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Professional Review and Development
A Framework for Professional Review and Development
Context
This document sets out a framework for professional review and development and a checklist for the operation of local authority systems. The framework addresses the outcome for National Priority 2; "to support and develop the skills of teachers".
The national agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century sets the contractual context for professional review and development. It requires that "teachers shall have an ongoing commitment to maintain their professional expertise through an agreed programme of continuing professional development". It states that "every teacher will have an annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan agreed with her/his immediate manager and every teacher will be required to maintain an individual CPD record". In addition "teachers [will be] expected to meet the full commitment of an additional 35 hours per annum for CPD".
The agreement confirms that CPD activity should be "based on an assessment of individual need, taking account of school, local and national priorities". The list of headteacher duties in Annex B of the agreement includes a responsibility "to promote the continuing professional development of all staff and to ensure that all staff have an annual review of their development needs".
Introduction
The need for continuing development of knowledge and skills is well recognised in education. Rapid changes have taken place in the curriculum and in approaches to teaching and learning. Developments in technology, particularly information and communications technology and the constantly evolving role of schools in our society, together mean that a teacher's competences and knowledge need frequent review and development.
Professional review and development is the process whereby the development and training needs of all staff are identified and agreed in relation to their current practice, the requirements of the school or authority development plan, the wider and longer-term needs of the education service, and national priorities. The process also includes making suitable arrangements to meet professional development needs, so far as possible, within available resources. It is a means of supporting teachers by ensuring that they are thoroughly prepared for their duties, in particular for their key role in teaching and learning.
Professional review and development should involve all teachers in schools, including headteachers and senior managers. The framework makes references throughout to teachers, but this term should be interpreted as all-inclusive.
During the Professional Review and Development process, use should be made of the recently published guidance CPD for Educational Leaders if it is appropriate.
Professional review and development is one of a wide range of quality assurance strategies used in schools. As such, it is central to raising achievement and improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning. It offers a systematic approach to training and development, which leads to enhanced job satisfaction and better leadership and management of the teaching process. Successful professional review and development brings about practical improvements in the classroom and directly benefits pupils by raising the quality of their learning experience. It is therefore a crucial part of the quality improvement process which benefits the whole of the education service.
Professional review and development will be most effective if there is a generally supportive climate within schools and the following principles apply:
- there is a professional commitment to building excellence at every stage of a teacher's career;
- arrangements are simple, with minimal bureaucracy;
- the purpose is clear to all participants;
- it starts with self-evaluation and involves on-going personal reflection;
- it is integrated with existing arrangements for quality assurance;
- it identifies and supports the professional needs of each teacher;
- it balances individual and personal development priorities with those relating to the effective fulfilment of the school development plan;
- professional development is coherent and progressive;
- it is undertaken with line managers; and
- the process is evaluated effectively.
It follows from this that the review and development process must be a high quality experience which is supportive and responsive to teachers' needs. Teachers should be confident in a process that is easy to understand and operate. Professional review and development should be clearly integrated into the normal life and management of the school and result in minimum disruption for pupils.
Professional review offers an opportunity for recognising good performance and making clear to teachers that they are valued and appreciated. The process should have a positive impact on morale. It should encourage teachers to reflect on their good practice and to share this with colleagues.
As with other activities, there is a need for schools and local authorities to evaluate the outcomes of the professional review and development process to ensure that it is effective in improving teaching and learning. Evaluation may include considering how far identified professional needs have been met and the impact on effective teaching and learning.
Professional Review and Development Profile
All teachers should maintain a CPD Profile for the current year and for two previous years where this is appropriate.
A suggested format for the CPD Profile is included in the exemplars provided at the back of this booklet.
CPD Activities
The range of experiences which contribute to teacher development is very wide and includes activities that can be undertaken during the 35-hour week as well as those that contribute to the "additional contractual" 35 hours of CPD per annum (see Context on page 3). A CPD activity is anything that has progressed a teacher's existing skills or enhanced her or his professionalism.
The list that follows is intended to be illustrative rather than exhaustive:
- activity related to achieving national standards (Standard for Full Registration, Standard for Chartered Teacher, Standard for Headship);
- self-evaluation and personal reflection including preparation for the professional review and development meeting;
- subject-based activities including involvement with professional bodies and associations;
- attendance at in-service;
- membership of school committees and task groups;
- developing school, local authority and national policies;
- visits to and from colleagues in other schools;
- co-operative teaching;
- lesson observation and analysis;
- secondments;
- professional reading and research;
- mentoring/supporting colleagues;
- curricular planning/development;
- management and leadership development opportunities;
- teacher placement;
- working with others, including as part of inter-agency teams involving colleagues from social work, health service, etc and
- working with parents/carers.
As part of the professional review and development process, the teacher and line manager should agree which activities will be considered as contributing to the additional contractual CPD requirement.
