“TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” OAS PROJECT-CARIBBEAN Responses to the Challenge of Improving the Quality of Recruitment and Selection, Initial Formation, Professional Development and Evaluation of Teachers in Countries in the Hemisphere Marva Ribeiro Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago La Romain, Trinidad October 29 –

THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS: To support the improvement of educational quality in the Americas by ensuring better- prepared and more qualified teachers through defining policies based on information gained from comparable indicators, successful experiences and hemispheric collaboration “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The PURPOSE of the PROJECT is: To inform and transform teacher preparation and professional development policies and practices…. to produce professional teachers with high- performing competencies. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The five sub-regions supported this project. North America and Central America received financing separately to execute the project. The Caribbean, MERCOSUR and the Andean Sub-regions worked together for two years, coordinated by Trinidad and Tobago. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

One of our significant supporters for the project was the International Organization of Universities (OUI) To support and strengthen the hemispheric project on teacher education To develop strategies, themes and methodologies to deliver on-line courses for teachers. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Another supporter of the project was the Educational Portal of the Americas Teacher Educators were trained and certified to deliver online courses on the Portal’s platform. They then worked as tutors for the delivery of the course “Quality in Basic Education” More that 200 teachers in the Caribbean completed the course. The project provided computer equipment to all participating countries to facilitate participation in the course. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The expected project outputs were: Harmonized Policy Framework on Teacher Education. Regionally standardized teacher education programs and performance appraisal systems. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The expected project outputs were: On-going professional development programs: Courses piloted. Hemispheric interchanges among and within sub-regions on successful teacher education programs. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Some of the activities to achieve these outputs were: Meetings of sub- regional coordinators and consultants Meetings of National Coordinators Workshops with National Coordinators, Teacher Education Experts, Teachers, Researchers and Representatives from Teacher Education Institutions “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Some of the activities to achieve these outputs were: Research in countries to provide Status of Teacher Education Reports (STERs) Contracting of Teacher Education Experts from the various sub-regions to prepare the harmonized Policy Framework documents “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Activities continued Country Consultations to obtain feedback on the documents developed Two revisions of the Policy Framework Document for the Caribbean “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Activities continued Piloting of courses and the presentation of modern texts to institutions that carried out the pilots In the Caribbean, the Project was presented to the Ministers of Education with the support of the CARICOM Secretariat “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The Harmonized Policy Framework document presents policy in four areas of focus for the project. Recruitment and Selection Initial Formation Professional Development Evaluation and Certification of Teachers “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad Recruitment and Selection Initial Formation Professional Development Evaluation and Certification of Teachers Re-visioning Teacher Education in the Caribbean

Newsletters and Brochures were also prepared and distributed throughout the Caribbean “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Handbooks which outlined the Courses developed and piloted by the Consultant in the areas of focus The Teacher Educators Orientation Course Was Piloted in Antigua. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

CHALLENGES Communication within and between countries Bureaucratic constraints within individual countries resulting in either non-participation or limited participation A dearth of documented policies and practices in many countries Counterpart funding Increased cost of all the activities “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

CHALLENGES CONT’D Country consultations Implementation of Virtual Courses In the third year, too short a time frame to complete activities Change of the participants in the continuing workshops. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

UNINTENDED OUTCOMES The Inter-American Teacher Educator Network, Sept (ITEN) Collaborative work between the OAS Project and the COMSEC Project on Recruitment and Migration of Teachers The proposed CARICOM Council for Teaching and Teacher Education “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The Way Forward Development of Policy utilizing the Harmonized Policy Framework in all countries of the Caribbean Sharing of experiences and knowledge gained at this seminar Continuation of the piloting of modules for teacher education “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The Way Forward Cont’d Modernization of the curriculum and teaching strategies at the teacher education institutions The establishment of National Councils for Teaching and Teacher Education in all countries of the Caribbean “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

The Way Forward Cont’d The establishment of a Regional Council for Teaching and Teacher Education To expand the Task Force for Teacher Education with committed organizations and individuals with a shared vision that can sustain the process. “TEACHER EDUCATION FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS ” La Romain, Trinidad

Organizations and Individuals like you!!! Thank you