Review Process

The Council of the Ontario College of Teachers approved the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession in 1999 and the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession in 2000.

The Council, at that time, recognized that the standards need to reflect the evolving nature of the profession and consequently passed a motion to review the standards of practice and the ethical standards after five years. This review process was completed in 2006.

The ethical standards and the standards of practice have become a catalyst for much discussion and debate about the nature of teaching and the profession.

This ongoing discussion, the research studies, academic papers and articles, combined with the ongoing use of the standards within teacher education, have also provided a rich database of information related to the identification of potential areas for revision of the standards.

Members of the College, educational partners, parents/guardians, students and the public have had the opportunity to participate in the review of the standards.

A series of structured data gathering activities over the past two years have provided additional insights into both the strengths and the limitations of the ethical standards and the standards of practice.

Data was collected during the review through the following:

• a standards review questionnaire
• a standards review discussion booklet
• structured focus groups and consultations
• written submissions and position papers
• standards casework.

The review was conducted in five phases:

• Phase 1 Background Research and Analysis
• Phase 2 Consultation
• Phase 3 Data Analysis and Development of Revised Draft
• Phase 4 Validation: Provincial Vetting of Revised Draft and Development of Final Draft
• Phase 5 Implementation: Communication and Dissemination of Final Draft.

Council approved the revised standards on June 9, 2006.