The Process of Professional Review and Development
The CPD Portfolio
The maintenance of a CPD Portfolio is good practice for all teachers, regardless of their experience or aspirations. It can offer a systematic method for recording professional analysis and development throughout a teacher's career. New teachers entering the profession will maintain a professional development portfolio and profile for the duration of their induction post and should be encouraged to continue this practice once fully registered. Teachers who wish to enter the Chartered Teacher Programme will be required to have maintained a Portfolio.
The CPD Portfolio would remain the personal property of the individual teacher but could be used to:
- present an analysis of personal and professional development;
- present illustrations of current skills and abilities;
- provide additional support in preparing for professional review;
- provide a basis for discussion with key colleagues;
- plan future professional development;
- self-evaluate professional competence; and
- assist in recording activities which may lead to accreditation.
The contents of a CPD Portfolio will vary but might include:
- personal details;
- qualifications;
- employment history;
- job descriptions of current and previous posts;
- CPD Profile;
- an analysis of professional experiences;
- self-evaluation of professional competence;
- reflective commentaries on CPD activities undertaken;
- information relating to preparation for national standards;
- personal development plan;
- certificates; and
- CV.
In reflecting on the impact or outcome of development experiences in the short or longer term, teachers may record the following:
- developments in attitude;
- developments in behaviour;
- increase in knowledge;
- increase in skills; and
- impact on practice.
The Relationship of Professional Review with National Standards
Three national teaching standards are being designed to provide coherence and progression within CPD. As part of the professional review and development process, teachers can seek support to progress or enhance their professional skills and abilities through activity related to these national standards.
The diagram below highlights some of the ways by which a teacher's career might progress.
Note: As the diagram demonstrates, the Chartered Teacher is entirely distinct from promoted posts in school leadership and management. Separate development provision will be designed to support teachers in pursuit of either career path. There should, however, be sufficient flexibility to enable a teacher who has started to pursue one development route, to change her or his mind and move onto the other route. Such teachers would be able to claim credit for relevant prior learning and experience.
Exemplars
The following exemplars suggest ways in which teachers and schools might wish to approach the professional review and development process. There is no obligation to adopt any of the models here outlined. The exemplars are simply provided as optional aids to self-evaluation, reflection and recording.
Exemplar 1: Process of Self-Evaluation for CPD
The diagram on the next page indicates how an individual might plan her or his continuing professional development with reference to the main qualities expected of the developing teacher. The questions posed aim to provide prompts for self-evaluation. They help individuals to identify where their strengths lie and those areas in which they would benefit from further development.
Exemplar 2: Learning Cycle
If CPD is to be meaningful, teachers must be able to relate their learning to their personal experience and practice. Kolb's Learning Cycle below, outlines the four stages involved in any successful learning experience. Learning is defined as a process in which experience is changed into knowledge. In turn, knowledge creates a foundation and opportunity for learning. In Kolb's four-staged cycle, the individual reflects on experience and draws theoretical conclusions, which can be used to influence future action. In this way, practice, reflection, theory and action become essential parts of professional development.
When reflecting on a development experience, teachers might find it helpful to consider the stages highlighted in Kolb's learning cycle. An examination of these stages might provide a useful basis for discussion at the annual professional review. The cycle could also be used as a structure to follow when describing learning experiences in the CPD Portfolio.
Exemplar 3: CPD Framework
This framework provides one option for describing progressive professionalism. It contains themes organised around each of the seven key areas from How good is our school? These themes are intended to reflect progressive development opportunities as teachers gain experience. The lists are not meant to be exhaustive. Teachers, schools or local authorities may wish to extend or revise them or to develop alternative models to assist the professional review and development process.
The suggested CPD framework assumes that there are six stages in professional development/career progression, starting with "Beginnings" for probationers and ending with "Ongoing Development" for teachers at all levels.
This framework could form a basis for teachers' professional review and for their development planning.
Teachers might use the framework in the following ways:
- as a self-evaluation tool to aid reflection when preparing for professional review;
- to track their own professional development or to advise others;
- to map next steps in development for themselves or with other individuals or teams; and
- to monitor and support progress in meeting development objectives.
Managers might also wish to use the framework:
- as a basis for discussion during review; and
- to inform planning of continuing professional development opportunities for teachers.
Note: The diagram on the next page is not suggesting an inevitable progression from excellence in learning and teaching into management and, ultimately, headship. Career paths in learning and teaching and in leading and managing are distinct and equally valid and challenging. There is no hierarchy between the two.
