Education Assistants and Teachers
Roles and Responsibilities in British Columbia
Outline of Presentation
Why Define Roles?
Ministry of Education
Collective Agreements
Outline of Presentation (cont)
Suggested Roles (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Expectations of Employer
General Responsibilities
Designing, Planning and Organizing
Program Delivery
Assessing Student Progress
Developing Supportive Environments
Outline of Presentation (cont)
Job Titles
Questions to Consider
Why Define Roles?
To better meet the needs of special education students
BC Provincial Review of Special Education
For clear expectations (ie. Training and credentials), staffing and wage purposes
For teaching assistant respect!
BC Ministry of Education Definitions
Teaching Assistant
Range of functions from personal care to assisting the teacher with instruction
Assist in the collection of data for evaluation
Teacher
Designs, supervises, implements and assesses program
Evaluates and reports to parents
BC Ministry of Education Definitions (cont)
Teaching Assistants
under general direction of a teacher
under supervision of an administrative officer (ie. Evaluates)
Collective Agreements
Collective agreement definitions on roles and responsibilities take precedence over other definitions
Expectations of the Employer: Suggested Roles (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Adequate resources
Suitable workspace
Access to information about the student (IEP) and about learning techniques
Inservice training
Adequate release time in order to prepare, develop, implement and monitor the IEP
General Responsibilities for T.A.s and Teachers (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Positive, respectful working relationship
Meet professional standards
Advocate for conditions of success for student
Advocate for protection of rights (human and legal) for student
Follow safety guidelines
Facilitate the inclusion of student
Encourage special needs student to become an independent learner
Designing, Planning and Organizing(as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Program Design and Activities: Gathers and shares performance and behaviour information with teacher, (teacher designs program and IEP).
Modifications: Adapts strategies to accommodate individual student, (teacher determines modifications).
Resources: Assists with the development of instructional learning resources, (teacher provides resources, monitors and advocates for resources for TA).
Reviews using teacher/team developed strategies, (teacher reviews and reinforces).
Designing, Planning and Organizing(as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants (cont)
Goals: Assists students with activities, monitors and reports to teacher/team, (teacher develops goals).
Community: Supports learning in community-based settings, (teacher designs goals).
Priorities: Follows priority plan and updates teacher on implementation, (teacher establishes priorities).
Discipline: Follows teachers discipline plan, while being consistent with expectations for student (IEP), (teacher provides discipline plan).
Program Delivery (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Instruction: Facilitates student learning, (teacher instructs and facilitates).
Behaviour: Implements demonstrated techniques and reports to teacher, (teacher develops behaviour program and models techniques).
Techniques: Implements, (teacher defines techniques).
Workplace: Monitors effectiveness and reports to teacher and/or Admin. Officer, (teacher seeks assistance of administrative officer to provide a workplace for the teacher assistant).
Assessing Student Progress (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Informal (functional): Assists the teacher, (teacher ensures profiles are current).
Meetings: Attends meetings during the day, (teacher convenes/attends meetings).
Documents: Assists in the collection of data, (teacher evaluates according to IEP).
Parents: Provides information to teacher, (teacher reports to parents).
Records: Assists in maintaining records, (teacher maintains records).
Developing Supportive Environments (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants and Teachers
Workplace Concerns: Documents and shares
Policies & Procedures: Remains current, monitors implementation, shares information
Discuss concerns to facilitate early problem solving through informal and regularly scheduled workday meetings
Follow school/district safety guidelines
Developing Supportive Environments (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistant
Personal and Health Care Routines: carries out, (teacher shares information on an as need basis)
Carries out specific procedures only if appropriate training has been provided, (teacher requests that appropriate training is provided)
Follows all established reporting procedures
Job Titles
CUPE B.C. is seeking to standardize job titles to Education Assistant in order to reflect current employment relationships as reflected in CUPE B.C. collective agreements
Questions to Consider
Is the TA/EA role outlined here an expanded or contracted role compared to what you do presently?
Would changing roles be positive or negative?
Conclusion
Defining roles for Education Assistants can help special needs students.
Defining roles for Education Assistants can lead to increased job security, higher wages and RESPECT!
Opeiu491/apk; Research/National School Board/Education Assistants/Education Assistants and Teachers
Roles and Responsibilities in British Columbia
Outline of Presentation
Why Define Roles?
