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Curriculum Update, delivered direct to schools once each term, outlines
recent projects to support teaching and learning, together with information
from current research that could be valuable to schools in their pursuit
of excellence in teaching. This issue looks at professional development.
Professional development is the key to the success of any reform initiative
provided that it is linked to the ongoing learning of individuals,
and to school improvement, and to related policy and programme implementation.
Fullan M and Mascall B: Human Resource Issues in Education: A Literature
Review. New Zealand Ministry of Education. Wellington. 2000.
Ministry of Education Professional Development
Programmes in 2001
School Support Services
An Outline of the 2001 Programmes
Ministry
of Education Professional Development Programmes in 2001
In 2001, the Ministry will continue to fund professional development
through both School Support Services and a contestable contracting
process. To meet the government's Closing the Gaps initiative, all
professional development contracts must include consideration of the
specific needs of teachers of Māori and Pacific nations children
in mainstream classes. Several of the successful professional development
programmes contracted for the 2000 school year are being extended
for a second year in 2001.
School Support Services and other contracted providers will use various
approaches to help teachers and principals increase their professional
knowledge and skills, deepen their understanding of pedagogy, and
improve teaching and learning in their schools. From 1 July 2001,
the National Education Guidelines (NEGs) require that all schools
have a strategic plan that integrates their curriculum planning, student
evaluation, self-review, and professional development to provide the
best possible educational outcomes for all students. School Support
Services will assist schools in this area.
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The
2001 professional development programmes cover four main areas:
Programmes offered in this area aim to enhance leadership and management
practices, and assessment for better learning. These programmes will
include continued support for special education and specific training
to familiarise secondary teachers with the National Certificate of
Educational Achievement (NCEA).
These programmes will seek to improve teaching and learning in early
childhood and in numeracy and literacy and to enhance the education
of students from a non-English-speaking background (NESB students).
These programmes will include support for implementation of the
most recently developed curriculum areas: health and physical education
and the arts.
Programmes in this area will work to enhance teaching and learning
in Māori immersion classes and kura kaupapa Māori.
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School Support Services
Professional development and support for teachers and principals will
be a major focus of the services purchased through the six colleges
of education. These programmes will continue to achieve nationally
and locally negotiated outputs that reflect government priorities
and respond to the needs identified in local areas. In 2001, the School
Support Services based in the six colleges of education will provide
support for:
Curriculum leadership and management, with a focus on rural schools,
new and existing principals, the revised National Administration Guidelines
(NAGs), and the NCEA;
Numeracy, literacy, and teachers of NESB students and te reo Māori;
Health and physical education, and the arts;
Limited support for social studies, primary science, technology
in years 7 to 10, and the ICT strategy;
Specific support for pūtaiao, pāngarau, and hangarau; /areas
of identified local needs.
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To visit the college of education support services websites go to:
Auckland College of Education:
www.ace.ac.nz/centres
Waikato University College
of Education:
www.waikato.ac.nz/sss/
Massey University:
http://ced.massey.ac.nz/
Wellington College of
Education:
www.wce.ac.nz/prof.htm
Christchurch College
of Education:
www.cce.ac.nz/support/
Dunedin College of Education:
www.dce.ac.nz/school_support/default.htm
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An
Outline of the 2001 Programmes
Foundation
Learning
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Literacy - Literacy Leadership
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In response to the report of the Literacy Taskforce, the Ministry
has designed several initiatives that form part of a broader
Literacy Strategy. One initiative is the national Literacy
Leadership programme which commenced in 2000 and will continue
in 2001. This programme enhances the professional leadership
provided by principals in literacy and strengthens the role
of teachers who provide literacy leadership in schools.
Contact Pam O'Connell at Learning Media Limited, Box 3293,
Wellington, Phone (04) 472 5522
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Numeracy
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The 2001 professional development programmes will continue
the work begun in 2000. The early-numeracy project for year
1-3 teachers will build on the successful pilot project 'Count
Me in Too'. Both projects will be co-ordinated by School Support
Services. In addition, two exploratory numeracy studies will
investigate teachers' professional development needs at years
7 and 8 and years 9 and 10.
Contact the numeracy co-ordinator at your nearest School Support
Services.
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Enhancing Education for NESB Students
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These professional development programmes aim to develop effective
teaching strategies to improve students' English language
proficiency and their learning across the curriculum. These
programmes also help schools develop policies and procedures
to improve the educational experience of NESB students. The
Ministry has contracted the six colleges of education and,
in Auckland, English Language Consultants (phone (09) 4466922)
to provide this support in 2001.
