TO
:
Senate
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Senate Committee on University Priorities
Memorandum
FROM:
John Waterhous
Chair
,
SCUP
S
.
06-30
Vice Pres
i
dent
,
'rr;;;~~~
RE:
Proposa
l
for a Certificate in Professiona
l
DATE:
Practices (PQP) and a M
i
nor
i
n French
Education,
Faculty of Education (SCUP 06-04 )
At its January 25,
2006 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the proposals from the
Facu
l
ty of Education for a Certificate in Professional Practices (Professional
Qualification Program
,
PQP)
,
and a Minor in French Education.
Motion One
That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors, the proposal for a
Certificate
in Professional Practices (Professiona
l
Qualification Program, PQP)
.
Mot
i
on Two
That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors, the proposal for a
Minor
in French Education
.
encl.
c
:
M
.
Warsh
D
.
Arcand
S
.
Porter
SCUP06-04
SIMON FRASER
UNIVERSITY
.
MEMORANDU~I
To:
Senate Committee on University Priorities
?
if
C. MacKenzie, Chair
f!jiAft-c{f
~
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies
--
1
From:
.
Subject:
Faculty of Education
- Certificate
in Professional Practices (Professional Qualification Program PQP)
- Minor in French Education
(SCUS Reference: SCUS 05-24)
Date:
January 10,2006
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at its meeting of
December 13, 2005 gives rise to the following motions:
Motion:
"That SCUP approve thenew Certificate in Professional Practices (Professional
Qualification
Program
PQP)~
Motion:
"That SCUP approve the new Minor in French Education."
The relevant documentation is attached for review
by seup.
PROGRA~I CH.~NGES
AND NEW PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
For the
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION PROGRAl\t1
(PQP)
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
November, 2004
(Edit
February 2005)
Submitted
by
the Professional Programs Committee
).
Faculty of Education
Professional Qualification Program (PQP)
EXECUTIVE
SU~I~IARY:
For the past three years the Faculty of Education has offered a specific set of courses, to foreign
trained teachers seeking teacher ore-certification in the
Province. With the guidance and
cooperation
of the British Columbia CoIJege of Teachers, these
courses,
conceptualized as the
Professional Qualification
Program (PQP) are offered to prospecti
ve
applicants who present a
letter from the
Beer
recommending SFU's PQP offering as a way of meeting the required
courses leading to their certification.
PQP is administered by Undergraduate Programs in the
Faculty of Education with Professional Programs assuming supervision of the undertakings and
responsibility
for most aspects of the program. There have been four intakes of PQP to date and
the
overwhelming Sllccess of each intake has led Undergraduate Programs and Professional
Programs to make a series of programmatic changes to the PQP as a means of formalizing its
ongoing
offering~.
While the fundamental purpose of the changes described below is to formalize the Professional
Qualification Program, there are also a number
of essentially administrative or structural
problems that have surfaced during the past
three years that are also addressed in the new
program structure, such as:
"
1) The combination of
~ourses
that had been previously selected for the PQP students was not
considered by
SFU to be a program in itself. This meant that, among a number of
administrative issues, the PQP students did not qualify for student financial support. The
changes made and described below however, create a coherent program that would lead to an
SFU Certificate in Professional Practices, which may allow PQP students to qualify for
financial support.
2) The course credit granted for PQP courses taken during the first two semesters did not
represent the actual work
of the students in their courses. This inequity has been addressed
by adding
addi
tional courses so that the credits earned more accurately represent the full
time, immersion type
of teacher education program that PQP students engage in during their
first two semesters.
Before describing the proposal for revisions to the Professional Qualification Program,
it
would
be useful
to
first include some notes on the background and history of PQP at SFU. This is to be
followed by a description
of the Professional Qualifications Program, including a note on
program changes proposed. Finally, this presentation will conclude with a formalized program
descri ption.
3.
O"~RVIEW
AND BACKGROUND:
A
considerable number of foreign-educated teachers who applied to the British Columbia
College
of Teachers
(BCer)
for certification have been required to upgrade their coursework
and undertake
an extensive 12-week practicum in a
Be
public school. These recertifying
teachers usuaJly selected individual courses from offerings at regional colleges, provincial
universities and/or through the
Open Learning Agency. Upon completion of the coursework
requirements they would apply to take a practicum course, such as
SFU's EDUC 406-12:
Supervised Observation and Teaching
in
order to meet the
Beer's
one-semester practicum
requirement.
