Page 1279 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 May 2015
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The ACT is one of the few jurisdictions in Australia to have certified teachers against the higher levels of the standards, as highly accomplished and lead teachers. Members ought to be pleased to know that the institute is again this week training school leaders from all sectors to become assessors for its third annual round of standards certification.
The recent report of the federal Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group, which I have spoken about previously in this Assembly, was focused on the robust assessment of programs preparing teachers for entry to the profession, on the need for evidence-based teacher education programs and practical experience led by informed mentor teachers, and on a supported transition to the teaching workforce for pre-service teachers. The key theme of the TEMAG review is how we can be assured that graduates from initial teacher education courses are indeed ready to teach in our classrooms.
The ACT is already leading the way in implementation of many of the recommendations of the report through the collaborative work of the TQI, the Education and Training Directorate, other teacher employers and the ACT universities. As I advised the Assembly previously, the TEMAG report itself recognised several initiatives in the ACT which exemplified the innovations recommended by the report. These have included the standardised professional experience assessment for University of Canberra and Australian Catholic University students, leading research and professional practice links between schools and the universities, and professional practice clinics for beginning teachers.
There are many other related initiatives. The TQI teacher mentoring network has been in operation for a number of years. The rigorous standards-based accreditation of initial teacher education programs is currently being conducted by TQI with both of the ACT universities offering initial teacher education courses. I have tasked the TQI with having a lead role in the ACT implementation of the TEMAG report recommendations in relation to initial teacher education, as they involve all schooling sectors and both ACT universities. I have tasked the Education and Training Directorate with ensuring literacy and numeracy testing of new recruits to the public sector teaching service.
So the next question that could be asked—perhaps like the family in the station wagon heading down the coast—is: “Are we there yet?” There remain significant steps to build on the sound foundations we have laid down. First of all we need to move to embed the professional standards more effectively into teaching practice in all sectors of schooling. The most recent national survey conducted by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership has indicated that, while principals and school leaders have a good grasp of the standards and of their significance for practice, nearly half of all teachers surveyed report that they do not use the standards in practice and more than a third of those surveyed do not believe the standards will have an impact on student outcomes.
I am confident that these figures would be different for the ACT, as all teachers are required to use the standards in recording and reflecting on their professional learning
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