Professional learning and development (English medium setting)

Design elements

Target for support (strengths and needs)

Professional Learning and Development is the provision of support for leaders and teachers to improve student achievement outcomes, particularly for priority learner groups, across a number of identified areas.

Expected outcomes

PLD is a major lever for raising and accelerating student achievement. To be effective, it must be well targeted, reach the areas of greatest need and recognise that strength in identity, language, and culture, together with strong literacy and numeracy skills, are the foundation for continuing learning and achievement for all students in the wider school curriculum. The Ministry of Education has identified five outcomes that underpin all PLD provision:

The New Zealand Curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) is the key policy document for all English-medium schools. The vision, principles, values, and key competencies, along with the learning areas, are what informs and guides the school curriculum. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, schools, principals and teachers will be able to deliver an inclusive and empowering curriculum that, through attending to each of its core elements, achieves successful outcomes for all its students, particularly priority learner groups. 

Priority learners

The New Zealand schooling system, in both English and Māori medium settings, delivers an excellent education system for most students. However, some learner groups are over-represented in our achievement tail. Māori students, Pasifika students, students with special education needs, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds and children in care need to be better supported to reach their potential. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, school goals and targets will identify achievement targets that will contribute to achieving national goals and targets. Principals and teachers will recognise the importance of a learner’s identity, language, and culture in access, engagement, and success in schooling. School and classroom curriculum design will be responsive to diverse learner strengths and needs and demonstrate shifts in achievement and outcomes for priority learners. 

Quality teaching

Quality teaching is identified as a key influence on high quality outcomes for diverse students. The evidence reveals that up to 59% of variance in student performance is attributable to differences between teachers and classes, while almost 21%, but generally less, is attributable to school-level variables. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, school principals and teachers will use evidence of ‘what works’ to inform their improvement actions. They will recognise the importance of teaching as inquiry and the use of data to subsequently inform and guide teaching practice to achieve desired learning outcomes for all learners. 

Leadership

The School Leadership and Student Outcomes Best Evidence Synthesis (2009) highlights the importance of pedagogical leadership, well-informed goal setting and evaluative capability. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, schools principals and teachers will recognise and demonstrate the role of effective leadership in identifying, facilitating, monitoring, and evaluating key levers for sustained pedagogical and system shifts that result in improved student outcomes.

What data and information is used to support access decision?

• National Administration Guideline 2A data (NAG 2A) (includes information from all school charters)
• NCEA results
• Contact with local Senior Advisor 

Delivery design (who, how long, interactions)

Who

School principals, middle leaders, teachers.

The emphasis for centrally-funded supplementary support is on in-depth work in a school, generally involving both leaders and teachers to achieve the goals identified in the PLD action plan. Achieving these goals may vary between schools and is dependent on the needs analysis process.

In some cases, supplementary support may follow workshop participation. Delivery may also include a combination of face-to face and online support.

How will the support contribute to classroom practice and school capability?

PLD focuses on using inquiry and knowledge building, based on identified learner needs, as a way of developing and implementing effective teacher practice and raising the capability of leadership and schools.

How will the support contribute to building educationally powerful relationships with parents, whānau/family, hapu, iwi, and community?

Professional learning and development includes:

• the development of teacher knowledge about the value and importance of linking learning at home with learning at school
• a focus on ensuring that all parents and whānau are supported to understand where their children are currently at in their learning, and what their next learning steps will be
• a focus on the importance of culturally responsive learning and teaching that values the cultures, identities, and languages of all learners and their parents, families, whānau, and communities.

Designing for success (small groups, one on one, timing)

An essential element is the active involvement of school leadership in any PLD delivery in schools for the duration of the PLD. This ensures that the PLD is seen by all the participants as a high priority and that a collaborative and sustainable plan is designed and appropriately resourced.  It can also contribute to embedding ongoing improvement across the school.  

How is support monitored and measured in terms of outcomes?

Alongside schools monitoring progress towards expected outcomes of the PLD action plan with providers, the Ministry also analyses data reported by the providers to monitor system level outcomes.

Regional Ministry office senior advisers and SAFs work closely with schools and providers to ensure PLD is appropriately targeted and effective in achieving the desired outcomes. They continue to welcome feedback and suggestions from schools in this area.

Additional methods of schools’ self-review and feedback, such as an electronic survey, are currently being trialled.  

What needs to be sustained?

Ongoing improvements in teaching practice and learner achievement using evidence informed inquiry/self-review practice.  

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Roles and responsibilities for delivery of the support

Allocated to schools to support identified learner needs

Type of PLD and provision outcomes - Years 1–8

• Literacy and English language learning
  Supports effective classroom practices in literacy, enabling all students in New Zealand classrooms to become competent readers and writers who can successfully meet the demands of The New Zealand Curriculum.

• Mathematics and statistics
  Supports effective classroom practices in mathematics and statistics to accelerate the achievement of identified student groups.

