The Banana Belt Story

The Banana Belt Story2010-2013

Truly, education empowers a nation.

Welcome to the success story of a holistic approach to education that efficiently and effectively empowered 15 southern villages in Belize’s Banana Belt region, 2010-2013.

• Primary Education Teacher Certification: CPED + PTT1

Plus Improved Capacity of Early Childhood Teachers and Continuing Professional Development Plus UB’s Involvement with the EU-funded Secondary Teacher Education Training

• Parenting Component • Principals’ Leadership Skills

Office of the ProvostUniversity of Belize

[EU-funded Banana Belt Teacher Education Project]P.O. Box 340

Belmopan, BelizeEmail: Interim Provost: [email protected]

or Office of Public Information: [email protected]

www.ub.edu.bz

2 The Banana Belt Story 3The Banana Belt Story

Produced and Published by the University of BelizeFor the project entitled: The Establishment of a Grant Fund to Rapidly Increase the Number of Qualified Teachers and Improve the Quality of Teaching in the Primary Schools of the Banana Belt

Sources:Interviews with teachers featured as well as the following project reports submitted by Project Director, Ms. Maud Hyde. Project Identification No.: EuropeAid/129286/M/ACT.

Reporting Period: July 2010 – December 2010; Interim Narrative Report: Reporting Period: 17th June 2010–31st March 2012; Interim Narrative Report: Reporting Period: 1 April 2012 – January 31, 2013; Teachers’ Survey. January 2011. Prepared by Denham Chuc for Faculty of Education and Arts, UB; Year One Evaluation of the Banana Belt Primary Education Project Report: March 19, 2012. Submitted by: Dr. Victoria Macfarlane and Dr. Larry Wolfe, Belize Community Collaborative

Copyediting and Proofreading: Silvaana Udz, Ed.D.

Graphic Design and Layout:Idea Lab Studios

Photographs used with the permission of:UB-Banana Belt Primary Education Project; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Independence Primary School, Maya Mopan Government School, San Juan Bosco R.C., St. Alphonsus R.C., and United Community Primary School.

Acknowledgments:The University of Belize, as the implementing agency for the Banana Belt Primary Education Project, thanks the many principals, teachers, parents, community leaders, educational administrators, and student-teacher participants who made the upgrading of teacher training skills a successful, holistic journey that involved school leaders and parents in a process that blended onsite and online learning modes. The University of Belize also offers sincere gratitude to its partners, particularly the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, whose vision prioritized teacher training, providing the enabling environment, policy guidance, and oversight; the European Union in providing the funding and framework for success; the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, for its role in the parenting component of the program; the University of the West of England, Bristol, for its role in the leadership seminars; and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, for its expert guidance in the management of the EU Grant Fund.

This publication or any part thereof may be freely reproduced for educational and other non-profit uses; although prior permission is not required for such use, credit would be appreciated: (MOE/EU/UB Banana Belt Primary Education Project. Belize, 2013).

Disclaimer:This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the University of Belize and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

© University of Belize, Banana Belt Primary Education Project, May, 2013.

Mrs. Yvonne Hyde, CEO, Ministry of Finance and

Economic Development, speaking at the Education

Day program outreach at Georgetown Technical High School, September

23, 2012

Foreword

Wilma Wright, Ph.D.Interim Provost, University of Belize

The University of Belize is proud to have been the implementing agency for the EU-financed Banana Belt Teacher Education Project. It is gratifying to note the efficiency with which the program was conducted, despite challenges that occurred. It is equally gratifying to know that members of the UB’s Faculty of Education and Arts, themselves armed with the most current pedagogical and technological skills, were able to design and deliver courses that have now resulted in more trained primary school teachers in these southern rural communities. This was coupled with continuing professional development activities, specific early childhood workshops, parental involvement, and leadership training for principals. Of note is that another EU-funded project with UB’s input resulted in 96% of the secondary teachers in the Banana Belt now trained! Commendable, too, was the team-teaching approach, with input of faculty and staff from UB’s Records Office, IT Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, and Faculty of Education and Arts, working with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports’ teacher-education specialists, and partner expertise.

The technological integration into the instructional model was critical in ensuring access, and UB’s ability to provide customized courses that combined online education with face-to-face teaching has created a national model. Today, such hybrid instructional models are critical components of the developmental strategies of school systems globally. Equally, though, such blended modalities also pose challenges for principals and teachers, both infrastructural and conceptual ones. That UB was able to engage so many in this blended-learning initiative is indeed laudable, and the national university applauds the Ministry for its vision in targeting rapid teacher training without sacrificing quality, the European Union for providing much of the funding and framework for project development, and our other partners: the University of the West Indies and the University of the West of England, Bristol for their input into the early childhood parenting components and the leadership development for principals. Based on my experience of over a generation of teaching students, training teachers, and administrating, it is these latter two components that ensure teacher training is not done in isolation of the community it serves.

Thus, even with teacher training being the heart of the Banana Belt story, the complementary components involving parenting and leadership training enabled a holistic model of education—one very relevant to Belize’s context. UB was on the ground and knew the context on the ground, and its lecturers bridged the gap between traditional modes of instruction and today’s infusion of technological applications. Indeed, the story of the Banana Belt teacher-training program is, in part, the story of the national university capably and efficiently meeting national needs. It is a powerful story of success—one that has provided a holistic model for future interventions countrywide.

Reaping the Benefits of a Holistic Model


Foreword: Reaping the Benefits of a Holistic Model• WilmaWright,Ph.D.,InterimProvost,UB

The Vision Behind the Banana Belt Story• Hon.PatrickFaber:MinisterofEducation,YouthandSports

• CEODavidLeacock:BananaBeltintheNationalContext

Making It Happen: The National University Meets National Needs• Dr.PriscillaBrown-Lopez,DeanoftheFacultyofEducation

andArts,UBandHeadoftheOversightCommittee

• ProgramDevelopmentDesignandExpertise:UB-FEA

• GraphicOverview:TheHolisticModelandResults

• Reflection:ProjectDirector,MaudHyde

Making It Happen: Partners in Development• FundingandResources

MOEYS,EU,UB,UWE,UWI

• Logistics:TakingtheUniversitytothePeople

Banana Belt Primary Education Teacher Training Component• CertificateinEducation(CPED)

• ProfessionalTeacherTrainingGrade1(PTT1)

• GenderDynamics

• MeetingtheRealityontheGround Feature: Magdalena Cal, Red Bank Christian and Alberta Saqui, San Juan Bosco Features: Sofia Tush-Chun, Maya Mopan Govt. School; Lennox Mejia, United Community; Alex Cruz, Independence Primary Customizing Learning: A Special Scenario - Raymond Ogaldez, St. Alphonsus R.C.

• UB’sInputintotheBananaBelt’sEU-financedSecondaryTeacherEducationProgram

• EarlyChildhoodTeacherTraining

• ContinuingProfessionalDevelopment:Science&MathMethods,Literacy

Leadership Training for Principals and Impact: Overall Results• Reflection:EwartCaballero,Principal,MayaMopanGovt.School

• Reflection:JenniferLeslie,Principal,UnitedCommunity

Parenting Component and Impact on Schools and Communities

Living the Holistic Model: What Next?

Program Sequences: CPED and PTT1

Table of Contents3

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The Vision Behind the Banana Belt Story

Hon. Patrick FaberMinister of Education, Youth and Sports

During our first term (2008-2012), one of the key policy objectives we in the Ministry of Education, Government of Belize, focused on was to invest in teacher education and development (or more simply put—Teaching the Teacher). This policy objective reflects our recognition that the quality of an education system cannot surpass the quality of its teachers and that teachers and school leaders (principals) are the ultimate gate keepers of educational improvement. We recognized, therefore, the critical importance of professionalizing the teaching services. We undertook several initiatives to meet the challenges of the day in this regard.

