National partners
The Teachers' Agreement Communications Team (TAC Team)
The Teachers' Agreement Communications Team (TAC Team) is a joint initiative between the Scottish Executive, COSLA and Scottish local authorities. It is based in the COSLA offices in Edinburgh.
The aims of the team are to:
- ensure a strategic focus remains on the overall aims of the 'A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century' Agreement
- ensure that accurate, timely and consistent information on the Agreement is communicated and that good practice and the exchange of ideas are promoted
- identify barriers to implementation and ensure appropriate action is being taken
- review, monitor and report progress on implementation of the Agreement.
Further information can be found on the TAC team website
The Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration (SCSSA)
The Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration (SCSSA) has been providing professional development courses for senior staff in Scottish schools for more than 30 years. Established in 1972 by the then Scottish Education Department, it is an independent, national organisation offering CPD opportunities which are relevant to the practical needs of management staff and those aspiring to promoted posts. An important feature of the work of SCSSA has always been the involvement of a wide range of successful practitioners from schools as tutors and presenters.
The Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration (SCSSA) provides a national and international forum for professional development of leadership and management: participants come from every part of Scotland and a number of courses attract delegates from partner countries in Europe.
SCSSA has three aims:
- to organise courses of training for all those who have management responsibilities in schools
- to provide help and advice to anyone who has a management problem connected with a school
- to disseminate up-to-date information and to conduct research into the management of schools.
Further information is available on the SCSSA website
SQA Academy
SQA Academy is being developed to provide a source of high quality professional development training packages specifically tailored for SQA staff, appointees and centre staff. In addition to the online courses, SQA Academy hopes to provide opportunities for teachers to shadow experienced appointees. SQA believes that improved understanding of assessment and the assessment process will lead to enhanced quality and quality assurance of products and greater fairness to our candidates.
SQA Academy has three methods of engagement: online courses, blended learning courses and consultation web spaces. The introductory online courses are available for self-study without requiring registration. The blended learning courses include pre-workshop online learning, face-to-face workshops and a supportive environment after the course has been completed. In addition, the Academy site offers features to encourage discussion within the particular course area. The blended learning courses are made available, when running, by issuing an enrolment key to participants.
The consultation web spaces allow SQA to gather views on current issues from a wider range of SQA stakeholders. This online medium allows people to voice their opinions whenever it is most convenient for them. At the moment two consultations are running on SQA Academy: Curriculum for Excellence and the Core Skills Framework. To contribute to the discussion, after creating your own account on SQA Academy you will need to enter an 'enrolment key'. The enrolment key for the 'Curriculum for Excellence' web space is 'Excellence' and for the 'Core Skills for the Future' web space, the key is 'Framework'.
For more information please visit the SQA Academy website.