• Science
  Supports effective classroom practices in the science learning area of The New Zealand Curriculum, with a particular focus on improving achievement outcomes for priority learner groups.

• Pasifika Success
  Supports schools to implement the social, cultural, and linguistic conditions necessary to improve outcomes for Pasifika students as detailed in the Pasifika Education Plan (limited access).

• Pasifika Success: Mathematics
  Supports schools to improve Pasifika student learning and accelerated achievement in mathematics in The New Zealand Curriculum National Standards (limited access).

• Pasifika Success: Bilingual teaching
  Supports schools to implement effective bilingual learning and teaching to improve outcomes for Pasifika students within The New Zealand Curriculum (limited access).

• Leadership and assessment
  Supports school leaders to effectively lead teaching and learning with a focus on equitable student achievement. Assessment supports teachers and leaders to plan for, assess, record, and analyse assessment data and information to focus resources and supports where they are needed most to achieve equitable outcomes within The New Zealand Curriculum, particularly for priority learners.

• Te reo Māori in English medium
  Supports schools with level 3 and 4 bilingual units to develop their language programmes. Builds individual teacher language capability, which will in turn develop student language capability and the ability to meet the progressions of the curriculum.

Type of PLD and provision outcomes - Years 9–13

• Secondary student achievement
  Focuses on ensuring the success of every student, with a specific focus on the potential and success of priority student groups, to develop the relevant competencies and qualifications to pursue pathways such as The Youth Guarantee, to improve access and engagement in tertiary study, work training, and/ or employment, and society. This requires the effective implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC/Te Marautanga o Aotearoa) to develop a coherent curriculum across years 9-13 that leads to improved outcomes and credentialing at NCEA level 2 or equivalent. This provision focuses on embedding teaching as inquiry and tracking student progress within and across learning areas, subject specific literacy, language and pedagogy, and learner-centred, culturally responsive assessment and programme design.

• Secondary ESOL and Home school partnerships
  Secondary English language learners (ELLs) will be supported to develop their English language proficiency as quickly as possible to enable them to meet the literacy and language demands of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) at age-appropriate levels. This includes the support for establishing and maintaining home-school partnerships to enhance collaborative partnerships and improved student outcomes.

• Leadership and assessment
  Supports school leaders to effectively lead teaching and learning with a focus on equitable student achievement. Assessment supports teachers and leaders to plan for, assess, record, and analyse assessment data and information to focus resources and supports where they are needed most to achieve equitable outcomes within The New Zealand Curriculum, particularly for priority learners.

• Te reo Māori in English medium
  Supports schools with level 3 and 4 bilingual units to develop their language programmes. Builds individual teacher language capability, which will in turn develop student language capability and the ability to meet the progressions of the curriculum.

• Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) School-wide
  Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) School-wide is made up of practices and organisational systems that help schools create positive teaching and learning environments. It looks at behaviour and learning from a whole-school as well as an individual child's perspective. School-wide takes the approach that opportunities for learning and achievement increase when the school environment is positive and supportive, expectations are consistently clear, children and young people are consistently taught desired behaviours, children and young people are consistently acknowledged for desired behaviours, children and young people are consistently responded to in a fair and equitable way and school leaders, teachers, students, and support staff are all involved. PB4L School-wide is available to all secondary schools. Intermediate and primary schools are prioritised by decile, cluster (close to other schools implementing school-wide), and high Māori and/or Pasifika populations.

• Building on Success – Kia Eke Panuku and Te Kākahu
  Building on Success will support teachers and leaders to accelerate Māori student achievement in years 9-13 and will:
  • build leadership, teacher and school-wide capability to enable Māori student success 
  • create and maintain culturally responsive teaching and learning that enables Māori students to achieve success as Māori
  • build and strengthen iwi and whānau relationships with schools (limited access)
  • provide all schools access to tools that ensure Māori success. 

Available to qualifying teachers and leaders

Type of PLD and priorities

• Provisionally Certified Teachers/Overseas Trained Teachers (PCTs/OTTs)
  All PCTs and OTTs (with provisional certification) are eligible for this PLD.
  This PLD is intended to ensure that a minimum quality standard is applied to teacher registration for all teachers entering or currently teaching in New Zealand’s general education system. Professional learning and development services are provided for teachers and school leaders that specifically focus on support for Provisionally Certified Teachers (PCTs) and Overseas Trained Teachers (OTTs). The provision of teaching and learning focused mentoring of PCTs and OTTs by mentor teachers and advice, and support to ensure that school leaders provide the culture and systems conducive to quality induction and mentoring, is central to these services and deliverables. 

• Te Marautanga o Aotearoa PLD: Te Rārangi Tautoko Ngāiotanga 2015
  Kua puta te rārangi Tautoko Ngāiotanga ā te Tāhuhu mō ngā kura me ngā whare rumaki Māori, mō te tau 2015.

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