New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy

Transcription

1 New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy This policy addresses issues in relation to: Staff Teaching Staff Responsible for Delivering the Curriculum Safe and Supportive Environment Student Welfare (See also Policy on Experience Teacher Accreditation Policy) Policy and Procedures on the Mandatory Accreditation of New Scheme Teachers This policy describes the process of gaining accreditation at Proficient Teacher for provisionally and conditionally accredited teachers in NSW, as required under the Teacher Accreditation Act Policy Statement 1.1 The Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 requires all New Scheme Teachers to be accredited with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES). New Scheme Teachers (NSTs) are people who have never been employed to teach in NSW before the 1 st of October, 2004 (either on a causal, permanent or temporary basis) or who have not been employed as a teacher during the last five years. 1.2 It is an offence to employ or to continue to employ a new scheme teacher who is not accredited with the BOSTES. 1.3 To meet the BOSTES mandatory accreditation requirements, Al-Faisal College - Liverpool ensures that all New Scheme Teachers are accredited at the point of employment. This accreditation is either provisional or conditional, depending on the assessment of the applicant s qualifications (as defined by the Teacher Accreditation Act, 2004). supports all New Scheme Teachers employed at the school to achieve accreditation at Proficient Teacher during their initial years of teaching. ensures that judgements about the accreditation at Proficient Teacher of NSTs employed at Al-Faisal College - Liverpool are made in accordance with the BOSTES requirements. 2. Contacts/Persons of Interest 2.1 Teacher Accreditation Authority (TAA) is the Executive Principal 2.2 New Scheme Teacher Coordinator appointed by the TAA, writes the Accreditation Report 2.3 Supervising Teacher appointed by the NST Coordinator 2.4 New Scheme Teacher 2.5 NST mentor self appointed 2.6 BOSTES contact details supplied in the NST Manual 3. Applicability 3.1 This policy applies to all New Scheme Teachers who are employed by the school as well as the staff responsible for the accreditation of NSTs. Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 1

2 4. Responsibilities and Delegation 4.1 New Scheme Teachers are responsible for: Provision of documentation for initial accreditation and approval to teach. Collaboration with the supervising teacher in the process for accreditation at Proficient Teacher including the collection of evidence. Maintenance of accreditation status. 4.2 Supervising Teachers are responsible for: Assistance and support to New Scheme Teachers to meet the Proficient Teacher standards through teaching observations, feedback review and analysis of teaching programs and student learning outcomes and advice on collection of evidence. 4.3 NST Coordinator is appointed by the TAA and is responsible for: Management of the in-school support program and procedures for the accreditation of NSTs at Proficient Teacher. Completion of the Principal s Report on New Scheme Teachers including the Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher. 4.4 The Teacher Accreditation Authority (TAA) at Proficient Teacher (the Executive Principal) is responsible for: Recording the accreditation status of New Scheme Teachers Decisions regarding provisional and conditional accreditation Provision of information to the BOSTES regarding the accreditation of New Scheme Teachers Decisions regarding accreditation at Proficient Teacher Finalisation and submission of the Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher and the New Scheme Teacher s documented evidence to the BOSTES. 5. Monitoring, Evaluating and Reporting Requirements 5.1 The NST Coordinator will monitor the implementation of this policy in collaboration with the BOSTES and will report as required to the TAA. Procedures for the Accreditation of New Scheme Teachers at Proficient Teacher 1. Introduction The Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 requires all New Scheme Teachers to be accredited to be employed as a teacher in NSW. New Scheme Teachers (NSTs) are people who have never been employed to teach in NSW before the 1 st of October, 2004 (either on a permanent, casual or temporary basis) or who have not been employed as a teacher during the last five years. Teachers provisionally and conditionally accredited in NSW after 1 October 2012 will be required to meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in their work. Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 2

3 Accreditation involves meeting: The requirements for provisional or conditional accreditation on first employment as a teacher; and The standards for Proficient Teacher during the first years of employment as a teacher. 2. Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Accreditation requires that a New Scheme Teacher meet all the standards for Proficient Teacher across the seven standards which are fully described in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The seven standards are arranged in three domains as follows: Domain Professional Knowledge Professional Practice Professional Engagement Standard 1. Know students and how they learn. 2. Know the content and how to teach it. 3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning. 4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments. 5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning. 6. Engage in professional learning. 7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community. 3. Essential References These procedures must be read in conjunction with the BOSTES Teacher Accreditation Manual. All Staff involved in accreditation of New Scheme Teachers must become familiar with the following references which describe BOSTES requirements and Al-Faisal College procedures. BOSTES Title and URL Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Content Description The Professional Teaching Standards for Graduate Teacher, Proficient Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 3

4 Teacher, Professional Accomplishment and Professional Leadership. Teacher Accreditation Manual which includes the following documents: Policy, Accreditation Support, Information for New Scheme Teachers Policy for the Accreditation of Casual, Temporary and Part-time Teachers The BOSTES policy regarding: Roles of staff in the accreditation process The ways in which NSTs should be supported Judgements regarding Proficient Teacher Evidence to be collected by the NST to demonstrate Proficient Teacher Maximum timeframes for accreditation The BOSTES requirements in relation to casual, temporary and part-time teachers. 4. Roles of Staff in the Accreditation Process The key responsibilities and delegations of staff in the accreditation of New Scheme Teachers are described in the Al-Faisal College - Liverpool Policy on the Mandatory Accreditation of New Scheme Teachers. See Contacts/Persons of Interest. 5. Context for Judgements about Accreditation at Proficient Teacher The teaching context must be taken into account when considering New Scheme Teachers for accreditation at Proficient Teacher. This involves recognising: That the accreditation process is developmental and offers the New Scheme Teacher opportunities to seek support and guidance. The central role of the NST in self-assessment analysing, documenting and consulting on his/her development against the standards and descriptors. The different skills and the need to accommodate these in the way in which the accreditation process is conducted. The professional judgement of the experienced supervising teacher. The role of peers and colleagues in providing support and strategies to assist the NSTs accreditation at Proficient Teacher. Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 4

