Resource Teachers: Literacy

Memorandum of Agreement

Agreement | Schedule A: Host and cluster schools for RT:Lits | Schedule B: Generic job description | Schedule C: Training requirements | Schedule D: Management committee | Schedule E: Charter statement

Agreement

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Memorandum of Agreement ( Word, 67kb)

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Memorandum of Agreement ( PDF, 72kb)

Background

• This literacy service was developed in response to the recommendation of the Literacy Taskforce (in March 1999) for a nationally co-ordinated system of literacy interventions. Resource Teachers: Literacy (RT:Lits) provide literacy expertise to assist the small number of children in years 0–8 who require intensive teaching in reading and writing and their teachers.



• The host school has agreed to employ an RT:Lit on behalf of a designated cluster of schools, and the Ministry has agreed to staff and fund the host school accordingly.

1.0     Statement of purpose

The purpose of this Memorandum is to record the roles and responsibilities of the board of trustees of the host school in respect of the employment of RT:Lit(s).

The parties agree as follows:

2.0     Definitions

In this document:

"Ministry" means the Ministry of Education.

"Host school" means a school that employs a Resource Teacher: Literacy.

"Resource Teacher: Literacy" (RT:Lit) means a new Zealand-registered teacher who is employed by the host school on behalf of several schools (the cluster). The RT:Lit delivers a service to the cluster as recommended by the management committee. The RT:Lit will provide advice and support to help teachers in cluster schools to meet the needs of year 0-8 children at risk of low achievement due to learning difficulties in literacy.

"Cluster" means the schools that are part of the group of schools in which the RT:Lit works. The schools in the cluster are listed in Schedule A.

The "management committee" represents the cluster and provides support and guidance to the host school and the RT:Lit in accordance with clause 3.0 of this Memorandum.

3.0     Management committee

3.1 The parties agree to set up a management committee, which will comprise the host school principal, the RT:Lit, at least two representatives from the cluster schools, and a professional in the field of literacy difficulties agreed to by the parties, as set out in Schedule D.

3.2 The purpose and role of the management committee is set out in Schedule D.

4.0     Host school responsibilities

4.1 The host school will carry out all the employer responsibilities for the RT:Lit. The RT:Lit job description is provided in Schedule B.

4.2 The host school agrees to be guided by the management committee before taking action on the following:

• appointing a teacher to the position
• clarifying the job description
• determining the distribution of duties and the day-to-day work of the RT:Lit
• determining the number of teachers and children to receive a service
• undertaking performance management, including an annual performance appraisal, of the RT:Lit
• determining professional development for the RT:Lit
• using funding for the RT:Lit service.

4.3 The host school board will ensure each RT:Lit undertakes the approved training and has access to the agreed study leave set out in Schedule C except where an exemption to the training has been granted to the RT:Lit by the Ministry.

4.4 Whenever an RT:Lit vacancy occurs, the host school will seek approval from the Ministry and consult with the management committee regarding the process for appointing a new RT:Lit.

5.0     Reporting

5.1 The host school will provide an annual report to he Ministry on the RT:Lit service by 15 December each year and another on financial management by 31 March each year. The Ministry will provide a format annually for the December report.

6.0     Disputes

6.1 The parties will take all reasonable steps to resolve any dispute that may arise in connection with this Memorandum.

7.0     Lodging the agreement with the Ministry

7.1 The host school (on behalf of the cluster schools) and the local Ministry office will each sign and retain one copy of this Memorandum. A copy will also be provided to each RT:Lit and each school in the cluster. The original should reside in the local Ministry office.

8.0     Cancellation of the agreement

8.1 If, for any reason, there is any change in the schools in the cluster, the choice of host school, the entitlement of RT:Lits allocated to the cluster, or the RT:Lit personnel, the parties will discuss whether an amendment to the Memorandum is appropriate or whether the Memorandum should be cancelled.

8.2 The cancellation of this agreement does not affect the host school's employment responsibilities and obligations in relation to any RT:Lit it employs. The RT:Lit will continue to be employed by the host school in accordance with the terms and conditions of his or her employment agreement.

9.0     Resources

9.1 The resourcing provided by the Ministry must be used by the host school for the purposes of the RT:Lit service.

9.2 Should an RT:Lit change host school, all resources purchased with Ministry funding will remain the property of the RT:Lit service and go with the RT:Lit.

9.3 Surplus funds from one year to the next should also continue to be used for the service and move with a transferred position.

_________________________ Board of Trustees on the ____ day of _______ 20__

_________________________ Chairperson

_________________________ Principal (for the host school)

Signed by:

________________________ Ministry of Education on the ____ day of ______ 20__ (for the Ministry of Education)

There are __ signed copies of this Memorandum.

