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PART I: REPORT TO THE MINISTER 1 TASK FORCE FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE PART I: REPORT TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, Government of Alberta PART II: WHAT WE HEARD – Community and Stakeholder Consultation May 2014 Task Force for Teaching Excellence 1 LETTER FROM THE TASK FORCE CHAIR Dear Minister Johnson: On behalf of the Task Force for Teaching Excellence, I am pleased to submit our Report to the Minister. This report makes recommendations on teaching excellence to ensure that for every child, in every class, there is an excellent teacher. In all our deliberations, the interest of the student was paramount – the child came first. We were bold in our recommendations and independent in our assessment. As such, we believe our recommendations will help to transform the education system and achieve the vision of Inspiring Education. In presenting this report, we want to acknowledge the 3,000 Albertans who participated in our consultations. The Task Force was grateful for the opportunity to learn firsthand the beliefs of Albertans about teaching excellence. We thank everyone who took the time to participate and provide input. We also want to thank the many experts and those from stakeholder organizations who took the time to share their views. Their input helped us consider teaching excellence from a variety of perspectives and enriched our discussions. We would be remiss in not acknowledging the support of staff from the Ministry of Education. We appreciated their expertise and the countless hours they devoted to this project. In closing, the members of the Task Force thank you for the opportunity to be involved in this important project. We share a passion for education. Our varied backgrounds and experiences allowed us to learn from each other, as well as from Albertans. Our positions on issues evolved through discussion and analysis. For me, this has been a journey of personal discovery. It has deepened my appreciation of the art and craft of teaching and the passion for and commitment to education in this province. For that I thank you. Dr. Glenn Feltham Chair, Task Force for Teaching Excellence PART I: REPORT TO THE MINISTER 3 For every child, in every class, there is an excellent teacher. TASK FORCE FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE PART I: REPORT TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, Government of Alberta Submitted to the Hon. Jeff Johnson, Minister of Education, Alberta May 2014 4 Task Force for Teaching Excellence TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .........................................................................................................6 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................10 The role of teaching excellence in Alberta’s vision for education ......................... 10 The Task Force for Teaching Excellence ................................................................ 10 Development of the report ..................................................................................... 11 2. Context for Change ....................................................................................................12 Inspiring Education ........................................................................................................12 Alberta’s place in the world .................................................................................... 13 3. Consultations with Albertans .....................................................................................15 Consultation methods ............................................................................................ 15 Participation ........................................................................................................... 16 What we heard ........................................................................................................ 16 4. What is Teaching Excellence? ....................................................................................17 5. Summary of Recommendations .................................................................................21 Practice standards ................................................................................................. 21 Enabling teaching excellence ................................................................................. 22 The role of leaders in enabling teaching excellence ............................................. 24 Assuring teaching excellence................................................................................. 25 6. Practice Standards: Analysis and Recommendations.................................................28 7. Enabling Teaching Excellence: Analysis and Recommendations ................................31 Attracting, preparing and inducting new teachers ................................................ 31 Developing and retaining experienced teachers.................................................... 38 Supporting our teachers ........................................................................................ 42 PART I: REPORT TO THE MINISTER 5 8. Leadership’s Role in Enabling Teaching Excellence: Analysis and Recommendations .................................................................................45 Attracting, preparing and inducting school leaders .............................................. 46 Developing and retaining school leaders ............................................................... 49 9. Assuring Teaching Excellence: Analysis and Recommendations ...............................50 The existing system of assuring conduct and competence ................................... 50 The assurance of conduct ...................................................................................... 51 The assurance of competence – accountability for performance ......................... 54 Empowering school leaders to assure teaching excellence ................................. 60 The regulatory model ............................................................................................. 62 10. Final Thoughts .........................................................................................................65 11. Appendices ...............................................................................................................66 Appendix A: Glossary .............................................................................................. 67 Appendix B: Task Force Biographies...................................................................... 69 Appendix C: Task Force Terms of Reference ......................................................... 75 Appendix D: Admission to Teacher Preparation Programs ................................... 80 Appendix E: Teacher Preparation Programs – Pathways to Earning a Bachelor of Education Degree ........................................................ 81 Appendix F: Career Stages for Teachers in Australia, England and Wales ........... 82 Appendix G: Principal Preparation in Other Provinces .......................................... 84 Appendix H: System of Assuring Conduct and Competence ................................. 85 Appendix I: References ........................................................................................... 87 6 Task Force for Teaching Excellence EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Jeff Johnson, Alberta’s Minister of Education, announced the formation of a Task Force for Teaching Excellence (Task Force) on September 11, 2013. Alberta has a very strong education system – it has served our province and its students very well. So why establish a Task Force on Teaching Excellence? The largest part of the answer rests in Inspiring Education – Alberta’s long-term vision for education centered on the student. The aspirations set out in Inspiring Education can only be achieved by aligning teaching with its vision. The rest of the answer resides in the world around us. Education systems in Canada and around the world are recognizing the importance of teaching excellence, and are evolving to support excellence. Alberta needs to be at the forefront of this change; this will ensure our children have opportunities to succeed in a rapidly changing world. We must determine what is working well and what can be improved. Because teaching is at the core of a successful education system, we must do all we can to achieve teaching excellence. In establishing the Task Force, Minister Johnson defined the purpose: The Task Force will make recommendations on how we can better support Alberta’s teachers to ensure that every student has the best chance at success. Consultations will give all Albertans the chance to help build the future of our children’s classrooms and opportunities for learning.1 The Task Force comprised 16 members representing a broad cross-section of Albertans including students, parents, teachers and academics, in addition to four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Consistent with the purpose, the Task Force focused on a goal: for every child, in every class, there is an excellent teacher. The Task Force focused on the student, with a fundamental belief that teaching excellence is central to the success of our children and youth. To inform the recommendations, the Task Force undertook a consultation process that was rich and deep. These consultations included an online survey, regional sessions, an online bulletin board, focused dialogues, written submissions from stakeholders, and one-on-one meetings. More than 3,000 Albertans participated in consultations, including

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