National Professional Standards for Teachers

NSW Teachers Institute Implementing the NPST at St George School within the TARS process

Introduction
The National Professional Standards for Teachers What Special Ed teachers do - JPGT, Qualities of Special Ed teachers Council for Exceptional Children Teacher Qualifications

Why you cant leave Special Ed teaching

Examples of how Special Ed teachers meet the NPST An example of how to write

Preamble The key elements of quality teaching are described in the Standards. They articulate what teachers are expected to know and be able to do at 4 career stages; Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished, Lead. The standards and descriptors represent an analysis of effective, contemporary practice by teachers. The NPST are a public statement of what constitutes teacher quality. They define the work of teachers and make explicit the elements of high quality effective teaching.

What Special Educators do Special Educatorsdo differentiate their roles, knowledge and skills from that of general education teachers (Hughes & de
George Walker, 2010) Palmer (2006), in a South Australian study of special educators and professional standards, suggested that the set of standards derived from her study relate to the highly specialised nature of the field.
Palmer, C.D. (2006) Teacher Professional standards: the views of highly accomplished special education teachers. Adelaide Australia: AARE National Conference. Retrieved from http://www.aare.edu.au/confpap.htm

The notion that the attributes of special education teachers can be differentiated from generalist colleagues has been contested and asserted that special education, like any specialty training, ESL, gifted and talented, comes down to one thing - JPGT: Just Plain Good Teaching.
Hughes, s & De George Walker, L. (2010) Connecting to Community: What do we want in our Special Education Graduates? Australasian Journal of Special Education. 34:2, 109-118

Council for Exceptional Children

http://www.cec.sped.org/Standards/Special-EducatorProfessional-Preparation/CEC-Initial-and-Advanced-Specialty-Sets Identification of the specialised knowledge and skills and the assurance to the public that practicing professionals possess specialised knowledge and skills to practice safely and effectively (Neville, Herman & Cohen, 2005). CEC outlines minimum knowledge and skills across 10 standards (foundations, development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, instructional strategies, learning environments and social interactions, communication, instructional planning, assessment, professional and ethical practice, collaboration) PLUS the expectation that all special educators have solid grounding in the liberal arts curriculum and curriculums (maths, reading, english/language arts, science, social studies, arts) sufficient to collaborate with general educators (Hughes & De George Walker 2010).
Hughes, S & De George Walker, L. (2010) Connecting to Community: what do we want in our Special Education Graduates? Australiasian Journal of Special Education. 34:2, 109-118.

Special Educator Qualifications

Reasons for the TARS process investigating and complementing the NPST

Staff with Special Education Qualifications NSW 60%.

Thomas, T. (2009) The Age and Qualifications of Special Education Staff in Australia. Australiasian Journal of Special Education. 33:2, 109-116.

9 Special Education Schools in Sydney Staff with Post Graduate Qualifications Average 48% (29%-85%)
Qualifications and Experience

Standards Based Salary Progression To be paid as Highly Accomplished Teacher Annual Accreditation Pay rate Proficient

Merit based pay. Leigh. A (2007) How can we improve

teacher quality? The Melbourne Review, 3:2.

Why you need to remain in Special Education

One of the consistent problems in special education is the shortage of special education teachers in schools.
NSW DEC advertises all Special Education positions as Qualifications and/or experience in teaching students with special needs. A 2006 survey 37.5% (NSW) 51% (ACT) 45% (VIC) of special education teachers are aged over 50 years. Only 12% of special education teachers in NSW are aged under 30 years.
Thomas, T. (2009) The Age and Qualifications of Special Education Staff in Australia. Australiasian Journal of Special Education. 33:2. 109-116.