They are held by:

• ______________________ Office, Ministry of Education (the original)
  
  
• National Operations, Ministry of Education
  
  
• ______________________ School (the host school)
  
  
• ______________________ (number) cluster schools
  
  
• ______________________ (name), Resource Teacher: Literacy

• Host and cluster schools for RT:Lits
• Generic job description
• Training requirements
• Management committee
• Charter statement

Schedule A: Host and cluster schools for RT:Lits

Host School _________________________

RT:Lit(s)      _________________________ (as agreed with the Ministry of Education)

                  _________________________

Resource Teacher: Literacy - Schedule A ( Word, 68kb)

Resource Teacher: Literacy - Schedule A ( PDF, 61kb)

Schedule B: Generic job description

Title:     Resource Teacher: Literacy (RT:Lit)

Cluster Group: _____________________________

Host School:    _____________________________

Description

The RT:Lit will be based at a particular host school and will be employed by the board of trustees of that school to work in an itinerant role on behalf of a designated cluster of schools.

Purpose of the position

The role of the RT:Lit is to provide itinerant, specialised literacy support for year 0-8 students who are at risk of failing to learn to read and write and for their teachers.

The role will include teaching children directly and modelling and demonstrating effective practices, strategies, or techniques for teachers so that:

• children receive appropriate literacy programmes on an ongoing basis
• teachers can use the skills they have acquired with these students and others with similar needs.

The role will include regular tutoring and supervision so that:

• a child is tutored by the RT:Lit on a regular basis
• following a period of regular tutoring, the child's programme is taken over by the school's personnel, with the RT:Lit adopting a monitoring role until the child is discharged.

Work relationships

The RT:Lit will:

• be accountable to the principal of the host school on behalf of the cluster schools
• be a member of the management committee
• work with staff and/or children in the designated cluster of schools
• liaise with students' families
• in collaboration with the school and classroom teachers, liaise with other appropriate agencies and educational professions
• liaise and work collaboratively with other RT:Lits at meetings and conferences, regionally and nationally, for professional development.

Key tasks

Identifying needs and maintaining workload

The RT:Lit will:

• use appropriate diagnostic assessment tools to determine the specific needs of students accepted on their roll
• use this data to make recommendations as to the most appropriate literacy intervention programmes to meet the children's needs and, where necessary, work with schools to provide a literacy programme for children who are most at risk in the acquisition of literacy
• maintain a workable caseload of children and teachers as determined by the management committee, taking into account the level of involvement required for each child and teacher and the experience of the RT:Lit, or refer students to a more appropriate service, for example, vision specialist/testing, ESOL programmes, speech-language therapists, RT:LBs, or other professional services.

Advisory tasks

The RT: Lit will:

• provide advice and support to classroom teachers in order to maintain the learning gains achieved by the child following an intervention programme and/or address literacy learning for children with serious literacy difficulties when part of the regular classroom programme
• monitor progress and help teachers to adapt literacy programmes as necessary to facilitate success for children with serious literacy difficulties
• provide in-service training on topics related to literacy difficulties for the staff of cluster schools
• in conjunction with classroom teachers, work with whānau and parents and/or other agencies to facilitate the educational achievement of children identified as requiring the services of the RT:Lit.

Literacy intervention tasks

Where appropriate, the RT:Lit will work with individual children and their teachers, when the resources of the school have been unable to provide and implement an appropriate programme to resolve the child's literacy difficulties, by:

• providing intensive, specialised teaching with the child for a specified period that, in most instances, will not exceed a maximum of thirty weeks; or
• resolving the difficulties by providing immediate advice that completes the intervention; or
• providing a programme of advice, guidance, and support, including teaching demonstrations, for a specified period, to help the classroom teacher.

Host-school-related tasks

The RT:Lit will:

• report regularly to the principal of the host school and the management committee, detailing work they have undertaken so that the board of trustees of the host school can be assured it is fulfilling its responsibilities under the Memorandum of Agreement
• work in conjunction with any school's literacy leaders, classroom literacy initiatives, or interventions such as Reading Recovery that are operating in schools
• submit an annual written report to the Ministry, in the format provided, that describes and provides a statistical analysis of work undertaken throughout the year
• adhere to the RT:Lit professional standards.

Cluster-related tasks:

The RT:Lit will:

• work flexibly among a designated cluster of schools as agreed to by the management committee
• submit an annual written report to the cluster that describes and provides a statistical analysis of work undertaken throughout the year in the cluster
• in conjunction with the management committee, establish operational procedures consistent with the agreed policies of the committee and the needs of the cluster.