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Early Childhood
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Eighteen professional development contractors will continue
to provide opportunities nationally for all early chidhood
teachers in 2001. These contractors are expected to focus
on implementation of Te Whariki, on Revised Statement
of Desirable Objectives and Practices, on Special Education
2000 , and on The Quality Journey.
Expected outcomes for all contractors reflect the Closing
the Gaps objectives, with a particular focus on raising
the quality of curriculum and managment practices in early
childhood education.
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Effective
Schools
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Assessment for Better Learning
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These programmes will help schools improve the quality of
teaching and learning through a deep understanding of formative
assessment, particularly for under-achieving students, and
will build assessment literacy at classroom level.
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Principal Mentoring
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The principal mentoring programme will continue in 2001. The
programme is provided in partnership with the New Zealand
Principals' Federation and administered through the New Zealand
Principal and Leadership Centre.
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Enterprise Education
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The Ministry is funding two programmes in this area in 2001.
Both contracting organisations will be accepting new participants
next year in selected regions.
- The Enterprise New Zealand programme provides professional
development in enterprise education, develops teachers' understanding
of the principles underpinning specific enterprise education
programmes, and supports the use of specific enterprise education
programmes in schools.
Contact Lyn Morris, Enterprise New Zealand Trust,
PO Box 31-545, Lower Hutt,
phone (04) 570 0452.
- The Royal Society of New Zealand provides professional
development in enterprise education through the CREST programme.
Contact Angela Christie, the Royal Society of New Zealand,
PO Box 598, Wellington,
phone (04) 470 5772.
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Special Education
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The Special Education professional development programme that
operated in 1999 and 2000 will continue in 2001, with a particular
focus on schools that have not as yet participated, secondary
schools, kura kaupapa Māori, schools with a fifty percent
or greater Māori enrolment, and rural schools with new
teaching principals.
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The National Certificate of Educational Achievement
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Successful introduction of the NCEA as the main qualification
for most school leavers is an important government priority
and this will be a professional development focus for most
secondary teachers. Professional development programmes will
be continued in 2001.
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Pacific Nations Teacher Development
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The pacific nations programme will help Pacific teachers to
examine their roles and responsibilities and develop their
practice so they can build their professional confidence,
move into senior management positions, and improve learning
outcomes for Pacific students. The programme will continue
in 2001 in Auckland, Tokoroa, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin,
and Invercargill.
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Information Technology Professional Development (ITPD
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This programme has concluded and has been superseded by the
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Schools Programme
(below). Over the three years of the ITPD initiative (1998-2000),
1125 schools were funded for a total of $3.16m.
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Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Schools Programme
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This programme is the major focus of professional development
in ICT in 2001. Twenty-five new school clusters will be added
to the existing twenty-three.
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IT Advisers
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Additional funding to the colleges of education for advisory
support in ICT during 2001 will be used:
to help schools implement ICT strategic plans, with a particular
emphasis on schools that need assistance with implementing
such plans;
to identify and prioritise each school's key ICT targets
and to support schools in meeting these targets;
to provide professional development that boosts teachers'
confidence and capability in using ICT to enhance teaching
and learning;
to increase classroom use of ICT to meet learning outcomes
across all curriculum areas;
to provide focused professional development in using online
resources in classroom programmes.
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Te Kete Ipurangi
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The Ministry's online learning centre, Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI),
is steadily expanding. TKI offers advice on the effective
use of ICT in teaching and learning, together with examples
of good practice. The Ministry has let several contracts for
development of online curriculum support materials for teachers
in mainstream and Māori-medium classes. TKI also supports
other key areas, such as school governance and management,
assessment, and the NCEA. To access these support materials,
go to the communities page:
www.tki.org.nz/e/communities
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Education of the Gifted and Talented
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The colleges of education will be provided with additional
funding for this area in 2001 which may be further supported
by outputs achieved from the leadership and management area.
The intended outcomes are:
to help schools review, develop, and implement appropriate
policies and programmes for gifted and talented students,
with reference to the handbook 'Gifted and Talented Students:
Meeting Their Needs in New Zealand Schools' and to the national
curriculum statements;
to help schools set up effective management systems and
processes to ensure that these policies and programmes are
regularly monitored and evaluated;
to identify teachers' current level of knowledge and teaching
needs and provide professional development opportunities that
will increase their confidence in catering for gifted and
talented students.