One of the first initiatives was to establish, through legislation, the Belize Teaching Service Commission (BTSC). Its main purpose is to provide and effect a mechanism within which standards and regulations governing the quality and conditions of service of teachers will be managed with transparency, impartiality, and efficiency to ensure school effectiveness and promote public confidence in the teaching service. In this way, the BTSC not only ensures that standards for entry into the teaching service are maintained but also ensures that teaching service is effectively managed, safeguarding the rights of children and youth to be taught by effective, professional teachers while protecting the rights of teachers to being treated fairly.

At the same time, recognizing the significant shortages of trained teachers in our schools at primary and secondary levels, we immediately began to explore ways to increase the output of trained teachers. In the case of primary school teachers, we developed and implemented a Certificate in Primary Education (CPED) targeting untrained teachers in our primary schools with content area-specific associate degree but without pedagogy. This program allowed these teachers to acquire the necessary pedagogical training and certification. This program was made accessible throughout all six districts in the country with the collaboration of our teacher-training institutions including the University of Belize’s (UB) Faculty of Education and Arts (FEA). In fact, it is this Certificate in Primary Education that formed the basis of UB’s Banana Belt Primary Education Teacher Training Project, which is contributing significantly to increasing the level of trained primary school teachers in the Stann Creek District.

Recognizing that education is an ecosystem affected by multiple factors, we also developed and launched the Quality Schools Initiative. This initiative is basically a mechanism for educational quality assurance and quality improvement in our schools. The mechanism includes a Quality Schools Framework and Processes. Schools use this framework, consisting of seven key areas that contribute to quality of education in a school, as standards against which they self-evaluate and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Thereafter, they identify the keys for improvement and plan and implement such improvement. Two key areas of the framework include leadership and school community relations. We are indeed pleased to note that UB’s Banana Belt Primary Education Project also included other components that strengthened the capacity of principals as leaders of their schools and with responsibility for the quality of education delivered, as well as a component that targeted parents’ involvement with their child(ren)’s education. These fit well with the elements of our Quality Schools Initiative which recognizes that educational quality is affected by multiple factors, key among them being school leadership and the school’s ethos and relations with the wider community—in particular parents.

While it is too soon to judge the outcomes in terms of the quality of education in our schools and benefits to the individuals and the communities of these various initiatives, we do have evidence of increased output that can be attributed to our various initiatives. The percentage of trained teachers has increased ten percent (10%) in just three years, going from 41% in 2009 to 51% in 2012. Such outputs bode well for achieving the outcomes of quality education we desire. We commend the University of Belize for its contribution to our efforts through this project and other initiatives. We look forward to continued collaboration with the University of Belize in responding to the identified needs of our education sector.

29


Making It Happen:

The National University Meets National Needs

Priscilla Brown-Lopez, Ed.D.Acting Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts University of Belize

The EU/UB Banana Belt Primary Education project has ultimately improved the quality of teaching and student learning in remote areas in southern Belize. For the first time, teachers-in-training were afforded the opportunity to access unlimited educational resources to plan creatively, organize the learning environment, and garner skills to use technology as an instructional tool. The training used a blended approach to learning: regular face-to-face sessions supported with online resources and enrichment activities.

The program is, by no means, coincidental. UB’s Faculty of Education and Arts, for decades, has provided outreach programs to improve the quality and number of trained teachers at the primary and secondary levels. It is heartwarming, therefore, to know that the national university—with its partners the EU, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, University of the West of England, and UWI—successfully took on the challenge to break new ground in teacher training. In-service teachers form the bulk of the teachers countrywide who do not yet have formal pedagogy. Belize’s 3,000+ primary school teachers are generally committed people, people with a passion for the vocation. Therefore, it is truly gratifying to have the national university be part of the Ministry of Education’s stated prioritization of moving the number of untrained teachers countrywide from less than 50% in 2008. Now in 2013, the Banana Belt area alone has at least 140 more trained primary school teachers.

Above all, by involving parents in schools’ activities, the community becomes a more meaningful part of the enabling environment for quality education. This complementary component of the program, coupled with the leadership training for principals, brought the UB design to fruition—what our Interim Provost, Dr. Wilma Wright, under whose aegis the project was

acquired, embraces as a holistic approach to education. This systemic approach is the key to the benefits of the training living on long after the project formally closes. The Banana Belt model has also provided a guide for future off-campus training, such as the Faculty of Education and Arts in its current embarking on outreach programs in Belize’s northern areas of the Orange Walk District and in San Pedro Town. Indeed, it is most gratifying to have seen how UB stepped up to the plate in customizing learning and technological integration, and, in so doing, to continue to fulfill its mission to meet national needs.

The Vision Behind the Banana Belt Story

David LeacockCEO in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the National Perspective

The performance of an education system rests largely on the quality of its teachers. One of the challenges, then, is the effective selection, preparation, and continuous development of teachers. In Belize, we have not done well in these areas. Because of the under-supply of trained teachers, the majority of teachers enter the profession before being trained. Thus, apart from pre-service training of teachers, a large part of our effort must also include the in-service training of teachers. Furthermore, in order to be effective, our teacher-training programs, whether in-service or pre-service, need to be less theoretical in approach and more responsive to the realities of our schools. Typically, the in-service training of teachers has required paid study leave for teachers in the classroom but without requisite training. Additionally, every teacher who is granted study leave to acquire training must then be replaced by another teacher during study leave, and such replacement teachers are largely untrained themselves, thus setting up a vicious cycle. Programs such as the University of Belize-Faculty of Education and Arts’ Banana Belt Primary Education Teacher Training Project are designed to make in-service training of teachers more accessible without taking teachers out of the classroom.

The Ministry of Education believes that this approach has several significant advantages. It eliminates the need to remove teachers from the classroom and to hire replacement teachers. This not only reduces costs but also eliminates the possibility of replacing untrained teachers with more untrained teachers while the teachers are on study leave. Perhaps most significantly, though, is that this approach brings the teacher education program closer to the realities of our schools. Thus the teacher is able to put into practice almost immediately what is learned during training and is able to get feedback on such practice. Similarly, it allows the teacher-training institution, in this case the UB-Faculty of Education and Arts, to adjust its program to meet the needs of the realities of our schools, contributing to greater effectiveness.

The Ministry of Education firmly believes that our teachers must be educated for the realities they will encounter in our schools. Thus, bringing teacher education to teachers through approaches such as this Project and the recently completed Secondary Teacher Education Project provides a unique opportunity for meeting in-service teachers where they are while at the same time providing the teacher-education institution with school level data that it can use to improve even its pre-service programs. We are certain that bringing its teacher education program to school level has proved to be both a challenging and a rewarding learning experience for the UB-FEA. The Ministry of Education encourages all teacher education institutions to examine the effectiveness of their programs by examining the performance of their graduates in real school and classroom settings as a basis for improving their teacher preparation and development programs.

Teacher Training: Primary Education:CPED and PTT1

[UB also assisted with the EU-funded Secondary Teacher

Education Training]

Teacher Training: Continuing

Professional Development in Science, Math,

Literacy

Leadership Training for Principals

Parenting: Involving the

Community in the Teaching-learning

Process

Teacher Training: Early Childhood

Teachers

Figure 1: Graphic Overview of UB’s Holistic Model


Graphic Overview: The Holistic Model and Results

• The University of Belize implemented the EU-funded project entitled The Establishment of a Grant Fund to Rapidly Increase the Number of Qualified Teachers and Improve the Quality of Teaching in the Primary Schools of the Banana Belt. Program Closure: May 16, 2013.

