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Online tool updated to reflect new practice standards

September 25, 2018 ATA News Staff

 

With a new Teaching Quality Standard set to take effect next year, teachers and school leaders can now begin to prepare by creating a professional growth plan using an updated interactive tool that’s available on the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s website.

In February 2018 the education minister signed three professional practice standards, making all teaching professionals accountable for their applicable standard. A revised and updated Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) outlines contemporary competencies for teachers. And, for the first time in Alberta, professional practice competencies expected of school leaders and school jurisdiction leaders are outlined in a Leadership Quality Standard (LQS). Also, competencies for school superintendents and chief deputy superintendents are contained in a Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard (SLQS).

This is a significant change for Alberta, and it places the province at the forefront of teacher standards worldwide.

—Mark Swanson,
Professional Development co-ordinator

“This is a significant change for Alberta, and it places the province at the forefront of teacher standards worldwide,” said Mark Swanson, co-ordinator of the Professional Development program area of the ATA.

The new standards are mandatory on Sept. 1, 2019.

Since this is the time of year when all teachers are required to complete an annual professional growth plan, and given the new standards, the Association has updated its digital interactive tool entitled Reflection on My Professional Practice. The tool helps teachers and school leaders reflect on the knowledge, skills and attributes (KSAs) of their professional practice as related to the competencies outlined in the new TQS and LQS.

Teachers and school leaders wishing to familiarize themselves with the new competencies and indicators or wishing to use the 2018 revised TQS or new LQS to create their growth plan can now sign up to use the tool. ❚

Access the tool

The interactive tool can be accessed via the Association’s website at www.teachers.ab.ca. Click My ATA > Professional Growth Plans> A Digital Resource.

For additional information, please contact Professional Development co-ordinator Mark Swanson at mark.swanson@ata.ab.ca.

What does it do?

  • It uses a guided format for a personal self-
  • reflection of confidence in achieving of the KSAs associated with a competency.
  • It visually displays the results of one’s confidence in achieving the KSAs for each competency in a summary bar graph to assist in identifying growth goals.
  • It identifies several online resources to support implementation of the competencies and indicators that can be used in developing an action plan to achieve growth goals.
  • Its results can be printed and/or archived and notes can be written to assist in developing the annual professional growth plan.

Professional growth plan

The requirements for an annual teacher professional growth plan (TPGP) are outlined in the Teacher Growth, Supervision and Evaluation Policy of Alberta Education. The TPGP is an important component of the policy that ensures teachers are maintaining the Teaching Quality Standard. This annual plan has to reflect the goals and objectives based on an assessment of learning needs by the individual teacher. Furthermore, it has to show a demonstrable relationship to the Teaching Quality Standard.
Teaching Quality Standard

Six competencies

 Leadership Quality Standard

Nine competencies

 Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard

Seven competencies
  1. Fostering effective relationships
  2. Engaging in career-long learning
  3. Demonstrating a professional body of knowledge
  4. Establishing inclusive learning environments
  5. Applying foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit
  6. Adhering to legal frameworks and policies
  1. Fostering effective relationships
  2. Modeling commitment to professional learning
  3. Embodying visionary leadership
  4. Leading a learning community
  5. Supporting the application of foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit
  6. Providing instructional leadership
  7. Developing leadership capacity
  8. Managing school operations and resources
  9. Understanding and responding to the larger societal context
  1. Building effective relationships
  2. Modeling commitment to professional learning
  3. Visionary leadership
  4. Leading learning
  5. Ensuring First Nations, Métis and Inuit education for all students
  6. School authority operations and resources
  7. Supporting effective governance
Visit the ATA's Professional Growth Plans webpage to view the digital resources.

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