AGQTP logo | direct grants to schools | PEARL | 2007 Activities

Objectives

The objectives of the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme are to:

• equip teachers with the skills and knowledge need for teaching in the 21st century;
• provide national leadership in high priority areas of teacher professional need; and
• improve the professional standing of school teachers and leaders.

The AISV AGQTP project provides funding for professional learning activities for teachers through school-based professional learning projects. All currently practicing school teachers are eligible to participate in AGQTP activities. For more information about the guidelines go to Guidelines for participation in the AISV AGQTP 2008 Project (below) .
Independent schools have a commitment to the National Goals of Schooling, a growing awareness of the changing nature of schooling and a firm desire to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge needed for teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Core Principles

Core principles around which AISV AGQTP teacher professional learning activities are designed include:

• Basing activities on established and effective professional learning principles;
• Being responsive to local needs;
• Building strategic partnerships;
• Equitable access to all independent schools;
• Efficient administration;
• Accountability and transparency; and
• Exploring and supporting programme synergies with other government and non-government activities.

Professional Learning

The areas of professional learning AISV AGQTP Activities will focus on include:

• Developing knowledge and skills in successful contemporary pedagogies to better meet the needs of students;
• Developing knowledge and skills within and across subject-specific domains such as ICT and e-learning;
• Supporting embedded professional learning as an integral aspect of daily work within schools;
• Developing the knowledge and skills to design and implement data collection tools, and to analyse and evaluate the data to improve teacher practice and student outcomes;
• Supporting teachers as members of learning teams within their schools, and as members of learning communities; and
• Investigating and supporting programme synergies with other government and non-government activities.

The AISV identified these areas of professional learning on the basis of research, current sectoral, state and Australian Government policies and initiatives and teacher and school leader identified professional learning needs.  These include:

• In-depth evaluation of the AISV 2004-05 Project;
• Commitment to the National Goals of Schooling and Australian Government priorities;
• State initiatives, such as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards;
• Identification of whole-school effective professional learning initiatives; and
• Analysis of teacher-needs survey distributed to all independent schools.

The AISV professional learning strategy focuses on school-based teacher renewal and teacher learning teams. A set of Principles for Effective Professional Learning has been developed as a result of the evaluation of the AISV 2004-05 AGQTP Project and research conducted by the AISV. These principles can be read at Research-Based Principles of Effective Professional Learning (below) .

Acknowledgement

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
For further information go to DEST AGQTP Client Guidelines

Downloads

• New Leaders - Future's Child (Windows Media Player)
• New Leaders - Future's Child (MPEG – for Mac Users - right click to download)
• AGQTP Summer Schools Expression of Interest 2008
• Guidelines for the AISV AGQTP 2008 school-based project
• Research-based principles of effective professional learning