• Implemented in mid-June 2010, the total program ran for 35 months, based on 2008 Ministry data showing 19% of primary teachers in the Banana Belt were trained. UB then built capacity and prepared for delivery to cover syllabi, lasting over 28 months. UB also now has a tested, successful, technology-based holistic model for use in continuing to meet the Ministry’s stated priority of making training and continuing professional development accessible to all teachers countrywide.

Result One Increased number of trained teachers in the primary schools of the Banana Belt Targeted: 60 teachers Actual: 63 teachers

Result TwoImproved capacity of teachers to teach mathematics, reading, and science in the Banana Belt primary schools Targeted: 15 in-service teachers Actual: 38 teachers fully participated

Result Three Improved administration of primary schools in the Banana Belt Targeted: 15 principals Actual: 18 principals and vice principals fully participated

Result Four Improved capacity of preschool and lower primary school teachers Targeted: 20 teachers Actual: 29 teachers

Result Five More parents engaged in school activities and the education of their children Targeted: 25 parents from 3 communities Actual: 31 parents from 5 communities

Program Development

Design/Expertise:

UB-FEA

Left foreground:Some of the UB team at the Banana Belt September 23, 2012 Education Day/Public Exhibit. In foreground is Selwyn King, UB’s Public Information Officer; part of the community outreach approach—the holistic approach—is publicizing the program’s scope, challenges, adaptations, successes, and, above all, its dual result of contributing to the Ministry’s stated need to increase the number of trained teachers countrywide and in providing a model that can be used or adapted for use elsewhere in the country.

Right foreground: Mrs. Rose Pineda, now UB’s Acting Registrar, was involved as the Chair, FEA Belmopan, and the extension programs in Southern Belize.

Left second row:Erlindo Pech, Leadership, Methodology, and Pre-directed Teaching lecturer, brought a particular blend of expertise in bridging the gap between the overall plan and the reality on the ground. For Mr. Pech, a flagship element of the program was its going to the students rather than the other way around. In his own words:

The methodology course I delivered to the PTT1 students directly links to UNESCO’s thoughts on enabling access to higher education. This is especially so when the reality of what makes our education system strong in large part is, in fact, its teachers who remain committed in spite of challenges. Whether they had high school formal qualification only but years of experience in the classroom, or whether they had an associate degree in a content area but no pedagogy, our teachers rose to the challenge of embracing targeted teacher training. Above all, it was customized to meet what we met on the ground, always with the impetus to ensure any given

teacher was brought up-to-date. This totally task-oriented, focused approach means that, even in the short-term, we see results that speak to the strength of the program. Each area of study had customized syllabi, like, for example, focusing on a current challenge such as grouping, especially in the multigrade setting of some areas.

Part of the UB approach—an inclusive, task-oriented approach—was to gather from the teachers what were the current issues they were grappling with, such as grouping and its dynamics. Training then focused on immediate, relevant impact, not on global theories.


A strong point of the program was its management and logistics. This was done through the establishment of a dedicated center for immediate support, especially with supervision and with providing the teachers with immediate responses as opposed to remotely from Belmopan. The capstone of the program, though, has been its tie-in to the community, with both the parenting component and the leadership training for principals. Parents were able to come in to see what was happening and to participate in school-improvement activities; indeed, they take the lead in some cases. In the leadership training for principals, training in HOW to supervise their teachers was much welcomed by principals and vice principals. It was also crucial for buy-in to the program to ensure that principals understood the purpose of the supervision to be clinical or diagnostic rather than evaluative of the performance of their staff. – Erlindo Pech

Online and Onsite: Ethnelda Paulino Shares Insights

Reflection: Project Director,

Maud Hyde

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of an effort that has made such a significant difference in the lives of so many people in the Banana Belt. The challenges were many as we strove to bring together on a regular basis persons from some of the very remote areas of rural Belize to access education and training. The old saying “where there is a will there is a way” proved true indeed as we saw teachers coming regularly to classes after a full day of teaching, then having to travel long hours at

night to reach home and attend to family responsibilities before completing assignments. For the teachers, the challenges of studying by distance and having to master internet technology was made less daunting as it meant they could access professional development and upgrade qualifications without having to leave their communities and families for any extensive period.

Creating access meant using internet technology and distance strategies in an environment where technology was still a new experience for many. This is no longer a deterrent for the principals and teachers who participated in training provided by the project as they are now able to utilize the internet quite competently to access educational resources. They are indeed ready and eager to move forward to accessing higher education by distance, using electronic communication.

Working with parents proved to be exceptionally rewarding as those who attended the training eagerly participated and gained a better understanding of schooling, while learning new ways in which they could contribute to the development of the schools their children attended. Their openness to share and engage in the activities promises much for their future interaction with the schools in their communities. After all, it takes a community to raise a child.

L: Ruth McDonald, Field Station Education Coordinator through to December 2012

R: Maud Hyde, Project Director, Banana Belt Primary Education Project

Ethnelda Paulino of UB-FEAUB lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Arts, Ethnelda Paulino, was the lead designer of three of the courses delivered by blended modality in both the CPED and PTT1 programs: Nature of the Learner, Language Arts One and Language Arts Two. In addition to delivering units online, she had nine onsite visits, three for each of the courses, to meet with students for clarifications and review. Additionally, Mrs. Paulino taught during summers of 2011 and 2012. “Students were extremely enthusiastic,” she said. “They worked very hard and made the extra effort to meet the curriculum’s demands. “I enjoyed teaching these cohorts; it is always rewarding when, as an educator, you see students embracing what you are imparting. It is a wonderfully rewarding feeling to be able to harness the energy of learners and see positive results,” she enthusiastically said. She also noted that, critical as the use of an online learning platform was in course delivery to the Banana Belt area, adjustments were made to deal with the challenge of some of the communities having limited or no Internet access. “This posed a challenge to some of the student-teachers who, for example, would need to get to where the lab center was located in order to access instruction for the online segments.“ I am so proud to see how this group took up the challenge of rearranging their personal lives for the training period so that they could participate,” Mrs. Paulino further observed. With these practicing teachers, both content and methodology occurred simultaneously, and students also were engaged in interventions to immediately apply theory.

L. Mrs. Ruth McDonald, Field Station Education Coordinator through to December 2012, with visitor.

UB’s Antonio Crespo of the IT Department instructing students on using the online platform.


UB’s President Cary Fraser, Ph.D., addressing audience at the September 23, 2012 Banana Belt Education Day.

“These projects have been useful in helping the University to think about the way forward in teacher education—how to build a national system that both

integrates and creates space for the ethnic and cultural pluralism that defines Belize.”

Ambassador Paola Amadei of the EU delegation in Jamaica addressing audience during her September, 2012 visit to

Belize. (September 23, 2012) “We are confident that at the end of these programs, the Toledo and Stann Creek districts will jump to the top of statistics for the number of trained teachers.”

Making It Happen:

Partners in Development

The University of the West of England (UWE), working in collaboration with UB, was the primary institution to deliver training for school administrators, and this occurred from April to June 2012. Professors John Davies and Maggie Weber of UWE visited November 14 – 20, 2011. Training materials were developed in consultation and collaboration with UB counterparts after two planning visits to Belize, including to the Banana Belt region.