CPD Framework
HGIOS | Beginnings | Next Steps | Building Excellence in Learning and Teaching | Into Management | Aspiring Headship | Ongoing Development for All |
Curriculum | Establish knowledge
Deliver appropriately
Contribute to planning
Work with colleagues | Develop materials
Develop cross-curricular links | Develop experience in timetabling
Write/manage materials
Support and guide other
teachers | Manage curriculum
timetable effectively | Individually planned activity, which could include:
Attendance at conferences
Planning conferences
Secondments
Mentoring
Management modules
Fellowships
Involvement in Management Development Programme
Involvement with parallel programmes offered by business
Mentoring newly-appointed Heads
Business placements
Research projects
Sabbaticals
National/ international comparison studies and visits
Induction
Counselling skills |
Attainment | Achieve course work outcomes | Raise attainment: effective tracking
Seek continuous improvement | Set targets
Understand and Implement Improvement Strategies | Monitor and evaluate attainment across school
Lead initiatives |
Learning and Teaching | Understand teaching methodologies
Question clearly and purposefully
Assess and record
Use ICT to support learning
Plan day-to-day activities
Report to parents, using school formats | Employ teaching methodologies to improve the quality of the teaching process
Use ICT to support L&T
Use assessment techniques to progress learning
Plan programmes
Provide for different abilities and aptitudes
Respond appropriately to parents | Evaluate teaching and learning policy
Assure quality
Support colleagues in making judgements
Design and implement effective assessment and recording systems
Monitor reports to parents | Manage change
Monitor and evaluate
Support colleagues
Manage learning and teaching
Propose and lead appropriate strategies | Provide leadership.
e.g. SQH Unit 2: Manage Core Operations |
Support for Pupils | Show awareness of inclusion issues
Understand importance of building self-esteem
Show awareness of PSD issues
Work collaboratively with Learning Support, auxiliaries, etc. | Focus on pupil self-esteem/ confidence
Implement programmes to support pupil learning
Establish strategies for inclusion within classroom
Guide and develop support staff
Contribute to extra-curricular activities | Share good practice in support strategies. Promote same.
Plan and support whole school strategies for PSD/inclusion
Plan and deliver individual support programmes | Monitor and evaluate strategies
Lead new initiatives | Evaluate and improve
Provide leadership |
Ethos | Establish positive classroom atmosphere; fairness and equality
Work positively with parents
Expect and promote achievement
Manage classroom behaviour to promote learning
Show pride in school | Value relationships
Establish positive atmosphere _ whole school/class
Encourage parental involvement in learning
Ensure appropriate learning environment
Promote pride and a sense of identity in school | Demonstrate people skills
Manage conflict
Work with external agencies, school board, school community
Support and guide colleagues in developing positive behaviour strategies | Maintain and where necessary
improve and develop positive
ethos
Manage people effectively
Build effective teams | Lead by example in maintaining positive ethos
Develop whole school strategies to raise morale and ensure an ethos of achievement |
Resources | Use classroom resources
Employ ICT skills
Engage positively in professional review and development | Use resources effectively
Communicate effectively
Employ ICT skills
Seek/use information and solve problems | Participate in Recruitment and selection
Use ICT effectively
Understand Health and safety issues
Undertake reviewer training
Review colleagues | Encourage team working and
effective use of resources
Manage resources and finance
Lead/co-ordinate CPD for
colleagues
Monitor effectiveness of
teachers and teams | Provide good leadership and effective use of ICT
e.g. SQH Unit 3: Manage School Improvement
Budgets: Devolved School Management
Interview Skills
e.g. SQH Unit 1: The Standard
e.g. SQH Unit 4: Leadership
Comparative Study |
ML&QA | Plan and record CPD activities
Self-evaluate regularly and effectively
Contribute to development planning | Contribute to school development plan
Self-evaluate and progress CPD | Lead effectively at team/group level
Carry out Development planning at team/group level
Contribute to policy making
Implement the development plan
Contribute to S&Q reports
Support colleagues including new teachers | Manage policy and planning
Deliver aspects of development
plan
Intro to school management |
* Framework based on system developed and used by teachers in Edinburgh _ 2001
Exemplar 4: CPD Profile
Implementation at Local Authority and School Level
These guidelines are intended to be sufficiently flexible to enable schools and local authorities to set the national recommendations within the context of their own local systems. The checklist on page 21 aims to assist schools and local authorities to develop their processes in line with national recommendations.
The authority and its schools should have a policy and strategy on professional review and development which encompasses the features outlined in the checklist on page 21.
CHECKLIST
- aims to improve the professional knowledge, skills and confidence of teachers and enhance school effectiveness;
- celebrates success, recognises good performance and makes clear to teachers that they are valued and appreciated;
- identifies and provides for the professional development needs of teachers and consequently assists the school to take forward the development plan;
- is integrated with the existing arrangements for school development planning;
- bases annual review of teachers' work on self-evaluation, personal reflection and achievement of the previous CPD plan, while taking account of wider and longer-term professional development issues;
- recognises the strengths and needs of individual teachers and their priorities for professional development;
- is straightforward and simple and links into the regular monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school;
- keeps records to a minimum, while ensuring that:
- the teacher has a clear set of agreed development objectives;
- agreed development objectives and activities are recorded;
- the professional development co-ordinator has an overview of the implications individual needs might have for the overall planning process;
- includes all teachers;
- ensures that each teacher is given annual feedback;
- ensures that reviewees and reviewers are well prepared for the professional review and development process by:
- setting and agreeing development objectives;
- setting and agreeing development activities; and
- monitoring and supporting progress.
- includes evaluating the process; and
- accommodates unanticipated development objectives and related activities as they arise through the year.
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