Network of Associate Deans of Professional Experience Steering Committee for ACDE Council of Deans of Education

Network of Associate Deans of Professional Experience Steering Committee for Australian Council of Deans of Education

Related consultation – Teacher Education Expert Panel Consultation

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Name Network of Associate Deans of Professional Experience Steering Committee for Australian Council of Deans of Education

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NETWORK OF ASSSOCIATE DEANS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (NADPE)

STEERING COMMITTEE

AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF DEANS OF EDUCATION

TEEP Response to Reform Area 3 Teach

NADPE was developed in 2016 after being identified as a key area of ITE reform based on the TEMAG recommendations. We continue to build on the work of Christine Ure (Deakin) the inaugural Chair of NADPE who nationally developed, led and advocated for Professional Experience in a range of contexts. The first major outcome of the group was a DET funded grant which explored the status, design and delivery of Australian Professional Experience in Australian ITE. The review of current practices in Australia consisted of 5 studies: mapping professional experience placements in key ITE programs; identifying models of best practice for partnerships around ProfEx, Preservice teachers portfolios of evidence; Policy, Funding Arrangements and their impact on University-School Partnerships and practices and Indigenous contexts, ITE and implications for ProfEx (see Ure, Hay, Ledger, Morrison, Sweeney, Szadura, 2018).

Since its inception NADPE has been instrumental in pulling together a national voice for professional experience. Over the last two COVID years the ITE Professional Experience sector has been heavily impacted by ever changing policy decisions and reactions to the pandemic. As the interface between universities and schools, professional experience teams around the nation responded remarkably quickly and effectively to an unheralded scenario of school closures, lost practicum opportunities and intermittent government regulatory demands. They provided creative alternatives and solutions to ensure preservice teachers continued to be supported and professional experiences provided, albeit diverse and different from previous iterations. State leaders from professional experience teams, education sectors and registration bodies united during this time to address ongoing issues collectively. Summaries of professional practice solutions were shared for all parties across the nation to adopt and adapt accordingly. Although differences occurred between states, common issues and solutions provided great insight for decision makers within the sector.

The decisions and actions of NADPE and the state professional experience teams have directly informed state policy and practices during the first two years of COVID and we hope this continues into the future. In addition to the ongoing negotiations with the sector, NADPE have continued to meet regularly to address the complexity of professional experience in our ITE programs. NADPE represents all states and universities.

NADPE is targeting Reform Area 3 as it directly fits our ACDE national remit. We present our response to the Teacher Education Expert Panel discussion paper from a position of expertise in the area of Professional Experience and build on those within the profession who have dedicated their research lives to the field (see reference list).

Our submission is short and solution focussed. We frame our response from a whole of profession perspective to professional experience and recognise the interconnectivity between all elements of the profession:

• selection and transition into ITE,

• professionalism involved in connecting theory and practice nexus within ITE program,

• induction into the teaching profession and workplace,

• professional learning for inservice.

The current teacher shortage adds complexity to our professional experience practices.

Like other disasters, clearly defined responses and actions are needed. The Government Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan outline 3 key planning steps:

1. immediate action-short term immediate fixes [

2. Support for wider communities affected- placed based focus [Gruenwald, 2003; Roberts et al., 2022]

3. Long term resilience and preparedness-future funding, investment in research, effective and strategic management and evaluation [Ledger et al, 2018]

BOLD OPTIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

• Integrating Theory and Practice

o Prepare students for successful placements using emerging technologies and simulation (Fischetti et al., 2022)

o Creative partnerships with schools that support the development of a PreService Teacher [Tindall-Ford et al., 2018)

o High quality inschool Mentors to be recognised & rewarded within the system

o Highlight Developmental approach – Gradual Release of Responsibility, Cognitive apprenticeship, Quality teaching model and rounds. (Korthagen et al., 2001; Billet, 2009; Gore et al., 2015)

o Professional Experience partnerships to link theory and practice (State exemplars, White et al., 2018)

o Build on current exemplars of internships (Ledger & Vidovich, 2018; )

• National approach to ProfEx including mutual recognition

o Allows for common language/nomenclature, context differentiation and movement across states and borders.

o Respond collectively to issues about LAT/Registration to Teach/Limited Authority to Teach and provide alternative solutions

o Collaboration between and across universities in each state for consistency of language and tasks [see WA, SA, Qld,]

o State Registration bodies offer guidelines to support our PSTs [scale up]

• Education Sectors to recognise and acknowledge Mentor teachers

o Recognised role within the education system with associated time allocation and financial reward, associated training and support.

o Good quality mentors in schools so that all schools offer quality mentors.

o Micro-credential from AITSL for Mentors [Complete AITSL mentoring modules and award GradCert]

• Student support during placements:

o Graduate Ready Schools – Are schools ready to support PSTs or graduates? Accountability and voice of schools [TEMAG]

o Employ Conditions for Supporting Early Career Teacher Framework (Johnson et al.2014]

o Diversity of Placements – Ensure students have access to a range of placements in diverse contexts. Support this financially particularly RRR placements

• Centres of Excellence:

o This is a systems level issue as there are good teachers in all schools and quality mentors need to be acknowledged (Gore et al., 2023)

o Schools are required to offer placements. Some are doing heavy lifting of placements eg low SES schools doing more than others whilst high SES are targeting and employing top graduates (NADPE)

o Strong Partnership between university and schools (White et al., 2018).

o Good quality mentors and leadership essential

o Good quality schools from diverse contexts: Exemplars - Ambassador Schools, Hub Schools, Prac Schools, Demonstration Schools, Partnership Schools, Teaching School Partnership, Teacher Enhancement Centres, Base Schools and Satellite schools, Centres of Excellence, National School of Excellence.

• Review range of current TPAs

o Highlight its purpose, moderate/benchmark their evidence for fidelity purposes and to identify elements of current TPAs that evidence the purpose is being achieved.

o Possibly construct a ‘gold standard’ TPA that includes ‘gold star’ elements from the current range of TPAs that are flexible and can differentiate between contexts etc.

o Focus on systems level and whole of profession approach- selection, ITE program, induction and support into the profession with a focus on retention.

o Moderation for TPAs (Buchannan et al., 2020)

o Benefit by being kind to schools

We are excited about the above endeavours and hope that they go some way into informing future policy decisions. Exploring the educational issues presented in the National Teacher Worforce Action Plan and TEEP Discussion paper in a systematic manner from multiple perspectives (all ACDE steering groups who represent all states), will further strengthen our collective professional voice in this area. If we return to the strategies outlined in the Drought Plan to address the current teacher shortage, it offers great opportunity to create reform in a sector that would benefit enormously from a whole of government response.

Chair Professor Susan Ledger

Co-Chairs Associate Professor Brendan Bentley and Associate Professor Chad Morrison

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