FUNDING:EU (£ 662,921 = BZD $1.2 million)

FUNDING:UB (BZD $372,000+ other resources and expertise)

Policy Direction and Oversight

Logistics: Taking the University to

the People

Customizing: UB’s Expertise With Teacher TrainingThe teachers enrolled in the training programs were full time teachers during the day and full time students in the evening. Although classes were not held every evening, assignments required daily attention. Many of these teachers are mature learners who have not been students for a long time. These issues posed many challenges to the student teachers in both the CPED and PTT1 programs. Many of them were also faced with a long daily commute between their job and classes in the evenings. In most cases they worked hard and kept up their grades. Instructors made adjustments in delivering their courses to help the teachers to meet their academic commitments.

Mitigation strategies included:

• Adjusting internal and regular programs to meet teachers’ busy schedules.

• Providing support through the field office to pick-up and deliver assignments to instructors

• Conducting additional training in short seminars to provide support for practicum and internship preparation

• Giving opportunity to those who fail to repeat courses as out-of-sequence (cost met by student)

• Providing students with contact numbers for instructors where they could reach them for support and guidance

• Using Moodle* to post course materials and useful resources and to maintain communication with the students

• The Principal and Board of Governors of Independence High School and Junior College were exceptionally supportive of the action, allowing unlimited access to computer labs, classrooms, and other school facilities. Access was allowed for the use of the school facilities at a minimal cost to cover cleaning and use of water and electricity for classes, meetings, workshops, and a number of other activities.

* Moodle is an electronic learning management system that UB uses for online course delivery.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) assisted with the Early Childhood and the Parenting components of the program. Kim N. Archung, Ph. D. of UWI’s School of Education, Cave Hill Campus, facilitated in training for the Early Childhood session (February to April, 2012 and 2013). UWI also delivered training for parents within the same two phases, with sessions led by facilitator Jennifer E. Obidah, Ph.D. of UWI’s School of Education, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. UB monitored the effects of this training in the communities participating, even as the second and final phase of the training proceeded.

Miss Carolyn Williams of UB-FEA, in session for the course Science Methods

and Concepts.


Banana Belt Primary Education Teacher Training Component

Certificate In Education and Professional Teacher Training Grade 1 (PTT1)• The original intent was to train based on two cohorts of teachers

having similar entry qualifications. However, once a recruitment survey was conducted by UB, it quickly became clear that the dynamics of the targeted group of teachers called for an early adjustment to the intended training program as many, identified as needing training in pedagogy, did not meet minimum requirements for matriculation into the existing national Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed) program for primary level teachers who have an associate degree but no pedagogical training.

• Since the inception of the Cert. Ed. in 2008, this Ministry initiative has always had UB at the helm, as part of the program design team and, in particular, in leading the extension to the Banana Belt region. The University of Belize’s Faculty of Education and Arts, as the implementing agent, is the first UB department to embark on this online hybrid modality of learning—central to making teacher training accessible. In the case of the Banana Belt, the original target group of teachers holding an associate degree and no pedagogical training had changed significantly from approximately 90 persons to less than 45. Thus, to accommodate those practicing teachers who had no pedagogy AND no associate degree, two training programs emerged: the CPED and the Professional Teacher Training Grade 1 (PTT1) program. The PTT1 was introduced

Both the CPED and APRE programs, which meet different needs, offer the same professional core courses from the Ministry’s approved teacher training programs to satisfy the minimum standard for teacher licensing; thus, both the APRE and CPED program are considered equivalent for remuneration purposes.

Training Programs Numbers registered from January 2011 – January 2012

Jan 2011Jun-Jul 2011

Sept2011

Jan 2012Jun-Jul 2012

Sept 2012 Jan 2013

CPED 35 35 33 32 30 2922 graduated

6 completing internship1 internship differed to Sept. 2013

PTT1 49 48 40 38 34 34 34

Total 84 83 73 70 64 63 63

Source: Interim Narrative Report, February 28, 2013. Project Identification No.: EuropeAid/129286/M/ACT

to accommodate those who lacked matriculation requirements to enter the CPED or tertiary institutions’ offerings of the Associate in Primary Education (APRE) program. Moreover, although the EU-funded program closure occurs May 16, 2013, UB has committed to seeing the final PTT1 cohort through internship for completion of the associate’s degree in the APRE program with support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The PTT1 group, therefore, although unable to graduate from a recognized degree program within the life of the program, will continue into the APRE for an associate degree in primary education, and, of course, would not need the CPED as they would have had all the pedagogical content in the PTT1.

Of the original number enrolled in the CPED and the PTT1 teacher training programs, approximately 75% have been retained. Of those dropping out of training, reasons given include the following:

PTT1 8 male recruits got jobs with fulltime commitment CPED 1 moved out of the area 2 left the teaching profession 2 preferred on campus training in Dangriga 2 failed out of the program 1 left to pursue UB’s bachelor’s program 1 had demands of pregnancy and new born 2 left the profession 2 could not cope with work as fulltime teachers

Result: Increased numbers of trained teachers in the Banana Belt primary schools

Gender Dynamics

The largest number of dropouts came from among the male recruits. A targeted initiative to attract more male teachers to the profession attracted 11 young men in the initial stage of training. This was difficult to sustain. Young males recently graduating from high school and living in the Banana Belt communities were recruited to the training through their former principal in an effort to build capacity in the area as most of the teachers in these communities live in Dangriga, outside the Banana Belt. Retaining the male recruits proved more complicated than anticipated, primarily as they were not attached to any particular school; therefore, supervision was made more difficult. Their also being unemployed presented additional hardship for their families in particular. Those recruits who eventually discontinued the training expressed the need to seek employment, which prevented them from being able to attend full day classes during the summer sessions. As of August 2012, only four male recruits remained in the program from the original 11 that began classes at the start of the program.

Figure 2: Respondents by Gender. Source: Teachers’ Survey. January 2011. Prepared by Denham Chuc for Faculty of

Education and Arts, UB.

26%Males

74%Females


Meeting the Reality on the Ground

The PTT1 group worked hard, sacrificing most holidays and weekends, and was able to upgrade to UB’s APRE program by the end of summer 2012. When the PTT1 program began it was felt that this group would need at least one more year after the May 16, 2013, program closure to complete the APRE program. With additional face-to-face classes and more online time with instructors, the time was greatly reduced; they now need only one semester of internship after May 2013 to complete their training as they have completed all professional core courses and will be completing the remaining three general core courses by May 2013. As of April 2013, APRE enrolment stood at 34 students, 69% of the number enrolled at the start of the program in January 2011.

Magdalena CalRed Bank Christian

Magdalena Cal, a participant teacher at Red Bank Christian, shared her observations. There is so much to be learned! Why not adopt that as a personal motto to guide your professional teaching career? So much to learn ... so much to explore ... so many exciting challenges and opportunities. So this training was the hallmark of professionalism. It’s like a constant striving to refine and improve practice. Without it, we stagnate, wilt, burn out. So that’s what this training was about—to expand, to get an opportunity to improve our working conditions. For me, the PTT1 program served as a start, although I left it to pursue an associate degree at Ecumenical Junior College, where I am expecting to finish in 2014. This is what I can say about the PTT1 program: While I was in the program, it assisted me as a teacher, which had me create an atmosphere that fosters learning and provides an environment conducive to learning and to impart to students that learning is a process that never ends. I have been in the teaching profession for 3 ½ years, Standard 1 level. I especially liked that the program had older with younger teachers so we could share and get help, like I got from Mrs. Alberta Saqui who is a well-experienced teacher. I would say that new teachers can read about teaching, and they can watch other teachers, but it is only by teaching that they can become teachers.

Mrs. Alberta SaquiSan Juan Bosco R.C.