Ministry of Education
Collective Agreements
Outline of Presentation (cont)
Suggested Roles (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Expectations of Employer
General Responsibilities
Designing, Planning and Organizing
Program Delivery
Assessing Student Progress
Developing Supportive Environments
Outline of Presentation (cont)
Job Titles
Questions to Consider
Why Define Roles?
To better meet the needs of special education students
BC Provincial Review of Special Education
For clear expectations (ie. Training and credentials), staffing and wage purposes
For teaching assistant respect!
BC Ministry of Education Definitions
Teaching Assistant
Range of functions from personal care to assisting the teacher with instruction
Assist in the collection of data for evaluation
Teacher
Designs, supervises, implements and assesses program
Evaluates and reports to parents
BC Ministry of Education Definitions (cont)
Teaching Assistants
under general direction of a teacher
under supervision of an administrative officer (ie. Evaluates)
Collective Agreements
Collective agreement definitions on roles and responsibilities take precedence over other definitions
Expectations of the Employer: Suggested Roles (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Adequate resources
Suitable workspace
Access to information about the student (IEP) and about learning techniques
Inservice training
Adequate release time in order to prepare, develop, implement and monitor the IEP
General Responsibilities for T.A.s and Teachers (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)
Positive, respectful working relationship
Meet professional standards
Advocate for conditions of success for student
Advocate for protection of rights (human and legal) for student
Follow safety guidelines
Facilitate the inclusion of student
Encourage special needs student to become an independent learner
Designing, Planning and Organizing(as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Program Design and Activities: Gathers and shares performance and behaviour information with teacher, (teacher designs program and IEP).
Modifications: Adapts strategies to accommodate individual student, (teacher determines modifications).
Resources: Assists with the development of instructional learning resources, (teacher provides resources, monitors and advocates for resources for TA).
Reviews using teacher/team developed strategies, (teacher reviews and reinforces).
Designing, Planning and Organizing(as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants (cont)
Goals: Assists students with activities, monitors and reports to teacher/team, (teacher develops goals).
Community: Supports learning in community-based settings, (teacher designs goals).
Priorities: Follows priority plan and updates teacher on implementation, (teacher establishes priorities).
Discipline: Follows teachers discipline plan, while being consistent with expectations for student (IEP), (teacher provides discipline plan).
Program Delivery (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Instruction: Facilitates student learning, (teacher instructs and facilitates).
Behaviour: Implements demonstrated techniques and reports to teacher, (teacher develops behaviour program and models techniques).
Techniques: Implements, (teacher defines techniques).
Workplace: Monitors effectiveness and reports to teacher and/or Admin. Officer, (teacher seeks assistance of administrative officer to provide a workplace for the teacher assistant).
Assessing Student Progress (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants
Informal (functional): Assists the teacher, (teacher ensures profiles are current).
Meetings: Attends meetings during the day, (teacher convenes/attends meetings).
Documents: Assists in the collection of data, (teacher evaluates according to IEP).
Parents: Provides information to teacher, (teacher reports to parents).
Records: Assists in maintaining records, (teacher maintains records).
Developing Supportive Environments (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistants and Teachers
Workplace Concerns: Documents and shares
Policies & Procedures: Remains current, monitors implementation, shares information
Discuss concerns to facilitate early problem solving through informal and regularly scheduled workday meetings
Follow school/district safety guidelines
Developing Supportive Environments (as agreed by BCTF and CUPE BC)for Teaching Assistant
Personal and Health Care Routines: carries out, (teacher shares information on an as need basis)
Carries out specific procedures only if appropriate training has been provided, (teacher requests that appropriate training is provided)
Follows all established reporting procedures
Job Titles
CUPE B.C. is seeking to standardize job titles to Education Assistant in order to reflect current employment relationships as reflected in CUPE B.C. collective agreements
Questions to Consider
Is the TA/EA role outlined here an expanded or contracted role compared to what you do presently?
Would changing roles be positive or negative?
Conclusion
Defining roles for Education Assistants can help special needs students.
Defining roles for Education Assistants can lead to increased job security, higher wages and RESPECT!
Opeiu491/apk; Research/National School Board/Education Assistants/Education Assistants and Teachers