Optimum Learning for All Students Implementing Alberta’s 2018 Professional Practice Standards A Longitudinal, Mixed Methods Research Study: 2020-2021 Provincial Year 2 Survey Research Report
Date
2021-04-15
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Abstract
Alberta Education commissioned this 4-year longitudinal, mixed methods research study, which is designed to assess, deepen, and extend the implementation process for Alberta’s three professional practice standards: The Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS), and the Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard (SLQS). This report presents the survey findings from the first year of the study. Findings are presented for each of the three standards. Results overall indicate:
1. educators across the province are in the adapting stage of implementation--– where teachers, school leaders, and superintendents are still adapting in their practice to novel problems– they reported much flexibility. The public health situation in 2020 and 2021 have required such flexibility and continuing adaptivityThe standards and their implementation do not appear to be rigidifying practice since interquartile ranges and standard deviations remain professionally healthy for fostering discussion and multiple perspectives.
2. leaders must engage the wider community in schools. Those competencies in leading those within the system are stronger than for leading those beyond the system. While small gains have been made in year 2 of the study, leaders must continue to engage with the public to continue constructing public confidence.
3. forms and formats of professional learning and leadership development have shifted markedly over the past year, and will continue to shift after the pandemic. More technological delivery of customized courses, more collegial approaches in virtual learning space, and greater demand for both credentialed and non-credentialed learning will be necessary. What that means for changing educator behaviour and enacting standards to support “optimal” learning remains unclear.
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Keywords
professional practice standards; education policy implementation; optimum learning; Alberta; Alberta Education
Citation
Brandon, J., Brown, B., Chu, M-W., Friesen, S., Louie, D., Parsons, D., Hunter, D., Stelmach, B., Schmidt, E., Adams, P., Burleigh, D., Mombourquette, C., (2021). Optimum learning for all students implementing Alberta’s 2018 professional practice standards: Confidential 2020-2021 year 2 survey research report. Alberta Education.