In 1999,
staff in Professional Programs undertook a careful review of the reasons why
only a limited number of foreign-trained teachers in the province were successful with their
recertification efforts,
and why so many others were unsuccessful. The preliminary results of
this review were shared both with the Deputy l'v1inister of Education and the council and staff of
the BCer. All parties agreed that further research was necessary before SFU, or any other
institution
could implement new programming specifically designed to address the needs of the
high
number of recertifying teachers in BC. Professional Programs received a grant from
Multicultural BC to continue its research in this area.
Further research confirmed that while some recertifying teachers successfully negotiated
the
independe~t
coursework and one-semester practicum as their pathway to certification, many
other foreign-educated teachers, particularly those from countries wjth philosophies of education
and educational practices that differed from those in British Columbia, encountered difficulties
to the
point where they were unsuccessful with their endeavors. Research revealed that the
problems encountered by those unsuccessful in recertification centered on what seemed to be a
disjointed and haphazard pathway to recertification. What they faced was a teacher education
curriculum that was contextuaIized for an entirely different audience with entirely different
needs,
and they encountered teacher educators that were largeJy unaware of the specific issues
faced
by foreign trained teachers working in Canadian schools.
An analysis of the research findings resulted in the development of a proposal that was
submitted
by
Professional Programs to the BCer and Ministry of Advanced Education in 2000.
This proposal called for a new and specifically dedicated immigrant teacher education program,
then referred to as NewCanTEP (New Canadian Teacher Education Program). An advisory
board
was selected and was made up of SFU program coordinators, faculty members, and
representatives from external institutions including the
BeCf.
The board provided feedback
throughout the early developmental phase of NewCanTEP and then helped with the completed
framework based on offering an integrated set of courses that were to be specifically designed to
meet the needs of recettifying foreign trained teachers.
The premises underlying the original program design assumed that in order to make
informed decisions about whether
or not to pursue a teaching career in British Columbia,
teachers new to Canada needed:
• time and opportunity to examine their personal and professional beliefs about teaching and
learning within their cuJtural context
• time and opportunity to explore philosophies of teaching with their peers
• sustained observation and engagement in local schools, at
aU
grade levels
• activities which provide insights into the history of
Be
education and current practices of
teaching
• opportunity to develop skills that enhance student learning
• opportunity to engage in conversation with practicing teachers who have undergone similar
transitions, and to examine their own adaptations
and changes in light of these discussions.
The NewCanTEP program posited a knowledgeable and dedicated teacher education
staff.
This was seen as an important component because in development of an instructional basis
that alJows foreign-educated teachers to re-examine
their own beliefs in light of the reality of
British
Columbia's classrooms, instructors must be mindful to the fact that this kind of
deconstruction of previous knowledge and reconstruction of new understanding takes
considerable time - and
it
involves risk on the part of the learner, his or her colleagues and the
instructors.
The originaJ NewCanTEP proposal envisioned a two-semester integrated teacher
recertification program. The first semester was conceptualized as a pre-practicum program to be
laddered directly onto the second semester, a section
of the Education 406 practicum semester
specifically designed to meet the needs
of recertifying foreign trained teachers. However, even
before NewCanTEP began advertising for students some minor revisions were introduced and
the program evolved into a three-semester immigrant teacher education program that was
renamed the Professional Qualification Program
(PQP).
THE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION PROGRAM (POP)
The major goal of the PQP is to alleviate many of the problems identified in previous re-
certification efforts for teachers from other countries.
This
was to be done through the
interconnection
of in-school experiences and -on-campus seminars and workshops in a
comprehensive program
of study specifically designed to increase an understanding of the
cultural, social, political, theoretical and practical contexts to education in British Columbia.
The aims of Professional Qualification Program are:
• to provide support for individuals with previous teaching qualifications from other
countries
to successfully enter teaching in
Be
schools
• to provide opportunities for participants to develop a strong professional, pedagogical and
cultural understandings about BC education and opportunities to develop the necessary
skill sets to implement these understandings
• to increase cultural diversity in BC's teaching force through a professional upgrading
program.thatfulfllls the requirements
of the BC College of Teachers
With an enrollment
of fourteen foreign educated and credentialed teachers PQP began its
first intake in January
2002. Twelve recertifying teachers eventually completed their
requirements
for certification - one withdrew during the first term and one withdrew during the
practicum semester. A second PQP intake began a year later,
in 1anuary 2003, and by the end of
summer another nineteen foreign-trained teachers had completed the first portion of their
program. Seventeen then went on to complete the
EDUC 406: Supervised Observation and
Teaching the following fall term - one recertifying teacher withdrew for medical reasons and the
other withdrew for personal reasons. In January 2004, a
f~rther
22 foreign-trained teachers
enrolled
in the intensive first portion of the PQP - nineteen of whom eventually entered EDUC
l
406 this fall term. One had withdra'rvn for personal reasons in wfarch and two do not feel ready
to undertake the practicUln and are now talking additional course work and/or undertaking
additional school observations. They hope
to enroIl in the practicum in the future.