Mrs. Alberta Saqui, Infant 1 teacher at San Juan Bosque, on the other hand, has been teaching for 28 years. Although she has taught at the Middle Division, she loves the Lower Division. She shared her thoughts.

(L): Miss Magdalena Cal, Standard 1 teacher of 3 years at Red Bank Christian, receives peer tutoring from veteran teacher Mrs.

Alberta Saqui (R) of San Juan Bosco R.C.

The program gave me more skills in imparting knowledge, especially with my Infant 1 class. I have 28 children right now, and now, when I plan activities, I put into practice what I have learned. Oh, it was such a challenge to group them before [the training] … how to keep their attention. Now, I make sure I use attractive things, visual aids, and games. - Mrs. Alberta Saqui

Mrs. Sofia Tush-ChunMaya Mopan Govt. School Mother … Wife … Infant 2 Teacher

Sofia Tush-Chun ponders: “Did I find the Banana Belt Program or did it find me?” Her teaching profession began in 2005 when she completed her associate’s degree at the University of Belize. We asked her to share some thoughts with us, and in her words … here is her story:

In September 2005 when I first stepped into the classroom, I had a LITTLE knowledge of how to teach, and what it is to become a teacher. Knowing this, and being a person who loves to interact, I learnt more and more. In 2008 we were told that we need to upgrade ourselves as teachers if we want to continue in the profession. So in that same year I was enrolled in the Cert Ed. program at Ecumenical Junior College for summer; that was the first summer, and also I completed the second summer. I decided to do it summer because it was difficult for me otherwise. Dangriga is seven miles away from where I teach, and the classes were in Dangriga. But it was a commitment that I needed to do if I wanted to stay in this profession, and I certainly wanted.

I was happy when UB sent applications to my school for enrollment in the Cert. Ed program. I applied and was accepted. The programs offered were very helpful to me both in the classroom and out of the classroom. I learnt a lot and it has made my classroom wonderful and conducive to learning. The lessons that I plan are child-centered and this makes the students learn faster, and their involvement helps them to remember the concept of the lesson you plan. The program was very helpful … although I must say it was a challenge as I am a mother, a wife, and a teacher to 15 loving students. I love the profession and each day becomes more exciting—each and every week day—as I see my students’ smiles in the morning. They are truly the reason I embrace the opportunity to teach.

Sofia Tush-Chun is also participating in the training for early childhood teachers and has found it very interesting. She enthusiastically shared that she loves the profession of teaching, especially the early childhood level “because they are eager to learn and they learn fast. This program has been very helpful; it has changed the way how I plan my lessons and teach. Most of all, I also learnt how to approach and talk to parents—how you can include them in the teaching-learning process.”

Lennox MejiaStandard 1 teacher at United Community Primary School

Life in San Roman Village is just the pace Lennox Mejia now enjoys. After three years in the Belize Defense Force and two years in the Coast Guard, he moved back to southern Belize to be closer with his young daughter—and made the career change to the teaching profession. He began teaching in Trio then in Hope Creek and is now a Standard 1 teacher at United Community Primary in San Roman. Armed with only a high school diploma but with six years of teaching, Mr. Mejia welcomed the PTT1 training. “It helped me a lot, “he enthused. “I have improved in using different strategies to reach the particular learning styles and needs of my students.” Mr. Mejia especially values his understanding of Bloom’s Taxonomy, which assists him in planning lessons that encourage different levels of thinking in his students. “Teaching is definitely not just about the teacher talking and the students listening,” he concluded. “This program has made all the difference in arming me with effective teaching-learning tools.”Above: sample of visual aids


Alex CruzPhysical Education teacher, Independence Primary School, and Higest Performance in CPED

CPED’s top achiever shared these thoughts: The banana belt program was a very successful journey. During this journey I was able to learn new methodology, increasing my skills and knowledge in delivering, and planning and in class room management.

I have been teaching for three years, and I can safely say that this program had a major impact in my teaching profession. Now I am able to use all the different strategies and skills learnt in the program to provide my students with the best possible education.

The picture above was taken a week before graduation (a Saturday about 8:00 p.m.) This was a ceremony recognizing all the UB Banana Belt students. On the mike I was sharing my wonderful experience in the program. I was also requesting for a bachelor’s degree program, which I hope will come soon directly to our area, much like the Certificate in Education did to those of us who already had some qualification but needed pedagogy.

Customizing Learning: A Special Case Scenario

Raymond OgaldezPrincipal of St. Alphonsus R.C, Seine Bight Principal’s Training and PTT1/Associate Degree Trainee

Raymond Ogaldez epitomizes the sterling role UB played in customizing the program to meet individual areas’ needs. After management attempts to attract a trained teacher to take up the mantle of principal-ship at his school, Mr. Ogaldez took up the challenge. Because he did not have the matriculation requirements to go into the Cert. Ed. program, he welcomed the opportunity to receive pedagogical training via the PTT1 program, to move on into the associate degree program (APRE) and, at a practical level, to be eligible for upgraded remuneration.

At another level, the intrinsic value of the training was evident to him early, so much so that he ensured he never missed a session. “UB was like oxygen to me,” Mr. Ogaldez enthused. “I was already motivated being a teacher, with a dozen years of teaching experience. However, once I became principal, and a young principal at that, I needed some skills in how to better manage teachers and how to embrace conflict resolution tools.” He further observed that the nature of the courses meant that theory was discovered through hands-on approaches, with the value of being able to immediately put into action class discussions and assignments. “So I learned, so I put it into action,” he said passionately. Raymond Ogaldez is well known for what he recalls his recommender for the post, the principal of Bella Vista R.C. where he used to teach, describing him as “high energy.” And it is easy to see why. “We’ve done so much,” Mr. Ogaldez enthusiastically concluded. “And not just with teaching and administrative skills upgraded, but with everything all over: better school environment … better attitude … everything runs more smoothly now.”

The University of Belize extends sincere appreciation to all participants of the Banana Belt Teacher Training Program, and the University particularly acknowledges the expertise and innovative strategies of the Faculties involved and their staff members, with particular acknowledgment to its Faculty of Education and Arts in making the Banana Belt story a successful one.

UB’s Input into the Banana Belt’s

EU-financed Secondary Teacher Education Program

This auxiliary program implemented with the Ministry, the European Union, and the GFA Consulting Group, led to March 2013’s proud statement that 96% of teachers at the secondary level in the Banana Belt are trained.

UB’s involvement included design and implementation of the curricula for this other EU-financed component in the Banana Belt, the Secondary Teacher Education Program, a diploma program providing pedagogy to secondary teachers who had an undergraduate degree in a content area but had no pedagogy. It saw a movement from approximately 27% trained secondary teachers in the Banana Belt region to 96% secondary level trained teachers now. This program, as well as the CPED and PTT1, was delivered using a blended approach to learning. This included regular face-to-face sessions supported by use of online resources and enrichment activities.

Banana Belt Education Day, September 23, 2012Student teachers from the primary and secondary teachers training programs collaborated to demonstrate their acquired knowledge, skills, and competencies in a display of samples of their work to welcome the visit of Ambassador Paola Amadei of the EU delegation in Jamaica during her September 2012 visit to Belize.


Feliciana Torres, director of UB’s Early Childhood Stimulation Center, was part of the UB team of resource personnel that worked with Kim N. Archung, Ph. D. of UWI’s School of Education, Cave Hill Campus in training two cohorts, resulting in 29 preschool and lower division teachers in the Banana Belt being trained in workshops (February to April, 2012 and 2013). Although 20 preschool teachers were targeted, the increased number was accommodated as a result of strong lobbying from principals and as training for pre-school and lower division teachers is not readily available to teachers in these communities. Mrs. Torres, working with UWI’s early childhood consultant, made monitoring visits to the preschools in the area prior to the second phase of training to gain information on classroom practices of the participating teachers. This diagnostic information was then used to aid the consultant in planning for the second and final phase of workshops in each year. Mrs. Torres observed that “although teachers are being trained on a regular basis in professional development areas, after training, some either get promoted to administrative positions or leave the profession, whether retired or otherwise, so one can envision incoming groups needing training for some time to come.”

