addressing
the challenges – recognition of “Schools on the Move – in
Challenging Circumstances”
22
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
4. Matching teachers’ skills with students’ needs
(cont’d)
3. Incentives for teachers to teach critical shortage areas
• Same:
– No real incentives
• Different:
– Now – financial support for “Tutors in the Classrooms”
23
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
5. Leading teachers with strong principals
1. Minimum requirements to become a principal
• Same
2. Incentives for principals to perform well
• Same:
– Transparency of results of school in key indicators
• Different:
– Now – Ontario Leadership Strategy, additional supports,
opportunities for collaboration and peer leadership.
24
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
5. Leading teachers with strong principals (cont’d)
3. Decision making authority for principals to influence
instruction
• Same:
– Overall structure of teacher performance appraisal
• Different:
– Philosophy of performance enhancement for teachers, not just
management
– Capacity building support for principals as instructional leaders
25
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
6. Monitoring teaching and learning
1. Adequate student achievement data to inform teaching
• Same:
– EQAO provincial assessment
• Different:
Now
– Additional indicators monitored
– Investment in capacity building with respect to data analysis
– Development of a “data culture”
26
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
6. Monitoring teaching and learning (cont’d)
2. Adequate teacher performance data to inform teaching
• Different:
Now
– Research and analysis strategy
– Investments in capacity building for teachers
– Evidence based practice
– Ontario “Statistical Neighbours” database
27
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
7. Supporting Teachers to Improve Instruction
1. Use of teacher performance to improve instruction
• Different: collaboration and evidence based culture
2. Professional development to improve practice
• Large investment in capacity building: time for collaboration, staff to
assist, improvement in infrastructure, resources (documents & DVDs),
classroom embedded professional development
• Focus on teacher led action research, collaborative inquiry
3. Principals’ support for teachers
• Capacity building, infrastructure and focus on instructional leadership
28
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
8. Motivating Teachers to Perform
1. Minimum standards for teacher behaviour and effort
• Same:
– Teacher evaluation structures
– Standards of practice
2. Rewards for high performing teachers
• Same:
– No pay for performance incentives
• Different:
– Recognition of role, leadership and excellence – opportunities to excel and
model
29
The 8 Core Teacher Policy Goals and
Effective Teaching and Learning in Ontario
8. Motivating Teachers to Perform (cont’d)
3. Sanctions for low performing teachers
• Same:
– Discipline and/or dismissal in a small number of cases
• Different
– Now – increasing collaborative support and accountability, role
confidence by principals
30
Questions and Discussion
1. Ontario’s success is based upon a large and
aligned set of factors and changes
• How are the Teacher Policy Goals reflected
or challenged in the Ontario Journey?
• To what degree does this validate the
Teacher-SABER research and program?
31
Questions and Discussion
2. What from Ontario’s Teacher Policy
experiences are transferable to other
jurisdictions?
• What conditions would need to be in place
for Ontario’s lessons to be applicable
elsewhere?
32
Questions and Discussion
3. In Ontario’s experience over the past two
decades, many policy levers remained
constant. Is Ontario’s success a result of a
policy shift, a culture shift or a relationship
shift? How do these relate to each other? How
does this relate to evaluation and development
work elsewhere?
Thank you!
For Further Information please contact:
Mary Jean Gallagher
1-416-325-9964
Or Contact :
Nina Chahal
1-416-325-2480
