Niagara University in Ontario has been, and continues to be, committed to ongoing professional development for educators. We offer courses for Additional Qualifications (AQ), Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQ), Principals Qualifications Program (PQP), and Supervisory Officer Qualifications Program (SOQP).
Angela Marchese
Professional Development Coordinator - Ontario Education
Courses are delivered online using Canvas as the learning management system. Pedagogical inquiry/research is a component of the courses.
Candidates are responsible to the course instructor for all activities and assignments throughout the course as evidenced through the course outlines. The AQ and ABQ courses are based on a five-module approach with six tasks per module. In each module, the sixth task is connected to the candidate’s pedagogical inquiry/research project. Candidates are expected to successfully complete all course work by the end of the course session.
As mandated by OCT, all AQ and ABQ courses have been developed with a minimum expectation of 125 hours of course work. The duration of the courses is dependent on the session in which the courses are offered. Fall and Spring courses are approximately 10 weeks in duration. Summer sessions are shorter in duration: please refer to the schedule for the dates.
Please note that with the shorter courses, the workload remains the same, with an increased concentration of hours during the summer weeks needed to complete course work. Please refer to the schedule section for the duration of each session.
The final evaluation in a Niagara University in Ontario AQ and ABQ course is on a ‘satisfactory,’ ‘unsatisfactory,’ or ‘incomplete’ basis, and assessments are built-in throughout all the assignments to provide timely feedback to assist candidates in maintaining a satisfactory level of learning/work. Please note that a grade of ‘incomplete’ may only be given for specific circumstances according to Niagara’s incomplete grade policy.
Niagara’s AQ and ABQ courses are non-credit bearing, and are accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers. Candidates may view their grades through Self Service. If an official transcript is required, candidates may request the transcript. Please indicate that the transcript is for AQ or ABQ.
Niagara University in Ontario offers both parts of the PQP courses that are designed for teachers who wish to become school leaders and principals. Students that take both PQP courses are eligible to transfer these credits into NUO’s MS in Education Leadership.
The courses are delivered online using the Canvas learning management system. The PQP includes Part I, Part II, and a Leadership Practicum. Part I and Part II of the program are each 125 hours in length as per OCT requirements.
The final evaluation for PQP courses is on a ‘satisfactory,’ ‘unsatisfactory,’ or ‘incomplete’ basis, and assessments are built-in throughout all the assignments to provide timely feedback to assist candidates in maintaining a satisfactory level of learning/work. Please note that a grade of ‘incomplete’ may only be given for specific circumstances according to Niagara’s incomplete grade policy.
Candidates may view their grades through Self Service. If an official transcript is required, candidates may request a transcript.
The SOQP is designed to provide opportunities to enhance candidates’ professional knowledge, efficacy, capacities, and leadership resources from a system perspective. Candidates will critically explore effective processes for collaboratively working with a wide range of educators, families, caregivers, trustees, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and its affiliates, principal organizations, representatives from Ministries and stakeholders. Candidates will also have an opportunity to reflect on the role of the supervisory officer in relation to policies, legislation, and the regulatory context of publicly funded education (from OCT SOQP guideline, 2017).
The SOQP is comprised of five modules, one of which is a leadership practicum at the system level. Each module is 50 hours in length. Candidates must complete all five modules within five years of starting the first module.
| Session | Registration Ends | Session Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | Monday, September 11, 2023 | Week of Monday, September 18 through November 23, 2023 |
| Spring 1 | Monday, January 8, 2024 | Week of Tuesday, January 16 through March 22, 2024 |
| Spring 2 | Monday, March 25, 2024 | Week of Monday, April 1 through June 7, 2024 |
| Summer 1 | Monday, May 13, 2024 | Week of Monday, May 20 through June 28, 2024 |
| Summer 2 | Monday, June 24, 2024 | Week of Monday, July 1 through August 9, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | Monday, September 9, 2024 | Week of Monday, September 16 through November 22, 2024 |
Once a candidate has successfully completed the AQ or ABQ course, and if the candidate meets all of the necessary requirements at that time, Niagara University will make the recommendation to the Ontario College of Teachers to include the additional qualification to the candidate’s Certificate of Qualification. Niagara will do so at the end of two weeks after the completion of the course session.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to read and understand Ontario Regulation 176/10 and any other Ontario College of Teacher requirements. In addition, the Ontario College of Teachers may take from 6-8 weeks to process the AQ or ABQ.
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