AHDS Conference November 2014 - GTCS

Professional Update, Professional Standards and National E-Portfolio

AHDS Annual Conference 2014 Workshop

Martin Osler, Kenneth Muir GTCS

“In Scotland, we are all engaged in what I am sure will be seen in years to comes as a point where we are experiencing and delivering a “paradigm shift” in moving a good education system to becoming a great one; a system that sustains continuous improvement in outcomes for learners and ongoing professional learning for teachers.”

Teaching Scotland January 2014

Closing the attainment gap

Delivering the aspirations of Curriculum for Excellence

Creating a world-class, sustainable, “future- proofed” education system

Supporting teaching staff to deliver high quality learning and teaching

“Talking up” the teaching profession

Challenges facing Scottish Education

National System Alignment

Revised Professional Standards

ProfessionalUpdate

National E-Portfolio

CfE

ES andInspectio

n

TeachingScotland’s Future

Scottish College of Educational Leadership

New Examinations and Awards

• Putting the learner at the centre - personalised, customer or learner-centric

• Supporting achievement by and for all• Establishing an effective performance

framework that allows continuous review and improvement

• Reconceptualising the model of teacher professionalism (Professional Update, revised Standards, Fitness to Teach, etc)

National system alignment

Building the plane while flying it

“The major source of student variance lies within the person who gently closes the door of the classroom door and performs the teaching act.”

“The remarkable feature of the (research) evidence is that the biggest effects on student learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching.”

John Hattie “Visible Learning”

The importance of learning and teaching

21st c. learning focuses on the need to develop students’ cognitive, inter- and intra-personal capacities. However, a necessary precursor to this is that teachers’ capacity for, and awareness of, their own learning needs to be developed

“Leading learning in 21st century schools” Bull and Gilbert (2013)

The changing role of teachers

“ The most successful education systems invest in developing their teachers as reflective, accomplished and enquiring professionals who are able, not simply to teach successfully in relation to current external expectations, but who have the capacity to engage fully with the complexities of education and to be key actors in shaping and leading educational change”.

“Teaching Scotland’s Future” 2011

Supporting teaching staff

New Professional Standards

Key purposes of Professional Update?

To maintain and improve the quality of our teachers as outlined in the relevant Professional Standards and to enhance the impact they have on pupils’ learning

To support, maintain and enhance teachers’ continued professionalism and the reputation of the teaching profession in Scotland

Professional Standards and Professional Update

“Professional Standards have significant potential to provide the necessary provocation for teachers to think about their work, practice and professional identity in quite fundamentally, different and generative ways.”

Sachs J (2010)

Professional Standards and Professional Update

“If Standards are to become the basis for promoting high quality professional learning, they need to be regarded as a series of signposts to guide an integrated professional learning agenda, rather than a series of discrete accomplishments to be ticked.”

Timperley (2011)

Social Justice

Integrity

Trust and Respect

Professional Commitment

Professional Values and Personal Commitment

Using Professional Standards to support Professional

Learning

Professional Skills and Abilities

Professional Knowledge and Understanding

Professional Values and Personal Commitment

a responsibility to consider their own development needs

an entitlement to a system of supportive PRD

confirmation that they are maintaining the high standards required of a teacher

Key principles of Professional Update: teachers have.....

Update your contact details to GTC Scotland via MyGTCS Engage in professional learning Self-evaluate against the appropriate GTC Scotland Professional Standard Discuss this engagement and the impact of this, as part of the PRD process Maintain a professional learning record and portfolio of evidence Share confirmation of this engagement with GTC Scotland every 5 years (line manager)

Prof. Update – what do I need to do?

Self-evaluation and critical reflection processes Experiential, action or enquiry-based learning Professional dialogue with colleagues, other

professionals, parents, and learners Focused professional reading and research Leading or engaging in practitioner enquiry/action

research Critical analysis of reading, learning and impact on

professional practice Learning about aspects of the curriculum or pedagogical

practice Peer support e.g. coaching or mentoring Classroom visits/peer observation Online learning/blogs

Examples of Professional Learning

20% of teachers will complete P/U each year from national implementation in 2014

Teachers with registration years ending in:- 9 and 4 = 2014/15- 0 and 5 = 2015/16- 1 and 6 = 2016/17- 2 and 7 = 2017/18- 3 and 8 = 2018/19

For example: 1995 registration = 5 = 2015/16

Phasing for Professional Update

A National E-Portfolio“Supporting professional learning

- a partnership approach”

What is it, what will it look like and how will it affect you?

