First Correlation Meeting:
Further investigation by Bill Phillips and Elder Walton found that there had been no real cooperative organization between CES, BYU-Hawaii, and BYU-Provo relating to how the ITEP program should go forth. John Jeffrey, the CES Area Director in Australia, was contacted and a list of concerns and recommendations were presented to him outlining the problems and recommended solutions to the problems with respect to the ITEP program. It was recommended that there needed to be a correlation meeting including all of the TDCs, Dan Andersen, Roy Winstead, Bill Phillips, Elder Walton, and representatives from BYU-Provo. At this meeting the problems could be better dealt with and resolved. John Jeffrey approved such a meeting and recommended that it be held in Fiji the latter part of May. The meeting was held on May 22 through 24 1997 in Fiji, at the Toka-Toka Resort at Nadi. (See Appendix # 2 for a copy of agenda and minutes of the meeting).
For the first time representatives of the Church Education System (CES), Brigham Young University - Hawaii, and Brigham Young University - Provo met to develop the International Teacher Education Program (ITEP). (The thrust of this program was to deliver meaningful course work and professional development to teachers who teach in the CES schools in four of the countries in the Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tonga).
This meeting proved to be most successful in not only bringing CES, BYU-Hawaii, and BYU-Provo together, but beginning to outline the ITEP program. Bill Phillips had earlier proposed a Strategic Plan which was discussed and accepted with modification. The strategic plan outlined the goals and responsibilities for the ITEP program. (See Appendix # 3 for a copy of the 1997 Strategic Plan).
There exists in the CES a variety of needs for developing the instructional skills, content knowledge, and English proficiency of the CES teachers. A number of programs were proposed in the meeting to assist in resolving these problems. (See appendix # 4 for a list of proposed ITEP programs). Once approved, these teacher education programs will be delivered utilizing the CES in-country TDC missionaries, approved in-country faculty resources, and faculty from BYU-Hawaii and BYU-Provo. Cohorts of qualified and committed CES teachers will be identified for enrollment in these programs in each country. It was also felt that there were parts of the original Memorandum of Understanding which were appropriate. It was agreed that there was a need for a baccalaureate degree for CES teachers in the Pacific that did not have a residential requirement. (See appendix # 5 for outline of first proposal for a B.Ed. Degree).
Another recommendation that came out of the meeting was to develop an updated Memorandum of Agreement and Understanding that would include all recommended approaches in reaching the goals of the ITEP program. The document would consist of policies and procedural agreements between the Church Educational System (CES), the School of Education at Brigham Young University - Hawaii, and the Schoolof Education at Brigham Young University - Provo. This memorandum in part would replace or support policies and procedures printed in the June 1996 Memorandum of Understanding document. Changes in policy, procedures, and circumstances dictated this updating. The inclusion of the School of Education at BYU-Hawaii and BYU-Provo was necessary to complete the goals set forth in previous meetings pertaining to the International Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in the Pacific. In cooperation with the Church Missionary Committee and the CES missionary coordinator for the Pacific, there was to be a continuation of the assignment of a Teacher Development Coordinator (IDC) missionary in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tongato assist in the development and implementation of in-service training for CES teachers on each island.
The Memorandum of Agreement and Understanding document would need to be approved by all organizations and individuals involved. The document would include, among other items, an organizational framework. In the past it was not known who was responsible or who had the authority and final say on what was to transpire in the ITEP program. An organizational framework was developed in the meeting to be approved by all concerned. It was concluded that all communication would go through the ITEP Coordinator at BYU-Hawaii (Elder Bill Walton). This reduces the breakdown in communications which had occurred in the past. Elder Walton, under the direction of Bill Phillips (ITEP Director for BYU-Hawaii), would now be responsible to facilitate all communication of needs and information. (See appendix # 6 for copy of approved 1997 organizational framework and role description).
The meeting was adjourned with assignments given, among other things, to get approval of the B.Ed. Degree at BYU-Hawaii. CES was also to modify its salary levels to motivate teacher involvement in the ITEP program. Bill Phillips, Director of ITEP at BYU-Hawaii, followed up the meeting in Fiji with a visit to Samoa and Tonga to further help the TDC missionaries on those islands in developing the ITEP program. While in Samoa, Bill Phillips also taught SPED 200, Education of Exceptional Students, with 21 teachers taking the course.