PQP was
designed
to address difficulties in recertification that many foreign-trained
teachers identified. The overwhelming success
of PQP is a result of the fact that it replaced
previous disjointed pathways to certification for foreign trained teachers with a comprehensive
program
of study, a specifically designed and integrated curriculum, a dedicated program staff,
and a coherent, culturally sensitive, and a well thought-out instructional program.
PROGRAMATIC CHANGES
Program changes proposed for PQP are simple enough, and as noted above address several
underlying problems. During the first three intakes
ofPQP, students enrolled in EDUC 483-8:
Designs for Learning Curriculum Studies in their first term and EDUC 352-4: Building on Reflective
Practices in their second tenn. They were encouraged to take additional courses relevant to their
specific needs
and'interests during the second term; however this was an option. In the third semester
students took the EDUC 406-12: Supervised Observation and Teaching course.
The
new program design envisions students enrolling in three 12-credit semesters. They will take
EDUC 483-8 and EDUC 352-4 in the,fust term., EDUC 401-8: Introduction to Classroom Teaching
and one additional education course during the second term, and
EDUC 406-12* in the third term.
*
To enroll in EDUC 406 students must be reconunended by their Faculty Associate and the PQP
Coordinator to the Director of PDP.
•
There may be, in the opinion of the FA, the PQP Coordinator and the Director of PDP, some students
who are deemed ready to undertake
EDUC 406 after completion ofEDUC 483
&
EDUC 352. These
students will not be required to take
EDUC 401 and the additional EDUC course.
FORMALIZED POP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Professional Programs (PPC) of the Faculty of Education offers the Professional
Qualification
Program (PQP) leading to a Certificate in Professional Practices under the
following program description.
The Professional Qualification Program (POP):
The Professional Qualification Program is a three-semester (36 credit) program
leading to a Certificate in Professional Practices. PQP recertifying teachers enroll in
dedicated sections
of EDUC 483-8 and EDUC 352-4 in their first semester, a special
section
of EDUC 401-8 and one addition upper level EDUC course (typically a
Designs for Learning course, selected
by the student with the approval of the
Director
of PDP or his designate) in the second semester, and a section of EDUC 406-12 in the
third
semester.
Upon successful completion of the first two terms of PQP, the recertifying
teacher satisfies
the familiarization
and
methodology requirement of the
Beer -
this,
through the
examination of issues and content in philosophical, pedagogical and
curricular areas of education, particularly as they pertain to teaching in British
Columbia.
Upon approval of the Director of Professional Programs, PQP students
may then enter
EDUC
406 and upon satisfactory completion of that course will meet
the
BeCf's practicum requirement for the certification of foreign trained teachers.
PQP students. PQP students who complete all 36 credits will also meet the Faculty of
Education's requirements for a Certificate
in Professional Practices.
**Note:
In exceptional circumstances students may be recommended by their
Faculty Associate
and the PQP Coordinator to the Director of PDP to take EDUC 406
after
completion
of the
first
12 credits of PQP and do not need to complete the 2
nd
semester coursework. (It is recommended, however, that they take at least 8 credits of
Designs for Learning to enhance their skills in the classroom.) .
The studies
and activities of the Professional Qualification Program are
arranged
in the
followi~g
three-term sequence.
First Semester of the Professional Qualification Program:
• EDUC 483-8: Curriculum Studies
r-'
.
EDUC 352-4: Building on Reflective Practice
Second Semester of the Professional Qualification Program:
• EDUC 401-8: Introduction to Teaching
• One additional Upper Level Education course (at least 4 credits) which has been
selected
by
the student and approved
by
the Director of PDP or designate.
Third Semester of Professional Qualification Program:
• EDUC 406-12: Supervised Observation and Teaching
Note:
EDUC 483, 352 and 401 are taught and offered as an integrated
program
of study. These courses combine theory and practice through on-campus
seminars
and in-school practice. This is accomplished
by
alternating blocks of
classroom observation and teaching time with workshops, classes
and seminars on
campus. The general aim is for PQP students to gain an increased and heightened
awareness of the
various factors that influence the education of children in British
Columbia.