Background NIB and SG commissioned GTCS to carry out

a scoping study

This was undertaken by GTCS with input from ADES, Scottish Government and Education Scotland

Views sought from teachers and local authority personnel, survey and focus groups

Scoping study -Key Findings

Inconsistent approach to recording and accessing PL across authorities

Systems vary from paper-based approaches to bespoke authority developed software

Significant impact on teacher. Need system that supports from Shetland to Solway

Strong desire for a national system which will include course identification, booking and evaluation

Scoping Study - Conclusions ?

Inequality in the efficiency, portability and value of systems used for recording, managing and accessing professional learning opportunities in each local authority

Scoping study - Some Statistics (1)From the Local Authority survey:

Of the 31 authorities to respond:

13 use paper-based systems13 use Gateway6 use MyGTCS4 use in-house systems4 use ‘other’ i.e. combination of the above 3 use SOPRA

Scoping study - Some statistics (2)

What are the systems most commonly used for:

Local authoritiesCourse booking (14)Advertising courses (10)Collating teacher evaluations of courses (10)Analysis of training reqs at LA level (7)Confirmation of course attendance (4)Administration of courses (venue and catering) (3)Course funding / budget recharging (2)

Scoping study - Some statistics (3)

What are the systems most commonly used for:

TeachersProfessional learning record (24)Supporting their PRD process (23)Professional learning plan (9)Self-evaluation (8)Completing the PU sign off process (5)Recording contact details (3)Recording evidence of impact of professional learning (3)

Scoping study - Some statistics (4)

Support for a National E-Portfolio: 26 authorities supportive All 26 indicated this should be hosted via MyGTCS Others indicated ambivalence or status quo

What features would you like to see in a National E-Portfolio?

1. Portability and transferability2. Ability to measure against the Professional Standards

for the purposes of self-evaluation3. Ability to link to MyGTCS4. Ability to provide management tools such as

reporting, professional learning catalogue etc

Scoping StudySupport for a National E-Portfolio

Some comments:

It will be beneficial to teachers as they progress through their careers

Would be a fair and consistent approach for all and helpful for teachers moving between authorities

It should add value to what already exists in terms of professional learning

It should not increase teacher workload; it must be streamlined, intuitive and easily accessible

Scoping Study - Recommendations (1)

1. The National E-Portfolio should be housed within MYGTCS

Why?

Well established and credible system which is already supporting 50,000+ registered teachers and other users

Scoping study - Recommendations (2)

A project implementation group should be set up to manage the development of MyGTCS into the National E-Portfolio

Who?

Local authorities, Education Scotland, trade unions, Scottish Government

Scoping study - Recommendations (3)

Not ‘big bang’ this will take time

Phase in E-Portfolio by working with authorities using paper-based systems in the first instance and then encouraging other authorities to join as their contracts with existing suppliers end

What will it look like?

E-portfolio

MyGTCS

GLOW

CPD Find

LASystems

An integrated model

MyGTCS / National E-Portfolio

CPD

LA MIS

PL Find

Professional Learning Communities

LA a

ccess

here

LA

LA

LA

LA

LA

Teach

er

acc

ess

here

GLOW

General Principles (1)

Allows teachers to document their professional learning and record their outcomes of this activity and link this to the Professional Standards and Professional Update

Is easily accessible to teachers through MyGTCS or GLOW accounts and links to PL Find

Over time will replace local authority PL systems

Learning Directorate, Scottish Government, August 2014

General Principles (2) The Portfolio will follow teachers between

new posts and to new employers – like the MyGTCS account it moves with you

It will be secure and visible only to the individual teacher, with permissions allowing individuals to share information with their line manager, employer HR Department and others as appropriate

Learning Directorate, Scottish Government, August 2014

General Principles (3) Avoids double entry inputting by teachers

whenever possible and aims at all times to avoid adding to already busy workloads

Allows teachers to transfer and receive data from other systems

Has functionality to allow teachers to search its content

Learning Directorate, Scottish Government, August 2014

General Principles (4) Can act as an E-Portfolio for the collation of

“Masters level” credit

Development is tested by a user group of teachers, employers and possibly universities to ensure functionality and design meets the professions needs

Will be supported with user training and guidance

Learning Directorate, Scottish Government, August 2014

Timeline

1. First meeting of E-Portfolio working group due to take place November 2014

2. Work will begin on scoping out the system and developing MyGTCS

3. Ongoing dialogue with teachers and stakeholders

4. Launch in August 2016

Questions?

GTC Scotland

martin.osler@gtcs.org.uk

ken.muir@gtcs.org.uk

Professional.Update@gtcs.org.uk

@GTCS@GTCSKen