INTRODUCTION
The school receives generous support from the Board of Trustees to fund professional development throughout the school. The Education Review team commented on the comprehensive and well planned programme that operated in the school. The needs based programme implemented in the school over the last five years has been a key component in the continued development of the school. This has occurred as a result of programmes that are linked to the performance management programme, school-wide contracts and personal professional development needs, as identified by staff; These are also tied in with teachers key result areas.
In the recent school review ERO as part of the schools specific focus area of learning support - commented;
The board funds the professional development of specific areas. School managers have ensured that the school-wide programme of teacher development has impacted on the work of teachers in the learning support centres and specialist classes. This emphasis on the consistency of teaching practice increases the likelihood of smooth transitions for students between the different learning environments that they experience.
As in previous years the school will work to continue the progress made, with a continuing and comprehensive professional development programme.
STAFF MEETINGS
Staff are committed to a minimum of one staff meeting a week. The meetings are organised in advance with each curriculum team allocated time slots. Teams are able to have extra sessions as negotiated with the principal (management team), as required. Staff are allocated specific staff meeting times to work in their curriculum teams. This time is for setting curriculum targets, providing clear guidelines for assessment, and updating programmes. Curriculum teams will also, on a case by case basis, be provided with extra professional development time for planning workshops and task force days for the completion of important school projects.
MEETING INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
It is only in exceptional circumstances that requests for personal professional development is turned down. As an integral part of the performance programme staff are provided with opportunities to identify areas for consideration for professional development. Staff will be directed to courses and workshops throughout the year. In special circumstances, as approved by the principal, individual staff members are assisted with tertiary study, and extra professional development during the weekends and holidays.
CONTRACTS: NUMERACY
All of the staff are committed to the numeracy contract The contract involves staff participation in eight staff meetings. The project is a full school professional development model involving classroom teachers. The aim of the contract is up- skill staff and help teachers to
- develop a shared language to describe their practice
- share expertise and call on each other to develop skills and knowledge
- use student achievement data to drive decisions about practice
The project has two phases. The phases will be completed by the end of 2009.
Phase 1; An inquiry into learning; This involves the facilitator and numeracy leaders getting a grasp of where the school is at in terms of numeracy. This phase has been completed but reference to where the school is at is on-going.
Phase 2; Building knowledge and ensuring that there is change through active learning. The teachers are focussing on developing classroom practice through school based programmes.
CONTRACTS:ICTPD
Our school is the cluster lead school in ICT professional development. Staff have regular opportunities to work one on one with Audrey Harvey our ICT facilitaor. In addition regular development in mimio boards is provided by Marcel.
This contract began in 2006 and will finish at the end of 2008. Its aim is to build a local sluster of schools who use a very similar glassary of educational terms and work collectively together.
INFOLINK
From 2007 on staff will be directed to the Infolink programme: Information Literacy skills programme through the Auckland University Faculty of Education. Infolink is offered by the Centre for Professional Studies. The programme operates as a school based course, where the course is held at the host school, this provides for quality professional development delivered on-site, where teachers have access to the ongoing support and encouragement of colleagues.
Benefits
Students will;
- Gain skills for lifelong learning
- Learn strategies for inquiry learning and research
- Take responsibility for their learning
- Learn strategies for reflection and self evaluation
- Learn how to use ICT effectively across the curriculum
Teachers will;
- Gain an understanding of themselves as lifelong learners
- Be provided with a framework to use across the curriculum
- Gain an understanding of the links between the library and teaching programmes
- Earn credit for continuing education (Graduate Diplomas)
- Learn how to integrate an inquiry approach across all curriculum areas
The school will;
- Improve overall classroom practice which will lead to general school improvement
- Enhance the school’s learning culture
- Make more effective use of the school’s resources
Infolink starts with an overview of the process which includes discussion of precourse readings, a summary of the six stages of Action Learning, a video showing a class progressing through the AL process and then some time is spent on Stage One-Deciding. Participants practice brainstorming, mapping and look at questioning techniques. Suggestions for use with ESOL students are included. This is a practical course with some discussion of pedagogy, based on current theories of learning that underpins the Action Learning model. In the other sessions teachers discuss progress made with students in practicing brainstorming and other strategies used in previous sessions. Strategies covered include: keywording, skimming and scanning using the library and other sources of information. Further strategies are practiced and discussed in the final sessions with the necessary scaffolding using the same methods that teachers will use with their students.
OVERSEAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In 2003 and 2004 groups of teachers travelled to Queensland to learn about the New Basics programme. In 2005 a group of teachers will be offered the opportunity to Australia. Daya Prasad, senior teacher in charge of the Language Centre, will travel to Sydney to look at ESOL programmes in schools. In 2006 Paulette Thompson and Howard Wynyard travelled to Sydney for a literacy conference. Maureen Sheldon to prague for a numeracy conference. In 2007 Brian Hinchco will travel to Los Angeles for the ASCD conference and Paul Cochrane to the MYSA conference in Brisbane.
TEAM LEADERS
The school operates a ten day timetable. All team leaders are allocated three release blocks. These blocks are provided to enable team leaders to complete their key syndicate and performance management responsibilities.
A number of team leaders, along with other teaching staff work with the Auckland University Faculty of Education and other teacher training providers as associate teachers.
TEACHER AIDES
A professional development focus for this year is being implemented with the eleven teacher aides working in the school. All of the teacher aides are involved in a full professional development programme coordinated by Diane Schutt.
TEACHER ONLY DAYS
The CEC allows for up to ten call-back days annually. The Principal interprets this requirement in line with the Education Act, which means that for every four hours of organised work out of school hours is regarded as a call-back day ( as per two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon)
The school organises three induction days at the beginning of the school year prior to the return of the students. This year these days covered briefing and all of the standard school systems and procedures (Foundation). Literacy, ESOL Assessment, Eliminating Violence, Formative Assessment and Education Outside The Classroom.
PROFESSIONAL READING
The staff has access to resources that are available from the Library and Resourse Room. The Education Review Office publishes regular booklets on a range of educational research and issues related to teaching. These can be obtained free of charge from ERO PO Box 2799, Mayfair House 44-52, The Terrace, Wellington.