The CPD Network consists of representatives from the CPD teams in every Scottish local authority as well as key organisations such as the Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration (SCSSA), the TAC team, and the SQA. The team is active in supporting these organisations in their management and delivery of CPD by frequent meetings, working groups, conferences and visits.
For several years now, the team has been responsible for identifying key thinkers in education and encouraging them to contribute to Scottish education. These 'thought leaders' include leading figures such as Terry Dozier, Richard Elmore and Ellen Moir.
CPD Scotland is a National CPD Team project committed to creating, and maintaining, an online CPD space for educators in Scotland. As well as the CPD Scotland website, the project includes:
Much of the work of the CPD team is grounded in the Professional Standards (see the GTCS website for more information). Continuum will become a self-evaluation toolkit looking across more than one of the Standards, against which teachers can reflect on the development of their skills and abilities in the leadership of learning.
Ambitious, Excellent Schools recognised that excellent schools are driven by high quality leadership and that inspirational school leaders make a lasting difference to the lives of generations of young people and to whole communities.
Consequently, strengthening educational leadership across Scotland remains a key priority for all of us in the Scottish educational community.
Find out more on this work in our Leadership section.
The Scottish Executive is currently funding a Flexible Routes pilot programme providing choice and flexibility for participants en route to achieving the Standard for Headship. The CPD team, in conjunction with SEED and GTCS, has been involved in the piloting of this initiative.
Evidence suggests that the development of a coaching/mentoring culture in educational establishments can make a significant contribution to the improvement of teaching and learning. Coaching and mentoring involves a continuum of practice, a range of skills and a broad spectrum of approaches. The National CPD team is responding to feedback from school and authority colleagues and is currently working on a paper to help clarify thinking and practice in this area. This paper is due to be published in summer 2007.
Find out more on this work in the Spotlight section.
The CPD team is helping to advise on the CPD strategy of the rollout of Curriculum for Excellence at a national and local level.
The CPD framework (published in 2003) was a key document in the framing of CPD policies throughout Scottish education. At the request of SEED, the CPD team has been helping revise the framework to take account of recent practice. This is due for publication in summer 2007.
More information about the CPD framework can be found on our National documents page.
This is a key part of all our work in CPD. The CPD team examines and promotes mechanisms for measuring the impact of CPD. It is intended to publish an occasional paper in this area in the near future.
Key partners in the CPD process in Scottish education are the universities and the wide variety of CPD providers who contribute so much CPD to a large numbers of educators. The CPD team is involved in supporting these providers and making information on their opportunities available.
Over the coming months, the CPD team will be undertaking:
If you have any questions about educational CPD in Scotland please use the feedback form provided or send an email to cpdanswers@LTScotland.org.uk
In association with Education Scotland