The goal of the training was to provide early childhood teachers with adequate knowledge, skills, and dispositions for promoting and advancing preschoolers’ holistic growth and development through the development of practical, hands-on, and reflective praxes.

Result: Improved capacity of preschool and lower division primary schools

To help meet the need for certified Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, seminars led to improved capacity of teachers to teach mathematics, reading, and science in the Banana Belt primary schools. The training activities were held in August 2011, the month the Ministry would usually hold CPD sessions; thus, participating teachers did not miss classes in order to attend training, with sessions all day rather than a few hours in the evenings. A total of 38 teachers benefitted from at least one subject training.

Subject No. of Participants No. Fully Participated

Science Methods 26 16

Math Methods 19 11

Literacy/Reading Training 15 11

Totals 60 38

Source: Interim Narrative Report, February 28, 2013. Project Identification No.: EuropeAid/129286/M/ACT

Additionally, a critical component of teacher training programs is an internship period. UB faculty offered three, well-attended weekend seminars in lesson planning and classroom strategies to further provide mentoring and support to students preparing for internship assessment. Students expressed appreciation for the guidance.

Result: Improved capacity of teachers to teach science, mathematics, and reading

Early Childhood Teacher Training

Above foreground: Mrs. Feliciana Torres at the Early Childhood display booth at the Banana Belt Education Day,

September 23, 2012

Continuing Professional

Development


The University of the West of England (UWE), working in collaboration with UB, was the primary institution to deliver training for school administrators, and this occurred from April to June 2012. Training materials were developed in consultation and collaboration with UB counterparts after two planning visits to Belize, including the Banana Belt region. Consultants met with primary school principals and vice principals in the area to discuss the training and allow recommendations to be made to prioritize the content for training. Other information collected to inform the planning included a baseline survey principal report, the Ministry’s National Standards for School Leadership Programs in Belize, which was endorsed by the Belize Board of Teacher Education on May 26, 2010, and UB’s proposed training package for principals.

Although the original number targeted for training was 15 principals, some vice principals attended for continuity purposes in cases where principals were nearing retirement age and, or, had received principal training prior to this initiative. A total of 18 principals and vice principals representing all primary schools in the banana belt participated in the training. The training was done in two phases, which allowed for participants to return to their schools and implement some of the strategies learnt so that experiences could be shared in the second phase of training. At completion of the training, which was well received by all, principals were presented with certificates to mark their accomplishment.

Result: Improved administration of primary schools in the Banana Belt

• 18 principals and vice principals participated in leadership training provided by the University of the West of England, Bristol, with training materials developed with UB counterparts.

• All Banana Belt primary schools were represented.

• Succession Planning: Some vice principals were also included in the training to allow them to be able to benefit from the training for reasons of continuity.

• Certificates were issued at completion of training, awarded by Ministry. Continuing Professional Development credits accrued to the participants.

As an integral part of the first-year evaluation, principals were requested in September 2011 to identify and prioritize themes and issues for the Principals’ Leadership Training. Eight critical areas were identified after a November 2011 follow-up session with these principals when they confirmed their interest in engaging with the themes captured through the interim evaluation exercise and also highlighted their desire to engage in further study.

Leadership Training for Principals and Impact:

Overall Results

TRAINING TOPICS MEAN (N=24) % Interested (Somewhat/Extremely

Identifying and addressing special educational needs 4.65 91.7%

Managing behavior for learning 4.35 83.3%

Staff development 4.30 83.3%

Support for pedagogical development 4.22 79.2%

Support for curriculum development 4.14 79.2%

General classroom management 4.26 75.0%

Delegation 3.91 70.8%

Community liaison 3.61 58.3%

Source: Year One Evaluation of the Banana Belt Primary Education Project. Report: March 19, 2012, submitted by Dr. Victoria Macfarlane and Dr. Larry Wolfe, Belize Community Collective

Throughout the program, participants were required to identify and engage with the Ministry’s policies, initiatives, priorities, laws, and regulations that govern education in Belize; they also applied strategies for using the information to promote the success of all students.

The main approach to delivery needed to be that of a workshop approach through which participants shared their knowledge and experience in developing leadership skills. Particular needs of individual schools in the region were addressed.

Program Delivery – Two Phases: This occurred through face-to-face engagement during two blocks of two weeks duration and supplemented through engagement in school-based action research activities between the two face-to-face phases. On-going support and guidance was provided through electronic communication during this time. Participants were introduced to Action Research during the first part of the program. Agreed school-based tasks were negotiated with individual principals at the end of each of the two phases to ensure that activities best met individual schools’ developmental needs.

Outcomes: Principals who completed the program are now expected to be

• familiar with the key requirements to function effectively as leaders in their respective schools;

• familiar with the necessary skills and knowledge to refine school-based practice and to implement strategies necessary for school improvement;

• able to engage in the process of implementing the change process necessary to reach the vision of the school;

• prepared to engage in self-evaluation and reflection as tools for professional growth, and to apply strategies for using the resources within the school and broader professional community as supports for professional growth as a life-long learner;

• equipped with the appropriate skills and tools to promote leadership across the school consistent with national and ISLLC standards;

• able to develop and communicate a vision for the school to promote the success of all students;

• familiar with the principles of finance and resource management to apply strategies for managing resources for the design of a safe and effective learning environment for all students;

• able to understand the importance of ethics, acts of fairness, courage and integrity in school leadership in order to develop and maintain a positive school climate;

• better prepared to promote and design professional development opportunities for their school staff;

• encouraged to engage the wider community in the life of the school to enrich the learning experiences of students;

• prepared to provide effective mentoring to colleagues to improve performance; and

• encouraged to develop professional networks across the region in order to support professional practice and to raise student achievement.

Like this Georgetown Technical High School sign implies, an educator’s love for learning is a lifelong commitment. Principals are a part of this process.


Principal Ewart CaballeroMaya Mopan Primary school

Principal Ewart Caballero, a first-time principal, welcomed the program. He enthusiastically shared his observations: Imagine a training program being brought into our area to improve the performance of our schools targeting all stakeholders in education—for practically free. For far too long the cry in the Banana Belt has been the performance of children on standardized exams compared to the rest of the country. Even though the cause of and solution to the problem was already identified to be teacher training, teachers in the area did not have the funds to go outside of the district to pursue higher learning. Thanks to the Banana Belt Program, the majority of the teachers in this area are now trained, producing better students.

As a principal at Maya Mopan Primary School, I have seen the benefits of the programs. I have seen the application of various teaching strategies and more child friendly classrooms; I have seen more involvement of parents in the daily operation of the school. There is no doubt that this program for parents, administrators, and teachers has contributed to a change of attitude towards education in the Banana Belt area. And, even though the evidence that I am referring is indicative of the short term effects of the program, I am certain that the long term effects will be greater.

As a first-time principal I found the training to be extremely helpful. I have learnt many things that make me feel a lot more confident in my role as a principal. From the training I have learnt the Do’s and Don’ts of a good leader;

I have learnt how to manage and organize time more effectively, how to delegate responsibility, and the importance of the involvement of parents in the life of the school and of the school in the community.