Domains Professional Knowledge - Professional Practice - Professional Engagement 7 standards 1-2 Focus areas per standard - 4-6 Domains per Focus area

Professional Knowledge Standard 1 Know students and how they learn 6 Domains Know the content and how to teach it 6 Domains

Know Students and How they Learn

Evidence
1. Research paper on non verbal communication (student specific). Information on Autism that you apply to a particular student and how this affects their learning and how you modify instruction and make adaptions so students can access learning. 2. Programs - mealtime programs, communication and social programs (Conversation is communication; Lets chat, Morning/greeting program, Weekend news), Hydrotherapy programs, physical management programs (physical), My place in the community Integrated unit, Shopping and money program (social, intellectual).

Know students and How they Learn

The University of NSW Teaching and Learning Centre list th e following teaching strategies: Brainstorming, case studies, debates, discussion, flipped cl assroom, group work, questioning, simulations.

Explicit teaching, modeling, scaffolding, differentiation, make adaptions.

Evidence
Holroyd Mary Brooksbank Numeracy Framework Assessme nt spoons in bowls (teaching strategies) Ask question Model task, ask question Model task Hand over hand Reinforce by filming task and watching on iPad, group work where other students model the task, peer learning. Explicit teaching. Independence, Prompt, Assistance.

Know the students and how they Learn Individual Education Plan Personalised Learning Plan Communication Plan Behaviour Implementation Plan Functional Behaviour assessment Individual Transition Plan

Know Students and How they Learn Highly Proficient and Lead

Introduce staff to Dr. Caroline Musselwhite Inclusive Education (see next slide) Refer to Jane Farrall, Spectronics, AAC, Speaking of speech Support staff in accessing evidence based research Browder, D; Gibbs, S; Ahlgrim-Delzell, L; Courtade, G.R; Mraz, M; Flowers, C. (2009) Literacy for Students with Severe Developmental Disabilities. What should we teach and what should we hope to achieve? Remedial and Special Education. 30,5. 269-282 Present to staff for discussion & evaluation of teaching practices and strategies. Enhanced quality of life through shared literature & increased independence as a reader

Know Students and How they Learn Highly Accomplished and Lead
Dr Caroline Musselwhite Inclusive Education: 11 video clips and related learning guides that provid e an opportunity to enhance and support teacher practice in the area of literacy for students with significant dis To participate or abilities. lead in Focus
area 1 also meets Evidence: requirements of Writing Program Professional Alternative pencils (mostly iPad) Engagement The Four Blocks Literacy framework Standard 6 Create opportunities for students to explore and Engage in Professional understand text Learning The art of attributing meaning to student attempts

Symbols and learning to read

Know students and How they learn Focus Area 1.3

Quality teaching framework

Significance: Pedagogy that develops and makes

explicit to students the significance of their work. Significance refers to pedagogy that helps make learning meaningful and important to students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students prior knowledge and identities, with contexts outside the classroom, with multiple ways of knowing or cultural perspectives. Evidence: Maths with the Mob Integrated unit, Lets Celebrate program (cultural, personal, community), LOTE program, Inclusion in Education principles (diversity), Music - cultural perspectives program. Community Inclusion and Participation programs, Work and community programs. Visual Arts Programs.

Teaching strategies; Differentiation (acknowledge diversity) Hint: If listening to a story

in English, and a child in your class speaks Chinese, source it on YouTube in Chinese, and listen to that. Watch that student respond and witness the connections to Significance.

Activity Seven standards 12 groups

Collaborative project ;
write down 2 or more examples of Evidence for the standard you represent. Try to cover all areas of proficiency (grad, prof, highly accomplished, lead) Brainstorming activity - mind map, list, be creative, just share ideas.

15 mins

Writing your report

Finding this information

Final note
This Keynote can be found at
I will collate your responses, type them into Version 2 of this Power Point and thus you have a resource when you are required to provide evidence for NSW Teachers Institute, Highly accomplished teacher (merit based pay) and/or TARS process. Please continue to contribute to this documents as a current and vibrant professional development resource by emailing me caroline.cass@det.nsw.edu.au