Description of ESCalate project related to CPD for serving teachers, provided by HEIs. Includes cases studies and paper. Discusses support for CPD and views of CDP from teachers and senior managers
The OFSTED report CPD for Teachers in Schools (2002) reported that:
'The narrow perception that professional development always involves off-site activity, such as attendance at a course hosted by the LEA, is gradually being replaced by a wider and more comprehensive view of CPD' (para 25).
The principal element of this wider perspective is the concept of the 'learning profession' - within which teachers would routinely be engaged in CPD, and part of a stimulating and vigorous culture of professional enquiry and improvement. Moreover, an objective of the DfEE CPD Strategy (DfEE:
2001) is to identify the characteristics and conditions of schools which function as professional learning communities (para 4).
In the early years of the new century the UK government has introduced CPD policies and processes which give more autonomy to teachers and schools than in periods when INSET was circumscribed by earmarked funding schemes such as TRIST, GRIST and LEATGS. The prime example of this approach to CPD is the Best Practice Research Scholarship scheme within which teachers can research their own environment. There may be a link between this new covenant between teachers and UK funding for CPD and an emerging trend for schools to generate new models of 'bespoke' CPD and teacher research. In my own region there are a range of initiatives.
At one end of this spectrum a school has appointed a 'reader' undertaking a similar function to readers in universities and colleges. Another LEA has formed its own investigative learning set for leadership; a county-wide school initiative has paired pupils and teachers as co-researchers, a

cluster of schools have invested in a physical learning centre independent of its LEA.
These enterprises are not readily adaptable to award-bearing courses at universities and colleges.
However, there is consistent pressure on higher education from schools and teachers to accredit the outcomes of these activities.
This ESCalate project aims to identify describe, distinguish and disseminate examples of HEIs working with schools seeking to be learning organisations. It is designed to provide the teacher education community with current examples of pedagogy and programme organisation in partnerships between schools and HEIs.
To disseminate principles and practices in HEIs that are designed to facilitate learning communities in schools and the teaching profession.
The project has two principal phases. During the first phase we will conduct interviews with pairs of key staff involved in up to 8 partnerships between HEIs and schools. The pairs will comprise a key staff member in an HEI and a headteacher or CPD co-ordinator in a partner school. The representative spread of this set of interviews will attempt to involve each of the 4 UK countries, and, if possible the primary and secondary sectors. We will also seek to identify a special school as a case study. This phase will last until September 2003 during which time either the HEI staff or the ESCalate researcher and the project leader will write up the case study descriptions and post them on the Learning Exchange web site.
The second phase will involve the preparation and staging of a seminar at Oxford Brookes
University in September 2003. The case study partnerships will present at the seminar. There will be 50-80 delegate places at the seminar. Following this, a summary paper will be prepared for the
Learning Exchange.

6-8 written case studies of about 3000-4000 words illustrating contemporary practice designed to facilitate learning communities in schools and the teaching profession. After editing, each case study will be posted on the Learning Exchange.
Seminar in September 2003 at Oxford Brookes University.
Case studies to accumulate on Learning Exchange up to November 2003
1.
Briefly, how would you describe the context of the school?
2.
What does the term 'professional learning community' mean to you? (for example: is it classroombased research initiated by staff? Other?)
3.
How does the school context affect the conditions for a professional learning community? (for example: a new school, or a substantial turnover of staff creating conditions for the professional development of new middle managers)
4.
What type of Continual Professional Development (CPD) takes place in a professional learning community?
5.
Why is such CPD undertaken? (for example: to help teachers own teaching, senior management, the school community?)
6.
How would you describe the balance between formal and informal CPD activities. Do you think some are valued more than others? Which?
7.
Who does the research? (volunteers, conscripts, specialists, outsiders?)
8.
How does CPD relate to everyday processes in the maintenance of learning, teaching and the curriculum?#
9.
How does the CPD undertaken relate to the School development plan (SDP) and the (?) EDP?
10.
What characterises staff who initiate their own projects?
11.
What do teachers report about the benefits or otherwise of participating in such a learning community?
12.
Day, (2000) suggests that we live in a climate where initiative in CPD is encouraged. In general, do you find this is so? Are recommendations and findings considered seriously? Implemented?
13.
What have been the constraints or otherwise on the creation and maintenance of this CPD climate
/ culture?
14.
Who has ownership and control of the work?
15.
Who sustains the learning community how is momentum maintained?
16.
What do you feel about the time needed to do CPD yourself, including time necessary for follow up?
17.
How has work relating to CPD impacted on you in terms of how you feel about yourself, your role and your career overall?

If you would like to become involved in the project contact
David Wood - Director of CPD at the Institute of Education, Oxford Brookes University
Tel 0117 3314290
Email dwood@brookes.ac.uk
Or julie.anderson@bristol.ac.uk
Tel 0117 9000 7044