5 The varied and complex circumstances and contexts in which New Scheme Teachers may be teaching. 6. Making Judgements Regarding Accreditation at Proficient Teacher Staff involved follow the producers required by the BOSTES in making judgements about New Scheme Teacher s Proficient Teacher. The BOSTES provides support material to assist staff to make valid, fair and reliable judgement in the Accreditation Support section of the Teacher Accreditation Manual. 7. Timeframe for Accreditation at Proficient Teacher The BOSTES specifies maximum timeframes within which New Scheme Teachers must gain accreditation at Proficient Teacher. Casual and temporary New Scheme Teachers who do not have the opportunity to be accredited within the period specified may apply for an extension. 8. Collection of Evidence The evidence that New Scheme Teachers are required to collect comprises of written material normally used by teachers in preparation for and delivery of teaching programs and in documenting student achievement of learning outcomes. The NST, with the assistance of the supervising teacher, will review the collected evidence over time and towards the end of his/her probationary accreditation period select the supporting evidence which best demonstrates his/her Proficient Teacher. The focus on submitted evidence is on quality, not quantity the submitted evidence could reasonably be expected to fit into an A4 plastic sleeve. Each piece of supporting evidence must be annotated by the NST to demonstrate one or more of the seven standards in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at Proficient Teacher. All identifying information on a student s work must be removed. 9. Teaching Observations and Follow-Up Discussions The teaching observation and feedback process is one of on-going support reflecting the school s current practices in supporting beginning teachers. Feedback on teaching observations and reviews of teaching programs, student outcomes and support evidence, assist NSTs to meet the standards for Proficient Teacher. The frequency of documented teaching observations and feedback discussions will depend on the level of support required to enable the NST to demonstrate the standards for Proficient Teacher. Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 5

6 The BOSTES Support Documents: An Evidence Guide for Accreditation at Proficient Teacher provides advice on teaching observation and feedback discussion. NSTs and supervising teachers should: Discuss the schedule and focus of teaching observations in advance Participate in teaching observations over time and in a variety of contexts Share feedback on teaching observations/strategies to improve teaching practice and advice on areas for further development in feedback discussions Discuss the type of evidence to be used to make judgements about the New Scheme Teacher s Proficient Teacher. Keep written records of teaching observations and feedback discussions which must be signed and dated by the New Scheme Teacher and the supervising teacher. 10. The Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher At the end of the probationary accreditation period, the NST Coordinator completes the Accreditation Report on the New Scheme Teacher. To make a recommendation regarding whether a teacher satisfies the requirements for accreditation at Proficient Teacher, the Coordinator takes into account all sources of evidence including: Documented feedback on teaching observations The New Scheme Teacher s support evidence Discussions with the supervising teacher and the New Scheme Teacher This report incorporates the BOSTES Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher. The Coordinator completes the report by commenting on each element of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers for Proficient Teacher and listing the supporting evidence. All documentation sent should be printed single sided. Where the coordinator is not recommending accreditation at Proficient Teacher, he/she must advise the NST that the Executive Principal will make the final accreditation decision. The Coordinator must explain the accreditation review process to the NST. 11. The Accreditation Decision The accreditation decision is made and documented as follows: The completed, signed, dated and school stamped Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher and the NSTs supporting evidence is copied and forwarded by the TAA to the BOSTES. As the Teacher Accreditation Authority for accreditation at Proficient Teacher, the decision made is final. A copy is to be provided to the TAA, the NST and the Coordinator. Following the accreditation decision, the BOSTES external review process commences as follows: Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 6

7 The BOSTES forwards the Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher with the NSTs supporting evidence to an external assessor who will review and comment on the evidence contained in the report and submit the review to the BOSTES. The BOSTES returns the external assessor s review to the school TAA and the TAA passes this over to relevant staff to further develop their knowledge and expertise in the accreditation process. 12. Review of an Accreditation Decision (Internal Review Process) In cases where the Coordinator determines that a NST does not meet the requirements for accreditation, the NST must be advised of his/her access to the internal review process. Requests for an internal review of the decision not to accredit must be: Based on issues of procedure Made in writing Supported by documentary evidence Made within 28 days of the NST being informed of the accreditation decision A response to the NSTs request for an internal review must occur within 21 days from the receipt by the Executive Principal. Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 7

8 13. Record Keeping and Maintaining Accreditation All copies of relevant documentation must be kept by staff with responsibilities in the process of accreditation at Proficient Teacher. If the NST is not recommended for accreditation and wishes to have the decision reviewed, all documentation will be required. The New Scheme Teacher keeps: A copy of signed and dated records of teaching observations and feedback discussions. A copy of signed, dated and school stamped Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher and the supporting evidence. The original collection of evidence when it is returned from the BOSTES. The Supervising Teacher keeps: A signed and dated record of all teaching observations and feedback discussions. The NST Coordinator/TAA keeps a copy of: The signed, dated and school stamped Accreditation Report for Proficient Teacher and the supporting evidence. The BOSTES requires New Scheme Teachers to maintain their accreditation by paying an annual accreditation fee and undertaking on-going professional development. Date of Policy: January 2016 Proposed review date of policy: January 2018 or earlier where amendments in legislation require immediate policy reviews Al-Faisal College Liverpool: New Scheme Teacher Accreditation Policy 2016 Page 8