Along. with an obligation to nurture and foster individual students'
intellectual
and emotional growth in this changing world, the recertifying teacher
develops skilIs
to help students become more active members of the many
communities they are part of and to help them develop the skills required to think
criticaIJy
and make informed and responsible decisions.
One focus of PQP courses is the understanding of the foreign-educated
teacher~s
previous experiences of teaching within its cultural framework and the
development of an elevated awareness of, and appreciation for the differences found
in British Col umbia classrooms. This is based on the premise that when foreign-
trained teachers
have opportunities to examine their own beliefs, to observe and
interact with children in a variety of classrooms, and are given opportunities to
dialogue with teachers, children, and teacher educators, they
will
be better able to
shift their thinking
to embrace more fully the "Principles of Learning" and
educational philosophy that form the foundation
of education in British Columbia.
Through workshops, seminars, directed study, school observations, and
classroom teaching and participation
in school routines and programs, recertifying
teachers
wiJl: 1) develop skills in reflective practice, 2) explore various educational
issues related to the caring for children and the creation
of learning communities
appropriate to the diversity
of learners in
Be
schools, and 3) undertake exploration of
human development and learning in the school. Stress is placed on approaches to
individuaJizing instruction and
to integrating the curriculum in different subject areas.
rvIajor emphasis is placed on an exploration of the cultural, social and political
contexts
of schooling and on the impact that culture has on learning and teaching.
Recertifying teachers will spend time in classrooms exploring the importance of
connected learning experiences for children.
EDUC
406 is a supervised orientation/observation/teaching sequence of ten to
twelve weeks in a
Be
public school. The practicum experience is designed as an
opportunity for recertifying teachers to continue their familiarization of schools and
students,
of the British Columbia
school
system, and to update their teaching skills.
Applicants
to.PQP must be admissible to the University. See "Admission and
Readmission." Candidates who have not attended
SFU previously, or who have not
attended any
of three semesters prior to intended registration must apply online to
(http://students.sfu.ca/paD for undergraduate admission. Applicants must also
provide Professional Program's Admissions Office with a letter from the
Beer
stating that they have been recommended for enroJlment in PQP or a similar program.
The Admissions Office of Professional Programs in the Faculty of Education should
receive PQP application forms
by
September 15. An interview is required.
Y.
TO: seus
SINION
FRASER
UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF
EDUCATION
l\IEl\-IOR~'1DUl\tl
FROl'vI: Dr. David Paterson
Director
Undergraduate Programs
RE: Calendar Changes 2006/2007
DATE: October 25, 2005
The following are the calendar changes that have been passed
by
the Faculty of
Education.
1) New Minor Proposal
French Edu<;ation
.,
'I.
l\1inor in French Education
Undergraduate Programs, Faculty
of Education
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Campus
Anticipated program start:
Summer of2006
Aims, goals, objectives:
Provide Education students who intend to becon1e French teachers (Francophone,
Core French or Immersion) with
a significantly enhanced French component, taught in
French,
of
-
their overall professional preparation.
Contribution to strategic mandate of institution:
Since April 2004, Simon Fraser University has been host to the Office of
Francophone and Francophile Affairs (OFFA), an entity whose mission
is
to develop and
coordinate university-level programs
in French language. OFF
A
was the result of a
collaborative effort
by SFU, Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the Federation des
Francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB). Jointly funded
by the Federal
Ministry
of Canadian Heritage (PCH), and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education, it
was established to respond to the francophone and
.
Francophile communities' wishes to
have access to post-secondary education
in French in
Be,
and to address the issue of an
imminent shortage of Immersion and Core French teachers in the province.
Target audience:
Students who intend to become French teachers (either
in
Francophone schools,
Core French or Immersion) and are presently either preparing to enter or finishing
PDP,
whether in the French Module or otherwise.
Content: Minor in French Education
Lower division courses:
• 3 Lower Division credits in Education
• 6 Lower Division credits in Fren.ch (200 level)
Upper Division requirements
• EDUC 380 Introduction
to
Teaching French in Canadian Contexts
• EDUC 480 Designs for Learning: French as a Secondary Language
.2!
• EDUC 48i Designs for Learning: French Immersion Programs and Francophone
Schools
Plus
two of (both must be taught in French)
• EDUC 414 Designs For Learning: Secondary Social Studies
• EDUC
415 Designs For Learning: Secondary Mathenlatics
10.
.
~
•.