Currently the teachers at Maya Mopan Primary School are working together for the improvement of teaching and learning at the institution. Teachers who are knowledgeable in a particular area are encouraged to facilitate staff development workshops. Teachers are also encouraged to keep the school’s mission and vision in mind while they execute their responsibilities. I am aware that education is a never ending process, but I am eternally grateful for the knowledge that I have acquired from the facilitators and colleagues at the sessions I attended, I certainly will continue to do my best to improve the quality of education in Stann Creek District. – Principal Ewart Caballero

Reflection: Principal Ewart Caballero

Above Principal Ewart Caballero taking part in his school’s Harvest Mass

Reflection: Principal Jennifer Leslie

Principal Jennifer Leslie United Community

Principal Jennifer Leslie of United Community in San Roman Village is a veteran educator, and she shared insights from this perspective.

The training definitely helped. All of us engaged in this very meaningful Banana Belt teacher training benefited. For example, I am “old school”; in the mid-1990s, I did similar leadership training for principals. So, for me, the techniques, the theory, and practicals served as refresher courses for the most part; I especially liked the hands-on/case-scenario approach.

Moreover, the program also catered to our younger teachers. Take, for example, Mr. Francisco Chun, vice-principal. He also took the leadership training. This speaks to the sustainability of the program and solid succession planning. This is what I really like about the program—it clearly was not planned as a one-shot approach. What I cherish even more, though, is what is a clear difference I saw between the mid-1990s training I did and this one, and this is the involvement of the parents as part of the program of training of teachers. Parents attended some of the sessions, and I noticed the difference regarding how my parents have become much more involved in this teaching-learning process. They have been involved in painting our school and in cleaning of the yard and restrooms. The idea is to build a commitment.

With United Community also being one of the current Quality Schools Initiative venues of the Ministry of Education, I feel doubly happy that our complement of staff is even more qualified and ready to face today’s student population. Yes, we have challenges, such as overcrowding, but all my teachers have been working and getting themselves trained. Three of United Community’s teachers will be certified by the PTT1, such as Lennox Mejia who is also featured, and five more are finishing up from Stann Creek Ecumenical Junior College with the Certificate in Primary Education (CPED). Our goal in our three-year plan for our quality schools is to have all our teachers get training, and with the Banana Belt coming on board, we were able to fast track and enhance. For example, one part of the training dealt with the development and use of learning centers. Even though the classroom spaces are limited, teachers have found innovative ways of having learning centers that are accommodated to the space to ensure the child-centered approach is, indeed, at the center of the learning. – Principal Jennifer Leslie

Above: Principal Leslie in workshop session

Above: Principal Ewart Caballero (second from right, third row) with his staff at Maya

Mopan Primary School

Above: Principal Leslie holds up UB’s symbolic Torch of Learning at the CPED closing reception in Independence.


Parenting Component and Impact on Schools and Communities:

Overall Results

UWI delivered training for parents in two phases, engaging parents more meaningfully in the education of their children. Sessions were led by facilitator Jennifer E. Obidah, Ph.D. of UWI’s School of Education, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Phase 1 of the training took place from February to April, 2012, during the same period of training for preschool and lower division teachers. In January to April 2013, UB monitored the effects of this training in the communities participating, even as the second and final phase of the training proceeded.

As participants have noted elsewhere in this publication, this truly encouraged parents to become more involved in the education of their children as well as gain knowledge and skills to empower them to be able to provide greater support to the schools educating their children. A total of 19 parents attended the first phase of training and 11 completed the entire training for Year One, and they assisted with recruiting other parents to participate in their schools’ PTA. Whereas the original proposal called for a minimum of three communities represented and a minimum of 25 participants trained, by the end of Phase Two, a total of five communities were represented and 31 parents were trained. During January to April 2013, Project staff made monitoring visits to participating schools and PTAs to determine effects, even as the second phase of training took place.

Sample Content of Parenting SessionsTwo modules were utilized, each having five sessions of 2-3 hours per session for a total of 15 hours weekly for two weeks. Sample of Day One, Module One:

Day 1: PARENTING YOUR STUDENT Assignments and Activities included:

1 Parental self-concept and self-esteem • A class discussion on parental practices

2 Cultural beliefs and parental practices • Self-esteem and self-concept quizzes

3 Disciplining your child • Participation in the “Power Scatter” activity

4 Standard English versus home language • Journal writing: “The Story of My Life”

• Parent to parent in-class interviews

Other topics over the course of the training included: building family and community relationships, including supporting families in distress and an introduction to the problem-solving approach to conflict, which also had parents recollecting themselves as students and charting commonly held beliefs about childhood and children in Belize. Each parent/community group also was tasked to create a goal-specific plan of action and to present the plan to help either their own child or to help other parents to help the children in the community.

Result: More parents engaged in school activities and the education of their children

Parents attending the training were appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about what happens in the education system. They expressed that often the language and literacy barriers prevent them from communicating well with the schools. In the workshops they felt free to ask many questions of the facilitator especially when they looked at interpreting test results. A UB implementer facilitated translation for the many Spanish-speaking participant parents attending the workshops.

Photo left: Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports is a teacher by profession; he is also a strong proponent of parenting, and in the picture to the left he is with his two young sons at a booth at the Sunday, September 23, 2012, Banana Belt Education Day. He has often noted publicly that one of the joys of his life is to spend time with his boys because “it’s what parenting is all about.”

SCOPE of the Project: 16 schools in 17 southern communities in Belize’s Banana Belt regionSan Roman: United Community Primary; Bella Vista: Our Lady of Bella Vista; San Juan: San Juan Bosco R.C.; Maya Mopan: Maya Mopan Primary; Red Bank: Red Bank Christian; Independence: Independence Primary, Church of Christ Primary, and Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist; Sagitun Farms: Nuestra Senora de Guadelupe; Georgetown: Richard Quinn R.C.; San Pablo: St. Paul R.C.; San Isidro: San Isidro R.C.; Trio: Trio Government School; Bladen: Fabian Cayetano R.C.; Monkey River: St. Stephen Anglican; Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Mayan King: No school in village; students attend United Community Primary Plus: Seine Bight: St. Alphonsus Primary

Programs Involved• Primary Education Teacher Certification: 63 teachers

>CPED: Certificate in Primary Teacher Education: Making the Ministry’s Cert. Ed. program accessible to teachers with a content-area associate degree but no pedagogy >PTT1: Professional Teacher Training Grade 1. Upgrading existing teachers who did not meet CPED matriculation requisites, for example, those who a high school diploma. >Improved capacity of preschool and lower division primary school teachers: 29 teachers >Continuing Professional Development: Science + Math Methods, Literacy/Reading: 60 teachers

• Parenting Component: 31 parents

• Principals’ Leadership Skills: 18 principals and vice principals

Target Group: Primary school teachers, principals and parents of the Banana Belt Communities. Final Beneficiaries: Children of the Banana Belt and their families. Managements with largest numbers of teachers benefitting: Approximately 50% and 30% (Roman Catholic Management and the Government of Belize respectively).


Living the Holistic Model:

What Next?

• UB’s internal rapid assessment is already ongoing. Even in the short term, UB has seen remarkable results on the ground, beyond fulfilling the national need for more certified trained teachers. As the principals and lecturers tell it herein, the task-oriented nature of program delivery has ensured that students immediately benefit from the new insights their teachers have taken back to the classrooms. The component needing even more strengthening is the Parenting component, where PTA involvement is not necessarily stronger in all the communities.

• Additionally, the Ministry’s Teacher Education Development Services (TEDS) conducted monitoring and evaluation to ensure oversight as well as to comply with Ministry procedures in teacher training programs. Of note is that the TEDS Unit works in tandem with the Caribbean’s Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE), ensuring another level of validation.