Person specification

General knowledge and skills

The successful application should have:

• New Zealand teacher registration and a current practising certificate
• a successful classroom teaching background
• a sound knowledge of The New Zealand Curriculum Framework/Te Anga Marautanga o Aotearoa.

Literacy-specific knowledge and skills

The successful applicant should have:

• the ability to identify, implement, and evaluate a range of educational and management approaches for classroom programmes to meet the literacy needs of children who have serious difficulties
• the ability to develop and monitor individual programmes for children with serious literacy difficulties (for which Reading Recovery training is an advantage)
• assessment skills for the evaluation of literacy achievement
• the ability to work with staff, whānau and families, and other agencies in the designated cluster of schools and to help them with the literacy education of children who have serious difficulties.

Professional skills

The successful applicant should have:

• a high level of consultative and collaborative skills
• strong interpersonal and communication skills to allow for effective and comprehensive consultation and teacher support and for effective interaction with parents and caregivers
• the ability to access and use information and communication technologies and materials to enhance and support literacy intervention programme
• a commitment to biculturalism, to meeting the needs of children from different cultures, and to providing services that are culturally appropriate
• the ability to meet the professional standards for an experienced teacher
• a current driver's licence and a willingness to use their own vehicle and be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred on work-related business
• an RT:Lit Diploma or enrolment in a training course to complete one.

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Schedule B ( Word, 79kb)

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Schedule B ( PDF, 130kb)

Schedule C: Training requirements

All RT:Lits employed by the host school must have completed a training course approved by the Ministry or commence one within one year of their appointment.

The course is a compulsory component of conditions of service for all RT:Lits.

Approved courses will provide for flexible course delivery across New Zealand through a mixture of brief regional block courses, online interactive learning and discussion, and practical, child-based assignments.

For RT:Lits with graduate status, four graduate-level papers must be completed in the first three years of appointment as an RT:Lit. For RT:Lits without graduate status, two 300-level papers and then two diploma-level papers must be completed in the first three years of appointment.

Supervision and study leave

RT:Lits are linked through email systems into study groups, and professional supervision is provided.

Each semester, they are required to attend some block courses.

While RT:Lits are training, they are entitled to be released for half a day per week for study leave during term time.

Qualifications

Each RT:Lit's qualifications will be considered by the training provider(s) before enrolment in the course at either graduate or postgraduate level.

Depending on the entry level, the papers will lead to either a postgraduate diploma or a postgraduate certificate. The course content will be the same in either case, but the academic requirements will differ.

Training costs

The Ministry of Education will pay the tuition fees for the approved course.

Course materials and resources associated with the course are made available through the training provider and are to be used for study and with teachers and children in schools.

From time to time, RT:Lits will need to travel to block courses. Approved travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Education.

From term 4 2001, each RT:Lit position was supplied with a laptop for their training. These laptops remain the property of the host school and move to the new host school when this changes. From term 4 2003, each RT:Lit may be supplied with a laptop computer and appropriate technical support and software as part of the Laptops for Teachers scheme.

Exemptions from training

All RT:Lits employed by the host school must complete an approved professional training course except where an exemption to the training has been granted to the RT:Lit by the Ministry upon the recommendation of the training provider.

RT:Lits with higher qualifications in literacy may apply for an exemption or partial exemption from the training. These RT:Lits will be supplied with full course information and any further explanation they may require to make a decision to apply to be exempt from the training.

The relevant higher qualifications are:

• a New Zealand master's degree in education, completed after 1998 (or after 1996 for those RT:Lits beginning the course in 2001), including at least two papers (or the equivalent if completed by thesis) in literacy learning
• a master's degree in education from overseas, deemed by NZQA to be equivalent to a New Zealand master's degree, completed since 1998, including at last two papers (or the equivalent if completed by thesis) in literacy learning
• a masters' degree in education, in progress, with at least two papers in literacy learning completed.

Note: These qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule D: Management committee

Purpose

The management committee provides advice and assistant to enable:

• the host school principal to achieve their management responsibilities in regard to the RT:Lit service
• the host school board of trustees to meet its responsibilities as specified in the Memorandum of Agreement
• the RT:Lit to carry out their role as specified in the job description.

Role

The management committee will:

• develop enrolment, referral, and withdrawal policies and processes, in consultation with the cluster schools, that reflect the policy direction of the Ministry of Education's Literacy Strategy and guidelines
• establish operational procedures for the RT:Lit that are consistent with the agreed policies
• inform the cluster schools served by the RT:Lit of enrolment, referral, and withdrawal processes
• liaise and work co-operatively with appropriate professional agencies
• ensure that the management committee's policies on the use of cluster funding are followed by the host school board
• regularly report to the host school board through the host school principal
• promote all aspects of equity
• ensure that the RT:Lit undertakes professional development and the required training and has access to study leave
• receive, at each meeting of the management committee, a report from the RT:Lit on their service provision
• ensure that an annual statistical report, in an agreed format, is sent to the Ministry or Education by the due date.

