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O. Reg. 270/01: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMITTEE AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING REQUIREMENTS

under Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c. 12

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revoked or spent December 16, 2004
March 11, 2002 December 15, 2004

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Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996

ONTARIO REGULATION 270/01

Amended to S.O. 2004, c. 26, s. 11

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMITTEE AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING REQUIREMENTS

Note: This Regulation was revoked on December 16, 2004. See: S.O. 2004, c. 26, s. 11.

This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.

Committee

1. (1) The members of the Professional Learning Committee shall be appointed as soon as reasonably possible in accordance with subsection 24.1 (2) of the Act. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (1).

(2) A person appointed to the Professional Learning Committee by the Council under clause 24.1 (2) (b) of the Act shall continue to be a member of the Committee until the first meeting of the next Council. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (2).

(3) The Professional Learning Committee shall elect a Chair from among its members. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (3).

(4) The Professional Learning Committee shall elect a vice-chair from among its members. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (4).

(5) In the absence of the Chair of the Professional Learning Committee, the vice-chair shall temporarily act as and have all the powers of the Chair. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (5).

(6) In the absence of the Chair and vice-chair, the Professional Learning Committee shall elect a person from among its members to temporarily act as and have all the powers of the Chair. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (6).

(7) The Chair of the Professional Learning Committee may vote at meetings of the Committee with the other members of the Committee upon all motions, and any motion on which there is an equality of votes is lost. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 1 (7).

Quorum

2. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a quorum of the Professional Learning Committee is a majority of the number of positions on the Committee, whether or not one or more of the positions is vacant. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 2 (1).

(2) A quorum of the Professional Learning Committee is not constituted unless at least one of the members of the Committee participating in the meeting is a person appointed to the Committee under subclause 24.1 (2) (b) (ii) of the Act. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 2 (2).

Vacancies

3. (1) The seat of a member of the Professional Learning Committee becomes vacant if the member dies, resigns from the Committee or, if the member is a member of the Council, resigns from the Council or is disqualified from sitting on the Council. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (1).

(2) For the purposes of this Regulation, the resignation of a member of the Professional Learning Committee from the Committee is effective when received by the Registrar or the Chair of the Committee. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (2).

(3) If the seat of a member of the Professional Learning Committee appointed by the Council under clause 24.1 (2) (b) of the Act becomes vacant before the member’s term has expired, the Executive Committee shall, as soon as reasonably possible, appoint a member to fill the vacancy. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (3).

(4) In filling a vacancy under subsection (3), the Executive Committee shall ensure that the requirements of clause 24.1 (2) (b) of the Act are complied with. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (4).

(5) Within 10 days of a vacancy on the Professional Learning Committee arising, the Registrar shall,

(a) notify the Executive Committee that the vacancy has arisen;

(b) if the member whose seat is vacant had been appointed by the Minister under clause 24.1 (2) (a) or subsection 24.1 (6) of the Act, notify the Minister that the vacancy has arisen;

(c) provide the Executive Committee with the information that it needs in order to be able to fill the vacancy under subsection (3); and

(d) draw the attention of the Executive Committee to its obligation under subsection (3) to act expeditiously. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (5).

(6) A person appointed under subsection (3) by the Executive Committee shall hold office until the former Professional Learning Committee member’s term would have expired. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (6).

(7) A person who is suspended under subsection 6 (3) of Ontario Regulation 72/97 from his or her office as member of the Council is also suspended from his or her office as member of the Professional Learning Committee. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (7).

(8) A person appointed to the Professional Learning Committee by the Council under subclause 24.1 (2) (b) (iii) of the Act who is the subject of a proceeding before the Discipline Committee or the Fitness to Practise Committee as a result of a referral under section 26 or 29 of the Act is suspended from his or her office as a member of the Professional Learning Committee pending the outcome of the proceeding. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (8).

(9) A person who is suspended under subsection (7) or (8) from his or her office as a member of the Professional Learning Committee shall not participate in any meeting or other proceeding of the Committee. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 3 (9).

Frequency of meetings

4. (1) The Professional Learning Committee shall meet at least once a year. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 4 (1).

(2) The Professional Learning Committee shall meet,

(a) when requested by the Chair;

(b) when requested in writing signed by a sufficient number of members to constitute a quorum under section 2;

(c) when requested by the Council; or

(d) when requested by the Executive Committee. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 4 (2).

Meeting

5. (1) A meeting of the Professional Learning Committee may be held by any means that permits every person participating in the meeting to communicate with each other simultaneously. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 5 (1).

(2) The Chair of the Professional Learning Committee shall ensure that minutes are,

(a) taken at each meeting;

(b) reviewed and approved at the meeting following the one at which they are taken; and

(c) signed by the Chair after approval. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 5 (2).