“Indeed, the story of the Banana Belt teacher-training program is, in part, the story of the national university capably and efficiently meeting national needs. It is a powerful story of success—one that has provided a holistic model for future interventions countrywide.” - Wilma Wright, Ph.D., Interim Provost, University of Belize

January 2011 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade EDUC1252 (EDUC1092 ) The Nature of the Learner 4 EDUC1051 (EDUC10 14 ) Introduction to Education 3 Total 7

Summer 2011 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade LING1152 (EDUC1102 ) Fundamentals of Linguistics 3 EDUC1402 (EDUC1052 ) Teaching Methods for Primary Curriculum 4 ESCI1051 (SCE150 ) Science for Primary School Teachers 3 EMAT1152 (EDUC10 82 ) College Math for Primary Teachers 2 3 Total 13

September – December 201 1 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade EDUC2151 (EDUC 312 ) Managing the Regular & Multi-grade Classroom 3 ESOC2152 (SOST304 ) Social Studies Methods for Primary Classroom 3 Total 6

January – May 2012 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade ESCI2152 (EDUC2232 ) Science Concepts & Methods for Primary school

Teachers 3

EENG2151 (EDUC2211 ) Language Methods for Primary School Teachers 1

3

Total 6

Summer 2012 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade EMAT2151 (EDUC2171 ) Math Concepts and Methods for the Primary Grades 1 4 EENG2202 (EDUC2292 ) Language Methods for Primary School Teachers II 3 Total 7

September – December 2012 Course ID Course Name Cr Grade EDUC2995 (EDUC2993 ) Internship for Primary School Teachers 9 Total 9

PROGRAM SEQUENCE for CPED for the Certificate in Education. FACULTY OF EDUCATION & ARTS: Certificate in Education

Pre-requisite: An associate in any program other than teacher education.

Technology clearly is a part of teaching and learning environments today.

Total 48


PROGRAM SEQUENCE for PTT1/APRE FACULTY OF EDUCATION & ARTS: Professional Teacher Training Grade 1

Pre-requisite: A high school diploma or equivalent or First Class

UB GENERAL CORE (GEC) (24 CREDITS) CREDITS PRE-REQUISITES COMMENTSSPAN 1015/1025 Spanish 3 Oct 3-28

ENG 1014 (ENGL111) College English 1 3 None completed

ENG 1025 (ENGL112) College English 2 3 ENGL1014 completed

HIST1014 (HIST201) Introduction to Belizean History 3 None Jan 11 - 26

CMPS 1011 (CMPS140) Introduction to Computer Systems 3 None completed

EMAT 1101 (EDUC1041) College Math for Primary Teachers 1 3 None completed

EMAT 1152 (edu1082) College Math for Primary Teachers 2 3 EDUC1101 completed

ESCI1051 (SCI150) Science for Primary School Teachers 3 None completed

PROFESSIONAL CORE (51 CREDITS) CREDITS PRE-REQUISITES

EDU1051 (EDUC1014) Introduction to Education 3 None completed

EDUC1252 (EDUC1092) The Nature of the Learner 4 PSYC1014 completed

EDUC1402 (1052) Teaching Methods for Primary Curriculum 4 None completed

Program Sequence for PTT1 to complete Associate Degree in Primary Education

EDUC2151 (EDUC312) Managing the Regular and Multi-grade Classroom 3 EDUC1402 completed

EDUC2501 (EDUC2791) /2552

(EDUC2892)

Teaching Practicum 3 EDUC1402 1ongoing

EDUC2995 (EDUC2993) Internship for Primary School Teachers 9 all methods courses February -March

EART2153 (ARTE250) or Art Education or 3 EDUC1402

EMUS2153 (MUSC250) Music Education Dec 10-21

EENG2151 (EDU2211) Language Methods for Primary Teachers 1 3 EDUC1402 completed

EENG2202 (EDU2292) Language Methods for Primary Teachers 2 3 EENG2152 completed

EMAT2151 (EDU2171) Math Concepts and Methods for Primary Grade 1 4 EDUC1402 completed

EPHY2153 (PHED250) Physical Education for the Primary Grades 3 EDUC1402 Dec 10-21

ESCI2153 (EDU2232) Science Concepts and Methods for Primary School Teachers 3 ESCI1151 & EDUC1402 completed

ESOC2152 (SOST 304) Social Studies Methods for Primary Classroom 3 EDUC1402 completed

ESPN2151 (EDU2252) Spanish Methods for the Primary School Teachers 3 SPAN2015 & EDUC1402 Oct 29 -Nov16

SUPPORT CORE ( 6 CREDITS) CREDITS PRE-REQUISITES

ESCI1202 (HSCI200) Health and Family Life Education 3 EDUC1402 Nov 20-Dec 7

LING1152 (EDUC1102) Fundamentals of Linguistics 3 ENGL1014 completed

The practicum experience was infused throughout this program. This component was assessed through student portfolio, classroom environment and teaching, and this component earned 3 credits upon successful completion. At completion of this PTT1/APRE training, these teachers now require only Internship to graduate.

Village School AddressSan Roman United Community Primary 26 miles Southern Highway

Bella Vista Our Lady of Bella Vista R.C. Bella Vista

San Juan: also serves Cowpen San Juan Bosco R.C. San Juan

Maya Mopan Maya Mopan Primary School Maya Mopan

Red Bank Red Bank Christian Red Bank

Independence

• Independence Primary

• Church of Christ

• Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist

Amado Mena Ave.

281 Happy Ave.

Hercules Ave.

Sagitun Farms Nuestra Senora de Guadelupe [multigrade] Sagitun Farms

Georgetown Richard Quinn R.C. Georgetown

San Pablo: also serves Farm 14 +21 St. Paul R.C. [multigrade] San Pablo

San Isidro San Isidro R.C. San Isidro

Trio Trio Govt. School Trio

Bladen Fabian Cayetano R.C. Bladen

Monkey RiverSt. Stephen Anglican [serves La Esperanza

and parts of Monkey River too]Monkey River

Santa RosaNo school in village; children attend United

Community, as do Riverdale’s childrenSanta Cruz

Mayan King

Seine Bight**Added to the project

St. Alphonsus R.C Seine Bight

Of the Banana Belt’s approximately 200 primary school teachers, 140 were directly trained.

Most principals were trained and three vice principals.

Almost 5,000 primary school students and 350 preschoolers have been positively affected

Banana Belt Communities and Schools

Left: Dr. Cary Fraser, UB’s president, and (R) Ambassador Paola Amadei of the EU delegation in Jamaica at the campus of Georgetown Technical High School for the September 23, 2012, Education Day exhibition.

1Students are required to implement projects relating to the content area(s) throughout the programme, e.g. learning centers, development, and delivery of lesson plans

The Banana Belt Story2010-2013

Truly, education empowers a nation.

Welcome to the success story of a holistic approach to education that efficiently and effectively empowered 15 southern villages in Belize’s Banana Belt region, 2010-2013.

• Primary Education Teacher Certification: CPED + PTT1

Plus Improved Capacity of Early Childhood Teachers and Continuing Professional Development Plus UB’s Involvement with the EU-funded Secondary Teacher Education Training

• Parenting Component • Principals’ Leadership Skills

Office of the ProvostUniversity of Belize

[EU-funded Banana Belt Teacher Education Project]P.O. Box 340

Belmopan, BelizeEmail: Interim Provost: [email protected]

or Office of Public Information: [email protected]

www.ub.edu.bz

Documents

The Banana Belt Story