Professional learning and development – the story so far

From Term 4 onwards centrally-funded PLD will be allocated regionally, by allocation panels that include local sector representatives.

Communities of Learning (CoL), schools and kura will be able to apply for funding every term starting in Term 4.

If the proposal is approved, the CoL, school or kura will be allocated ‘contact hours’ with a facilitator and can select an accredited facilitator from the online database.

There’s more general information available on PLD on the Education services website(external link) 

Why is this change happening?

In 2013, the Government established a sector-led advisory group to provide advice on the future design of PLD. The group identified what was working well, plus a number of weaknesses of the PLD system. It recommended a new approach to PLD.

The Government took these findings on board, and in 2015 the Minister for Education, the Hon Hekia Parata, announced changes to the PLD system. Since then, the Ministry of Education has worked with sector leaders to design a system to deliver PLD which will:

• improve inquiry/evaluative capabilities
• understand what needs to change to lift student outcomes, including cultural responsiveness
• build new knowledge and transfer to practice
• develop more effective leadership for learning
• improve student achievement
• build educationally powerful connections.

What are the nuts and bolts of this new system?

From 2017 onwards centrally- funded PLD will be focused on building equity and excellence in a small number of National Priorities. National Priorities are areas where the Government wants to lift student outcomes. The national priorities for the next 3-5 years are:

• Pangarau/maths
• Putaiao/science
• Te reo matatini/reading and writing
• Digital fluency

This means that PLD must contribute to reducing variability and raising student achievement in one of those areas.

It is expected that through the inquiry process a school, kura or CoL will identify the core problems for student achievement in one or more of the priority areas. For example, there may be issues around leaders’ expectations of teachers and teachers’ expectations of learners, or a need to engage parents and whānau in promoting learning.