The government wants ways to make providers improve

Education Minister Jason Clare chose yesterday’s national public holiday to release full membership and terms of reference for a panel to develop a “quality measure for initial teacher education courses.”

It’s in response to a recommendation of the unfortunately acronymed Quality Initial Teacher Education Review.

As previously announced by the last government and this (CMM February 25, August 15) Uni Sydney VC Mark Scott will chair the panel.

Members are: Jenny Donovan (Australian Education Research Organisation), Bill Loudon (UWA), Andrew Peach (former Queensland high school principal) Michele Simons (Western Sydney U and president, Australian Council of Deans of Education) and Rebecca West (deputy primary principal, Queensland).

what it will do: Terms of reference include

* “improve the quality of practical experience in teaching”

* “improve postgraduate initial teacher education for mid-career entrants”

plus two recommendations from QITER to,

* amend accreditation of programmes, “with particular attention to teaching reading, literacy and numeracy, classroom management, cultural responsiveness, teaching students with diverse needs and working with families/carers”

* “strengthen the link between performance and funding” with a quality measure of, increasing ITE student completion rates and increasing under-represented groups in teaching degrees, including First Nations peoples

what’s next: The Scott panel will consult with state and Commonwealth officials on the Teacher Workforce Action Plan Working Group, which is charged with addressing the teacher shortage and is due to report in December.

Professor Scott and colleagues’ recommendations are due June 30 next.