~
EDUC 474 Designs For Learning: Elementary Social Studies
• EDUC 476 Designs For Learning: Elen1entary Science
• EDUC
475 Designs For Learning: Elementary
~lathematics
Students accepted into the "Explore" program at Universite Laval may
apply one accepted course to\vards the minor program (these courses are recognized by
BeCT)
providing these students are not in their graduating semester:
• DID 18200 Didactics of Oral French
• DID 1820 I Didactics of Written French
Linkages between
learning outcomes and curriculum design:
The Laval option would
be strongly recommended in that it provides students
with an opportunity
to experience firsthand genuine aspects of French Canadian culture
and language,
and practice with the use of French
in
daily life.
Delivery methods and anticipated completion time:
Courses could be taken before entering
PDP (EDUC 380), or during the Summer
semester
as
Par:! ofEDUC 404.
Enrolment plan for program:
Students
will be made aware of this new Minor through promotional leaflets,
reference
to the OFF A website, e-mail and through student advisors in the Faculty of
Education, the French department and other relevant communications. The minor ""ill
also be announced to all students registered in PDP for 05-06.
Evidence of student interest and market demand:
Students graduating from the French Module readily find employment. School Districts
offering Immersion programs recruit even the
Core French students to supply to the
demand for French Immersion teachers. This
B. Ed as a second degree, Minor in French
Education constitutes a more thorough French language preparation for teachers entering
the market and
will be a genuine asset to qualifying students.
Name title phone and e-mail address
of institutional contact person (A VPA)
Dr Bill Krane, Associate Vice-President Academic, 604-291-4636,
\villiam kranermsfu.ca
Or
alternately,
Danielle Arcand, Associate Director,
Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs,
604-268-6866, darcandrmsfu.ca
I/.
Minor in French Education
Th
i
s m
i
n
o
r
p
ro
v
ide
s o
p
p
ortuniti
e
s
t
o
e
x
pl
o
r
e
c
onte
mpora
;y s
ec
o
nd langua
g
e te
a
ching
a
nd
k
a
rn
i
ng theory as well as experientiall
y
b
a
s
e
d approach
e
s to french
language
curriculum
d
e
velopment and
instructional
design so
that
cul
t
urally
informed
and appropriate
pr
ac
tices
can be
devel
o
ped and us
e
d
in
fr
enc
h cla
ss
rooms.
Lower Division
requirements
Students
must
complete
3 Lower Division
cr
e
dits
in
Education as
well
as 6 Lower
Di
v
ision
credits
at
the
200 level
in French
(
o
r demon
s
trate an
equivalent
knowledge
of
the
language)
Upper Division requirements
• EDUC 380-4
Introduction
to Teaching French
in
Canadian Context
s
• EDUC 480-4
Designs for
Learning: French as a Secondary
Language
or
• EDUC
4
81-4
Designs for
Learning: French Immersion Programs
and
Francophone Schools
Plus
two
of
(both must be taught in French
)
• EDUC 414-4
• EDUC 415-4
• EDUC 474-4
• EDUC 476-4
• EDUC 475-4
NOTE
Designs
for Learning: Secondary Social
Studies
Designs for
Learning: Secondary Mathematics
Designs for
Learning: Elementary
Social Studies
Designs for
Learning:
E
lementary
Science
Designs
for Learning:
Elementary Mathematics
A
l
though
not
a
requirement
,
students are str
o
ngly
encouraged to
apply
for the
"Explore
"
French as a second language
program.
A
bur
s
ary
is
a
v
ailable
through the
Ministry of
Education's french Programs
branch
for thi
s
linguistic
and cultural experience
in
a
francophone s
e
tting.
SFU
has an official agr
e
ement with Laval University
to
complement
the bursary program
at
University
Laval
'
s Language
School
(ELUL)
with specially
d
e
s
i
gned
methodology
courses
that
students can
take
while
on location
at
Laval
University
in
Quebec
city. Therefore
student
s
accepted
into the "Explore" program
at
Laval
may
apply one accepted
cour
se
b
e
lo
w
towards the minor
program.
These cours
e
s
ar
e
recognized
by British Columbia
College
o
f
Teacher
s
as part of
the requirement
s
for
t
e
acher certification.
• DID
18200 Didactics
of Oral
F
rench
•
DID
1820
I
Didactics of Writt
e
n
Fr
e
n
c
h
Either
of the
se
two cours
e
s would
replace
EDUC 380
Introduction to
Teaching French in
Canadian Contexts as part
of
the
minor requir
e
ments.
/2.