Membership

Membership of a management committee should include at least:

• the host school principal
• the RT:Lit(s)
• a professional in the field of literacy difficulties, as agreed by the parties
• two representatives of the cluster schools.

Note: A quorum should be the RT:Lit, the host school principal, and a representative of the cluster schools. The committee may co-opt as required.

Schedule E: Charter statement

RT:Lit – Attached teacher

Rationale

_______________ School hosts a Resource Teacher: Literacy (RT:Lit) to provide literacy support for students in the ______________________ cluster of schools.

Purpose

The RT:Lit will provide a service to a cluster of schools, as decided by the management committee, giving advice and support that helps teachers and cluster schools meet the needs of year 0-8 students at risk of low achievement due to difficulties in literacy.

Key tasks of the RT:Lit

Identifying needs and maintaining workload

The RT:Lit will:

• use appropriate diagnostic assessment tools to determine the specific needs of students accepted on their roll
• use this data to make recommendations as to the most appropriate literacy intervention programmes to meet the children's needs and, where necessary, work with schools to provide a literacy programme for children who are most at risk in the acquisition of literacy
• maintain a workable caseload of children and teachers as determined by the management committee, taking into account the level of involvement required for each child and teacher and the experience of the RT:Lit, or refer students to a more appropriate service, for example, vision specialists, ESOL programmes, speech-language therapists, RT:LBs, or other professional services.

Advisory tasks

The RT:Lit will:

• provide advice and support to classroom teachers in order to maintain the learning gains achieved by the child following an intervention programme and/or address literacy learning for children with serious literacy difficulties when part of the regular classroom programme
• monitor progress and help teachers to adapt literacy programmes as necessary to facilitate success for children with serious literacy difficulties
• provide in-service training on topics related to literacy difficulties for the staff of cluster schools
• in conjunction with classroom teachers, work with whānau and parents and/or other agencies to facilitate the educational achievement of children identified as requiring the services of the RT:Lit.

Literacy intervention tasks

Where appropriate, the RT:Lit will work with individual children and their teachers, when the resources of the school have been unable to provide and implement an appropriate programme to resolve the child's literacy difficulties, by:

• providing intensive, specialised teaching with the child for a specified period, that, in most instances, will not exceed a maximum of thirty weeks; or
• resolving the difficulties by providing immediate advice that completes the intervention; or
• providing a programme of advice, guidance, and support, including teaching demonstrations, for a specified period, to help the classroom teacher.

Host-school-related tasks

The RT:Lit will:

• report regularly to the principal of the host school and the management committee, detailing work they have undertaken so that the board of trustees of the host school can be assured it is fulfilling its responsibilities under the Memorandum of Agreement
• work in conjunction with any school's literacy leaders, classroom literacy initiatives, or interventions such as Reading Recovery that are operating in schools
• submit an annual written report to the Ministry, in the format provided, that describes and provides a statistical analysis of work undertaken throughout the year
• adhere to the RT:Lit professional standards.

Cluster-related-tasks

The RT:Lit will:

• work flexibly among a designated cluster of schools as agreed to by the management committee
• submit an annual written report to the cluster that describes and provides a statistical analysis for work undertaken throughout the year in the cluster
• in conjunction with the management committee, establish operational procedures consistent with the agreed policies of the committee and the needs of the cluster.

Key tasks of the host school

The key tasks of the host school are to:

• provide advice and assistance to the RT:Lit that reflects the policy direction of the Ministry of Education's Literacy Strategy
• establish a management committee to administer the RT:Lit service
• manage the budget and funding for the RT:Lit
• appraise the performance of the RT:Lit in meeting their key tasks and the RT:Lit professional standards
• be accountable to the Ministry of Education for the effective, efficient, and equitable operation of the RT:Lit's programme
• ensure that the RT:Lit undertakes the required training and has access to agreed study leave.

Key tasks of the management committee

The key tasks of the management committee are to:

• provide advice and assistance to the RT:Lit that reflects the policy direction of the Ministry of Education's Literacy Strategy
• establish operational procedures and policies for the RT:Lit that reflect the direction of the Ministry of Education's Literacy Strategy
• approve and monitor the annual budget prepared by the RT:Lit
• support the host school in ensuring that the RT:Lit undertakes the required training and has access to agreed study leave
• ensure that all cluster schools receive an annual report on the work of the RT:Lit.

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Schedule E ( Word, 75kb)

Resource Teacher: Literacy – Schedule E ( PDF, 104kb)