Standards of Practice and Education Committee

The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession describe a culture of care, support and meaningful instruction for students, an ethic of professionalism and a shared environment of responsibility with other educational partners – all reflecting the desire to create a community of lifelong learners.

The Standards of Practice and Education Committee advises College Council on the development, implementation and review of the ethical and practice standards and the professional learning framework which helps to maintain the standards. Committee activities include:

  • integration of the standards within teacher education and professional practice
  • communication and education about the standards
  • dissemination of standards-based research and resources
  • policy development related to Additional Qualification (AQ) course guidelines
  • policy development and implementation related to the standards.

Teacher Education: AQ Course Guidelines

Members of the College are as committed to learning as they are to teaching.

Each year, thousands of Ontario teachers engage in a wide range of learning activities that help members expand their knowledge, increase their skills and prepare for career changes. Many valuable courses and opportunities are offered by universities, colleges, teacher federations, principals’ organizations, school boards, subject organizations and community organizations.

Additional qualification courses are offered by providers across Ontario. The content is based on guidelines developed by the College which establish learning expectations, instructional strategies and forms of assessment. The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are the foundation for these guidelines that help enhance educators’ professional knowledge and practice in Ontario.

In 2011, the committee reviewed 59 AQ course guidelines with the help of several thousand members of the profession. Educational partners and the public were involved in the consultation and the writing processes of the following AQ course guidelines:

  • Media Arts
  • Action Research
  • Arts, Grades 7 and 8
  • Associate Teaching
  • Français – 7e et 8e année
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Occasional Teaching
  • Orientation to Teaching in Ontario
  • Pre-school Education for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
  • Student Assessment and Evaluation
  • Teaching in a French Immersion Setting
  • Actualisation linguistique en français/Programme d’appui aux nouveaux arrivants
  • American Sign Language
  • Business Studies - Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Science/Environmental Studies
  • Family Studies
  • French as a Second Language
  • Guidance and Career Education
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Integration of Information and Computer Technology in Instruction
  • Kindergarten
  • Langue des signes québécoise
  • Religious Education
  • Teaching Students with Behavioural Needs
  • Teaching Students with Communication Needs (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
  • Teaching Students with Communication Needs (Learning Disability)
  • Teaching Students with Communication Needs (Speech and Language)
  • Teaching Students with Intellectual Needs (Developmental Disability)
  • Teaching Students with Intellectual Needs (Giftedness)
  • Teaching Students with Multiple Needs
  • Teaching Students with Physical Needs

Special Education

The review of the three-session Special Education AQ course guidelines involved consultation through the College’s Facebook discussion forum, an online survey, open space session and focus groups. Over 3,000 members of the public, educational partners and the profession provided extensive feedback regarding the content and expectations of these important qualifications for teachers.

Deaf Education

Several AQ course guidelines associated with supporting students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing were collaboratively developed with the teaching profession and the public. These included the following policy documents:

  • Qualification for Teaching Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing – ASL/LSQ Communication or for Teaching Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing – Aural and Oral Communication Program
  • Aural and Oral Communication
  • American Sign Language
  • Langue des signes québécoise
  • Preschool Education for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Supervisory Officer’s Qualification program

In 2011, several consultative methods were used to inform the development of the Supervisory Officer’s Qualification guideline. A writing team of representatives from various provincial education organizations guided the review of this valuable leadership program. The public, the teaching profession and the education community were invited to contribute to the revised program through online questionnaires, teleconference focus groups and a public consultation session.

Aboriginal Teacher Education

In 2011, there were three provincial symposiums on Aboriginal teacher education. College staff planned and co-facilitated these symposiums with members of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program at Nipissing University, Queen’s University and Lakehead University, the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Tungasuvvingat Inuit community centre in Ottawa.

Elders, educators and students participated in discussions that will help to inform the development of AQ course guidelines related to Native studies. Writing teams for several of the AQ course guidelines related to Aboriginal teacher education also occurred in 2011.

The College is developing and revising 21 AQ course guidelines related to Aboriginal teacher education as a result of the review of the Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation.

This revised regulation includes 11 new aboriginal language courses, two additional courses specifically focused on First Nations, Métis, Inuit (FNMI) cultures, traditions and ways of knowing and eight courses with name changes to convey a different and more inclusive orientation to each course.

An external AQ course guideline advisory committee of representatives from various Aboriginal FNMI teacher education programs in Ontario continue to help guide the development processes for these teacher education policy documents.

Elders and senators from FNMI communities have also contributed to the conversations related to the following AQ course guidelines:

  • Teaching First Nation, Métis and Inuit Children (Schedule C)
  • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples: Understanding Traditional Teachings, Histories, Current Issues and Cultures (Schedule C)
  • Native Languages (Schedule A, D and E)
  • Native Studies (Schedules A, D and E)
  • Schedule C: (One Session)
    • Teaching Cayuga
    • Teaching Cree
    • Teaching Delaware (Lenape)
    • Teaching Mohawk
    • Teaching Ojibwe
    • Teaching Ojicree
    • Teaching Oneida

Standards Education

Standards and accompanying teacher education and leadership development resources continue to significantly influence and support teacher education and leadership development nationally and internationally.

The College is often invited by education institutions to provide educative and research support related to the standards and ethical standards. The College works with these institutions to help disseminating, communicating and implementing the standards within teacher education and professional practice.

In 2011, the College was invited to facilitate 55 educative sessions involving over 2,000 participants including teacher candidates, beginning teachers, teacher educators, teacher leaders, principals and internationally educated teachers.

Educational Resources

English-language and French-language teacher education programs in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Afghanistan, Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Pakistan and the United States are using the three resource kits that the College has developed to deepen understanding of teaching’s ethical standards and standards of practice.

The College’s two standards-based books are also being used as part of initial and graduate teacher education curriculum and pedagogy in North America and Europe.