Committees at Work

Standards of Practice and Education Committee

The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession, the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and the Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession together convey a collective vision of teacher professionalism in Ontario. This collective vision of teacher professionalism is the foundation of initial teacher education, continuing teacher education, professional practice and educational leadership.

The standards describe the professional knowledge, skills and values inherent within Ontario's teaching profession.

The Standards of Practice and Education (SP&E) Committee advises College Council on the development, implementation and review of the ethical and practice standards and the professional learning framework that helps to maintain the standards.

In 2014, the Committee focused on:

Teacher Education: AQ Course Guidelines

In 2014, the committee reviewed over 100 Additional Qualification (AQ) course guidelines and helped develop new partnerships in technology, science and the First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities. It has also supported innovative consulting methods using information and communication technology such as Adobe Connect and SharePoint to encourage greater accessibility and participation across the province.

Additional Qualification courses are offered by providers across Ontario. The content of these teacher education policy guidelines are collaboratively developed with members, teacher-educators and the public. The ethical standards and the standards of practice are the foundation for these AQ course guidelines that help enhance teachers’ professional knowledge, skills and practices in Ontario.

In 2014, AQ course guidelines were developed through collaborative writing sessions, and many groups used Web-based technology to easily connect and share documents across Ontario. Twenty provincial writing teams were responsible for the development of the following policy guidelines:

  1. Schedule A: English, Intermediate
  2. Schedule A: English, Senior
  3. Schedule E: English, Honour Specialist
  4. Schedule A: Environmental Science/Environmental Studies, Intermediate
  5. Schedule A: Environmental Science/Environmental Studies, Senior
  6. Schedule E: Environmental Science/Environmental Studies, Honour Specialist
  7. Schedule E: Français, Honour Specialist
  8. Schedule A: Law, Senior
  9. Schedule C: Mathematics, Grades 7 and 8
  10. Schedule D: Mathematics, Primary and Junior, Part I
  11. Schedule D: Mathematics, Primary and Junior, Part II
  12. Schedule D: Mathematics, Primary and Junior, Specialist
  13. Schedule C: Teaching Cree
  14. Schedule C: Teaching Lenape
  15. Schedule D: Teaching Students who are Deaf-Blind, Part I
  16. Schedule D: Teaching Students who are Deaf-Blind, Part II
  17. Schedule D: Teaching Students who are Deaf-Blind, Specialist
  18. Schedule A: Visual Arts, Intermediate
  19. Schedule A: Visual Arts, Senior
  20. Principal’s Development Course

In addition, the Committee reviewed 122 draft and revised AQ course guidelines with the help of several thousand members of the profession and the public.

Report: Additional Teaching Qualifications: Supporting the Ongoing Education and Professional Practice of the Teaching Profession

This AQ report provides historical and current statistical data as well as an overview of the relevance, evolving needs and perceptions associated with continuing teacher education through regulated additional teaching qualifications. The report helped inform the Committee's work related to ongoing professional learning and the enforcement of the standards.

Experiential Learning Seminars

To support the policy review of AQ course guidelines, the SP&E Committee engaged in a series of experiential learning seminars with experts in the fields of:

Review of the Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession

The Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession (PLF) supports the Ontario College of Teachers in providing ongoing education for members of the College. This document also serves to inform the public of the many ways teachers remain knowledgeable and current in their professional practice (Ontario College of Teachers, FOPP, 2006).

The PLF is also a key dimension of self-regulation and as such its currency is essential for ensuring public trust.

In 2014, the Standards of Practice and Education Committee supported the 2014 review of this document, which has been in existence for 15 years.

AQ Policy Development Provincial Consultations

A consultation entitled “Exploring the Key Dimensions of the Inclusive Classroom,” was held with students to support the revision of the Schedule D: Inclusive Classroom Additional Qualification (AQ) Course Guideline. This session provided highly insightful and valuable perspectives that were shared with the provincial AQ writing team responsible for this guideline.

A consultation was held for teachers to address the theme: “Exploring the Dimensions of Ethical Practices to Support Inclusive Classrooms.” Information gathered from this consultation will inform the AQ guideline content for the Inclusive Classroom course as identified within the Teachers’ Qualification Regulation 176/10.

A consultation entitled “Exploring the Key Dimensions of the Principal’s Development Course” was held with course providers, instructors, principals and supervisory officers to support the revision of the Principal’s Development Course. This session provided valuable perspectives that were shared with the provincial AQ writing team.

Background research and an environmental scan focusing on the experiences of teacher leaders were facilitated to help inform the development of the new Teacher Leadership AQ.

The College enaged in significant background research and consultation processes to support the development of revised AQ guidelines related to mathematics at the primary, junior and intermediate levels at the request of the Ministry of Education. The College facilitated a one-day Open Space consultation to explore themes in primary, junior and Grades 7 and 8 AQs in mathematics.

Consultations were held with First Nations teachers and community members regarding Native Languages.

The SP&E Committee recommended further validation consultations be held with First Nation, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) organizations and community members regarding the following AQ course guidelines:

Ethical Leadership Institute

An Ethical Leadership Institute was facilitated in collaboration with Principal’s Qualification Program (PQP) providers to support PQP instructors and principals in the application and integration of the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession within principal qualification courses. The institute was designed to support the ongoing advancement of ethical knowledge, leadership and capacity building within the principal preparation process.

Teacher Leadership Summer Institute

A summer institute was collaboratively facilitated with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) to support the enforcement of the ethical standards and the implementation of the Kindergarten AQ course guideline.

Members of the College possessing an Additional Qualification (AQ) in kindergarten or currently teaching full-day kindergarten critically explored the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the associated dimensions of ethical practice related to interprofessional collaboration. Members of CECE with experience in Full-Day Early Learning — Kindergarten also participated in this provincial community of inquiry. A key focus of this summer institute was to support a shared understanding of ethical collaborative practices within Full-Day Early Learning — Kindergarten contexts.

Standards Education

Standards educative sessions along with standards-based resources continue to influence and support teacher education and leadership development. These sessions support the integration of the ethical standards and the standards of practice within teacher education.

In 2014, staff facilitated 45 standards-based presentations to 1,076 participants, including teacher candidates, new teachers, teacher-educators and leaders, principal candidates and internationally educated teachers.

Standards Teacher Education Resources

A written resource was created, through reflection, inquiry and collaborative dialogue, to accompany the Knowledge Keepers video, which was developed in 2013. This written resource outlines how the visual narrative resource can be used to support all AQs. The written resource supports the enforcement of the ethical standards and the standards of practice within teacher education and professional practice.

Knowledge Keepers is a valuable standards-based resource for initial and continuing teacher education. Course instructors, providers and candidates will find that it integrates many concepts embedded within the standards and the content common to all AQ courses.

AQ Accessibility

The Standards of Practice and Education Committee initiated enhancements to support the College’s collection of data regarding accessibility of AQ courses to members across the province.

 

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