Providers

6. Any person or entity may apply to be approved by the Professional Learning Committee as a provider, including but not limited to the following persons or entities:

1. A faculty of education of a post-secondary educational institution or of any other body.

2. A board as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Education Act.

3. A teacher federation.

4. A person or entity in the private sector. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 6.

Minimum course criteria

7. For the purposes of the definition of “minimum course criteria” in section 1 of the Act and subsection 24.4 (1) of the Act, the minimum criteria that a course shall meet in order to be approved as a professional learning course are the following:

1. The course content and outcomes expected of members who take the professional learning course as proposed by the provider applying for approval for that course match,

i. the skills and knowledge reflected in the professional standards approved and issued by the College, and

ii. the standards established by the Professional Learning Committee or by the regulations for measuring the outcomes expected of members who take the professional learning course as proposed by the provider applying for approval for that course.

2. The course will contribute to student achievement.

3. The course includes a formal testing or assessment mechanism to confirm that the member has passed the course requirements. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 7.

Categories of courses

8. For the purposes of clause 24.6 (2) (a) of the Act, the seven categories of professional learning courses are the following:

1. Curriculum.

2. Student assessment.

3. Special education.

4. Teaching strategies.

5. Classroom management and leadership.

6. Use of technology.

7. Communication with parents and students. O. Reg. 270/01, s. 8.

Courses completed outside of five-year period

9. (1) A course approved as a professional learning course under clause 24.1 (8) (b) or 24.3 (1) (b) of the Act that is successfully completed by a member is deemed to be a professional learning course successfully completed by the member during his or her first five-year period if the member completes the course during the period,

(a) that commences on or after the later of,

(i) June 30, 2001, and

(ii) the day the member receives a new certificate of qualification and registration under the Act; and

(b) that ends before the commencement of the member’s first five-year period. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(2) A course approved as a professional learning course under clause 24.1 (8) (b) or 24.3 (1) (b) of the Act that is successfully completed by a member during a calendar year for which the member is exempt from the application of section 24.6 of the Act is deemed to be a professional learning course successfully completed by the member during the five-year period next ending after the member ceases to be exempt. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

Exemption, retired member

10. (1) A member who is retired and who receives pension benefits under a retirement plan at any time in a calendar year is exempt from the application of section 24.6 of the Act for that calendar year. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(2) Every member who is exempt under subsection (1) shall notify the Registrar no later than June 30 before the end of the period that would otherwise be the member’s first five-year period ending after he or she retires and shall provide such material as the Registrar may require to verify that the member qualifies for the exemption. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(3) If the member provides the notice to the Registrar required under subsection (2), the member’s five-year periods referred to in section 24.6 of the Act exclude all calendar years for which the member is exempt under subsection (1). O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

Other exemptions

11. (1) A member who belongs to one of the following classes of members is exempt from the application of section 24.6 of the Act for one or more calendar years, as determined under subsection (2):

1. Members employed in teaching positions who are on an extended leave approved by the appropriate employer for a period of at least four consecutive calendar months.

2. Members who work in a non-teaching position for which they are not required to be members for a period of at least four consecutive calendar months.

3. Members who are not employed for a period of at least four consecutive calendar months. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(2) A member described in subsection (1) is exempt for each calendar year that includes the last day of a period of 12 consecutive calendar months that satisfies the following rules:

1. The period of 12 consecutive calendar months starts,

(i) on the first day of the first full calendar month of the period of at least four consecutive calendar months referred to in subsection (1), or

(ii) on the day that is an annual anniversary of the day described in subclause (i).

2. The period of 12 consecutive calendar months includes a period of at least four consecutive calendar months throughout which the member is on the extended leave, working in the non-teaching position or is not employed, as the case may be. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

Calculation of five-year period

12. (1) If a member is exempt under section 11 for one or more calendar years, the member may apply to the Registrar to exclude those years in the calculation of the member’s five-year period referred to in section 24.6 of the Act. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(2) An application under subsection (1) must be made to the Registrar no later than June 30 before the end of the period that would otherwise be the member’s first five-year period ending during or after the period for which the member is exempt under section 11. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(3) Upon the request of the Registrar, the member shall provide such material as the Registrar may require to verify the member’s exemption and the calendar year or years for which the member is exempt. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(4) If the member makes an application to the Registrar under subsection (1) and provides any material required under subsection (3), the Registrar shall notify the member of the day on which the member’s five-year period ends for the purposes of section 24.6 of the Act. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

(5) For the purposes of determining a day referred to in subsection (4), the member’s five-year period for the purposes of section 24.6 of the Act excludes all calendar years for which the Registrar verifies that the member is exempt under section 11. O. Reg. 79/02, s. 1.

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