The Ontario government has introduced Bill 78, labeled the “Student Performance” bill. The government states that the bill, which contains several substantive amendments to the Education Act and the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, is intended to support improved student performance.
Highlights of the bill include:
- The introduction of a New Teacher Induction Program (“NTIP”), which includes the replacement of pen and paper qualification tests with mentoring and classroom experience for new teachers. Successful completion of the NTIP would require two satisfactory teacher performance appraisals.
- Authorization of e-learning as a recognized instructional method.
- An increase in the number of professional activity days for teachers.
- Removal of teacher workload minimums from legislation.
- Enabling legislation to permit the government to set provincial outcomes and require boards to meet those outcomes.
- Ability to change maximimum class size.
- Ability to negotiate four-year teacher collective agreements.