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TAs join the team

By Learning Forward
Categories: Teacher leadership
June 2011
Vol. 32 No. 3
 Teachers in the United Kingdom are often supported in the classroom by teaching assistants (TAs) — paraprofessionals whose roles have changed significantly in the last several years. The 2003 National Agreement: Raising Standards and Tackling Workload, known as the workforce remodeling initiative (DES, 2003), was designed to raise standards in schools in England and Wales by reducing unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy for teachers. The National Agreement was intended to allow teachers to devote more time to teaching and learning, and at the same time open up more roles for teaching assistants to support teachers.   These changes have had an impact on classroom teachers and the leadership roles they play. UK government figures show that the number of support staff working in schools in England more than

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Authors

Jill Morgan and Betty Y. Ashbaker

Jill Morgan ([email protected]) is senior lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University, Wales, United Kingdom. Betty Y. Ashbaker ([email protected]) is associate professor of counseling psychology and special education at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. 

References

Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Martin, C., Russell, A., & Webster, R. (2009, August). Deployment and impact of support staff in schools. London: Department for Children, Schools, and Families. Available at www.schoolsupportstaff.net/DISSpubs.html.

Department for Education and Skills. (2003, January). Raising standards and tackling workload: A national agreement. London: Author.

Estyn. (2007, March). The impact of workforce remodelling on pupils’ learning and raising standards. Cardiff, Wales: Author. 

Giangreco, M.F. (2003, October). Working with paraprofessionals. Educational Leadership, 61(2), 50-53.

Morgan, J. & Ashbaker, B.Y. (2011). Teachers supervising teaching assistants: Reflections from the United Kingdom. DISES Newsletter, 21(2), 4-6.

Sergiovanni, T. & Starratt, R. (1993). Supervision: A redefinition (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Steckelberg, A. & Vasa, S. (1998, March 31). Preservice and inservice training programs to prepare teachers to supervise and work more effectively with paraprofessional personnel. Paper presented at the meeting of the Council of Exceptional Children, Washington, DC.

Vincett, K., Cremin, H., & Thomas, G. (2005). Teachers & assistants working together. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Weller, R. (1971). Verbal communication in instructional supervision. New York: Teachers College Press.


Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.


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