Board Policies & Administrative Procedures

Administrative Procedure 422: TEACHER GROWTH AND SUPERVISION

Background

Teachers, being competent and accountable, have a professional responsibility to meet the Alberta Teaching Quality Standard. The Board further expects that each teacher’s actions, judgements and decisions are in the best educational interests of students and support optimum learning. An effective ongoing process of teacher growth and supervision will lead to improved professional practice.

Definition

Teacher professional growth is defined as the career-long learning process whereby a teacher annually develops and implements a plan to achieve professional learning objectives or goals that are consistent with the Teaching Quality Standard.

Procedures

Teacher Growth
1. Teachers shall participate in ongoing professional learning activities to improve their level of professional competence as defined in the Alberta Teacher Quality Standard. These activities may include, but are not limited to: attendance at professional development workshops, conferences, collaborative work with colleagues, etc. Additionally, all teachers shall create an annual personal, professional growth plan that will include goals as determined by the individual teacher.
2. Teacher growth takes into consideration the educational plans and specifically the priority areas for improvement of the school, the Division and Alberta Education.
3. To enhance professional growth, all teachers on continuing and probationary contracts with the Division shall complete an annual professional growth plan that reflects goals and objectives based on an assessment of learning needs by the individual teacher, and adheres to the Teaching Quality Standard.
4. The Division shall provide support/opportunities for growth in priority areas for teacher improvement. Teachers may be directed to attend professional development activities.
5. It is expected that teachers shall be actively involved in school/Division Professional Learning Communities.
6. Growth Plans
  1. All teachers shall develop growth plans that foster improvement of instruction, professional growth and/or improved practice. Plans are to be meaningful and pertinent to the current teaching assignment.
  2. Each annual professional growth plan shall include:
    1. Goal/objective statements(s).
    2. Strategies for goal/objective achievement and required resources.
    3. Indicators and measures of goal/objective achievement.
    4. An estimated plan timeline.
  3. Subject to approval, an annual professional growth plan:
    1. May be a component of a long term, multi-year plan.
    2. May consist of a planned program of supervising an intern student teacher or mentoring a colleague.
    3. May be developed in collaboration with professional colleagues.
  4. Teachers create growth plans to be in place for the beginning of each school year. The Principal will meet with each teacher to review the contents of the plan.
    1. All teachers shall submit their annual professional growth plan in writing to the Principal, for review.
  5. All teachers, prior to the end of the school year, shall meet with the Principal and submit a written report. The report shall include specific indicators that support the degree of goal completion.
  6. Each teacher is responsible for maintaining information that relates to the achievement of the growth plan. The plan will be returned to the teacher at the end of the school year unless he/she requests that a copy be kept on file at the school, not in the Division personnel file.
  7. The Principal shall, annually, submit to the Superintendent written verification that each teacher has submitted his/her culminating report by the end of the school year.
7. Teachers who are not in compliance with this Administrative Procedure may be subject to disciplinary action. (Administrative Procedure 423)
8. Unless a teacher agrees, the content of an annual teacher professional growth plan must not be part of the evaluation of a teacher.
Supervision
1. As instructional leaders, principals are accountable for the quality of education provided in their schools. A fundamental component of this Administrative Procedure must be ongoing formative supervision of teaching and learning. Teachers shall demonstrate a willingness to accept feedback and implement suggested changes for improvement through supervisory practices. (Administrative Procedure 420)
2. Supervision shall be characterized by:
  1. A climate of trust and support.
  2. An ongoing, continuing process.
  3. Shared responsibility.
  4. A collegial, collaborative model that includes direct and differentiated approaches.
  5. Individual input into the methods and process.
  6. Sharing of relevant information and observations on an ongoing basis.
  7. Access to any notes or documentation taken during supervision.
3. Supervisors (principal/designate) shall:
  1. Provide support, guidance and development opportunities.
  2. Observe the quality of professional practice as it affects student learning and consider information received from qualified sources.
  3. Provide direct, constructive, written feedback about professional practice from classroom visitation and observation.
  4. Support school improvement and staff development.
  5. Identify professional behaviours and practices that are to be recognized as exemplars.
  6. Identify professional behaviours and practices that may require an evaluation.

Reference

Section 18,33,52,53,196,197,204,213,214,215,218,222 Education Act

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Personal Information Protection Act

Teaching Profession Act

Certification of Teachers Regulation 3/99 (Amended A.R. 206/2001)

Practice Review of Teachers Regulation 4/99

Student Learning – Ministerial Order 001/2013

Teaching Quality Standard – Ministerial Order 016/97

Teacher Growth, Supervision and Evaluation Policy

Guide to Education ECS to Grade 12

Practice Review of Teachers Information Bulletin 3.3.2

Approved: December 10, 1998

Amended: June 1, 2010; August 21, 2018

Last Updated: August 18, 2021