By Catherine Allison
What tests do teachers have to take? There are four types of tests. Some of the details are still to come, but here is what’s known so far.
The Qualifying Test for New Teachers
Beginning in May 2002, all new teachers must pass a written qualifying test to get a teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Teachers. No certificate, no job. They will get questions about curriculum and legislation, classroom management, teaching skills, learning theory and the use of educational technologies.
The test will take about four hours and will have 30 – 40 multiple-choice questions and four hypothetical scenario or case-study questions, says Florence Cucchi, of Educational Testing Service. After reading the scenario, the candidate must suggest ways to deal with issues such as classroom management, learning theory and teaching skills.
The Language Proficiency Test
Effective now, new teachers who did not study in English or French must take an oral and written language-proficiency test to prove they can teach in either English or French. This testing is done by an approved agency that sends the results directly to the College. Agencies include the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test pour étudiants et stagiaires au Canada (TEStCan).
The Professional Learning Program
All teachers must complete 14 professional learning courses every five years to be re-certified with the Ontario College of Teachers. Seven are core courses and seven are elective.
Teachers must take one course in each of the following areas: curriculum, student assessment, special education, teaching strategies, classroom management and leadership, use of technology, communication with parents and students. Teachers also choose seven other courses to suit their individual needs and interests. Each course must be at least five hours long and include some kind of evaluation.
Teachers can take courses from an approved school board, university, community college, teacher federation, or professional association. Before the College gives approval, institutions must prove their expertise. About 130 providers have already registered and many more are expected.
The College will assess and approve each course. Courses will be posted on the College Web site in December.
In October, the College sent letters to 40,000 randomly-selected members and all of the approximately 8,500 new teachers who started teaching in Sept. 2001, that they have until Dec. 31, 2006 to complete the required 14 courses.
The clock will start ticking next September for the 120,000 remaining College members. Their completion deadline is Dec. 31, 2007.
New Appraisal Process
Ministry of Education staff designed the new performance-appraisal process, setting province-wide standards for principals and vice-principals to assess teachers in the classroom.
The appraisal will be done once every three years. New teachers, however, will be appraised once in their first and second years, then every three years.
Barry Pervin, director of performance systems and quality assurance at the Ministry of Education, says principals and vice-principals will observe teachers in the classroom and rate them in 16 categories, including for example, classroom control, lesson-plan clarity, effective communication, etc. Principals and vice-principals will rate teachers exemplary, good, satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Bill 110, which includes the appraisal process, is in its second reading in the legislature and will be law as soon as it is passed, says Pervin. The Ministry will organize regional training programs for principals and vice-principals and the appraisal process will be full implemented by Sept. 1, 2002.