This tool is for school leaders in New Zealand, including principals, other senior leaders and learning support coordinators (SENCOs). It is intended to grow leaders’ confidence and capability in applying the evidence about effective use of teacher aides. Working through the tool will: give you a clear picture of where your school is at in providing the support that teacher aides need to be effective in their roles help you plan next steps to strengthen support for teacher aides and teacher aide practice in your school. Background Teacher aides are a valued resource in most New Zealand schools. A growing body of evidence supports this view. It demonstrates that when schools have effective systems and processes for recruiting and supporting their support staff, their teacher aides can “have a positive impact on student confidence, behaviour, self-esteem, and motivation, and on teacher workload, job satisfaction and stress levels” (Ministry of Education, 2016). Recent describes the kinds of systems, processes, and practices that help schools make the best use of their teacher aides. It demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the teacher is always the leader of learning for all students in the classroom, including those who need additional support with their learning or well-being. It shows that inclusion for these students often means stepping back and giving them space to interact independently with the learning task and with their peers.
Planning by teachers and teacher aides EMERGING DEVELOPING CONSOLIDATING Understanding and use of teacher aides’ skills and knowledge 1 2 3 4 5 Teachers require opportunities to develop their understanding of teacher aides’ skills and knowledge and how they can incorporate this understanding into their day-to-day planning for what teacher aides will do. Teachers have some understanding of teacher aides’ skills and knowledge; they need support to increase this understanding so they can use teacher aides to their full potential. Teachers understand and make full use of teacher aides’ skills and knowledge, adding to them by explicitly modelling effective strategies to teacher aides. Joint planning by teachers and teacher aides 1 2 3 4 5 Teachers have not been allocated planning time with teacher aides; communication is hence largely ad hoc and informal, taking place between lesson changeovers or before school. Sometimes teachers and teacher aides have allocated time to plan and discuss lessons together. Teachers and teacher aides have allocated time to plan and discuss lessons together. Teacher aides contributing to IEPs and CLPs (collaborative learning plans) 1 2 3 4 5 The school has not yet established processes to ensure teacher aides are able to contribute to IEPs and CLPs. Some teachers arrange for teacher aides to contribute to IEPs and CLPs, but processes for this are ad hoc and dependent on individual teachers. Processes are in place to ensure teacher aides have a voice in IEPs and CLPs, including when they are unable to attend meetings.
Teacher aides’ understanding of lesson objectives and activities 1 2 3 4 5 Teacher aides often go into lessons ‘blind’ with little understanding of lesson objectives and activities. Teacher aides gain a basic understanding from teachers of objectives and activities before lessons. Teacher aides enter lessons with a clear understanding of the concepts and information being taught, intended learning outcomes, success criteria, and the specific learning needs of students they will work with. Systems for teachers and teacher aides to reflect together 1 2 3 4 5 The school has not yet established processes for teachers and teacher aides to discuss how things have gone. Some teachers organise regular discussions with teacher aides on how things have gone, but processes for this are ad hoc and dependent on individual teachers. Processes are in place to ensure that there is day-to-day communication between teachers and teacher aides on how things have gone and that the results are used in on-going planning. Our score: [Guide: 5–11: Definitely needs attention 12–18: Doing OK, but there’s room for improvement 19–25: A strength in our school] How are we doing in this area? What do our teachers and teacher aides say about how we are doing in this area? What are our specific strengths in this area? Are there particular aspects we need to work on? If we were to improve these aspects, what might we see happening? What specific actions could we take? What barriers might we have to overcome?
all students. Teacher aides’ knowledge and understanding 1 2 3 4 5 Support is required for teacher aides to develop their subject knowledge and understanding of teaching strategies. Teacher aides have some subject knowledge in key areas and basic understandings of important teaching strategies. Teacher aides have appropriate subject knowledge and understandings of teaching strategies, which they apply effectively to support student learning. Our score: [Guide: 5–11: Definitely needs attention 12–18: Doing OK, but there’s room for improvement 19–25: A strength in our school] How are we doing in this area? What do our students, families, whānau, teacher aides, and teachers say about how we are doing in this area? What are our specific strengths in this area? Are there particular aspects we need to work on? If we were to improve these aspects, what might we see happening? What specific actions could we take? What barriers might we have to overcome? School leaders’ management of the teacher aide resource EMERGING DEVELOPING CONSOLIDATING School leaders’ views of teacher aides’ roles 1 2 3 4 5 School leaders view teacher aides as extra support for students with additional needs; there are few processes and School leaders view teacher aides as a support for teachers of students with additional needs and establish processes and School leaders view teacher aides as part of the total school system focused on student achievement and ensure there are processes and