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The
Curriculum Framework
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The Arts
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The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum was distributed to
schools during September. Professional development trials
are being conducted in a small range of schools in each region
until the end of this year. Contracts for professional development
in the arts will commence in all regions at the beginning
of the next school year and will continue for two years. Four
newly appointed national co-ordinators of dance, drama, music,
and the visual arts will provide specialist advice and support
where required as schools move towards implementing the new
curriculum.
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Environmental Education
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In 2001, workshops and support will be offered for schools
that wish to implement Guidelines for Environmental Education
in New Zealand Schools.
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Health and Physical Education
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The first two years of professional development for Health and
Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum have been completed.
In 2001, School Support Services will be funded to provide additional
support for implementation in all regions.
Priorities will be:
schools that have not yet been involved in any professional
development;
primary mental health and sexuality education;
clarification of teaching and learning about food and nutrition;
outdoor education with a focus on risk management;
sport studies.
Assistance will also be provided with physical activity and
secondary health education. Wherever appropriate, links will
be made to new Ministry publications, such as the Curriculum
in Action series. For secondary teachers, strong links will
be established to the NCEA. Several subject associations can
provide support in this learning area, including the Home
Economics and Technology Teachers' Association of New Zealand
(HETTANZ), the New Zealand Health Teachers' Association (NZHTA),
Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ), and Education Outdoors
New Zealand (EONZ). Your closest School Support Services may
be able to provide contact details for these groups.
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Drug Education
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National professional development will be available in terms
1 and 2 of 2001 to help schools implement the drug education
component of the Mental Health key area of learning in Health
and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum.
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Māori
Education
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Hangarau i roto i te Marautanga o Aotearoa
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Professional development for the implementation of hangarau
will be offered in Ngāti Porou and Te Tauihu regions
in 2001. This should complete the national coverage for hangarau.
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Tikanga ā Iwi i roto i te Marautanga o Aotearoa
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A national co-ordinator for tikanga ā iwi will be appointed
to plan and develop a training programme for professional development
providers. The co-ordinator will also develop support materials.
Between twenty and twenty-five providers will be trained during
2001 to train teachers in 2002. Each of these providers will
work with at least three schools and will be equipped with a
training package developed during 2001. Teachers who are interested
in participating in the training programme for providers should
watch the Education Gazette.
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Ngā Toi i roto i te Marautanga o Aotearoa
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Similar professional development is also planned for ngā
toi. The national co-ordinator will train between twenty-five
and thirty providers during 2001 and will also develop support
materials. Professional development for teachers and publication
of a variety of support materials will begin in 2002.
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Hauora i roto i te Marautanga o Aotearoa
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A process similar to that followed for tikanga ā iwi and
ngā toi is planned and will begin in 2002.
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Te Whakapiki Reo
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The Ministry continues to fund professional development programmes
to improve teacher competence in te reo Māori Te Whakapiki
Reo courses will continue in 2001 in Napier (Massey University),
Hamilton (The University of Waikato School of Education), and
Whangarei (through Isabella Urlich Consultancy). The programme
requires two terms of full-time study. Teachers are released
on full pay to attend, and schools are funded for relief costs
to cover the teacher's absence from the classroom. Te Whakapiki
Reo is open to primary and secondary teachers from Māori-medium
and mainstream schools.
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The Mainstream Māori Pilot Project
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As part of the government's Closing the Gaps initiative, the
2000 Budget allocated funding to "pilot new approaches to
professional development to enhance teacher effectiveness
for teachers working with Māori students in the mainstream
of education". This pilot programme will run for two years.
The Ministry is currently planning the structure of the project
and working to ensure that any new approaches make effective
use of existing good practice and draw on sound research.
Schools not already committed to other professional development
programmes are likely to be targeted. Schools interested in
being involved should watch the Education Gazette for further
announcements.
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The Māori Education Strategy
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Under the umbrella of the broader Māori education strategy
Whakaaro Mātauranga Think Learning, the Ministry of Education
intends to fill twenty-three full-time pouwhakataki positions
nationally. The pouwhakataki will work primarily with Māori
communities:
to improve the quality and targeting of information about
education to Māori;
to improve the participation of Māori in education
as both providers and users of education services;
to help communities and education providers develop strategic
plans to improve the outcomes for Māori in education;
to improve provider responsiveness to Māori;
to strengthen schools' accountability for Māori education
outcomes.
The appointment process will be organised so that communities
are able to participate. Of the first six positions, three
are based at Te Wai Pounamu, one in the Ministry's national
office in Wellington, and two in Whanganui.
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