Remuneration
Highly Accomplished Teacher:
$126,962
Lead Teacher:
$138,606
Purposes and principles of Certification
Certification has three purposes:
- Recognise and promote quality teaching
- Provide an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their practice
- Provide a reliable indication of quality teaching that can be used to identify and recognise, deploy and reward Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers.
The proposed approach to the certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers is informed by the following principles:
- Standards-based
- Student-improvement focused
- Development driven
- Credible
- Evidence-based
- Fit for purpose
- Streamlined
Eligibility criteria
National Requirements
- Australian or NZ citizenship OR AU Permanent Residency Visa
- Current and Full registration with the QCT
- Completion of annual performance reviews or equivalent over 2 years (HA certification) OR 3 years (Lead certification)
- Have an ‘authentic teaching role’ meaning: Applicants must plan, prepare, teach, differentiate, assess and report (to students and parents) on the outcomes of a prescribed educational program.
Employer Requirements
- Employed and teaching in a Queensland Catholic school
- At least five years’ teaching experience
- Not currently subject to formal performance management processes
Teaching requirements
To be successful, applicants for certification will need to have an authentic teaching role where they teach students over a period of time. This will enable them to demonstrate achievement of the complete range of Standards and Descriptors.
There is no requirement for a specified number of hours or teaching load, but the teacher will need to be responsible for an ongoing teaching program and the assessment of the students.
To achieve certification, teachers will need to be able to demonstrate their skills in teaching students in a classroom situation. The assessment process includes a series of observations of a teacher’s practice, including classroom observations.
Providing applicants can demonstrate all teacher Standards through an ongoing teaching role with students, including in a classroom situation, certification is available to teachers in a range of roles including school support professionals, and those in equivalent roles who work with students. However, holding a leadership position such as these is not a guarantee that an application for certification will be successful.
Highly Accomplished or Lead?
Highly Accomplished teachers are highly effective and knowledgeable classroom teachers. According to the APST, Highly Accomplished teachers are characterised as advocates of the profession, who contribute to the professional learning of peers through a range of activities that include, but are not limited to, supporting, working with and assisting their colleagues.
Lead Teachers are exemplary classroom teachers. They are committed to quality teaching and learning, and their leadership positively impacts students and their colleagues across and/or beyond the school. Lead teachers regularly innovate, initiate, evaluate and review programs and practice across the school.
Deciding on the most suitable career stage
Applicants are required to choose which career stage they will be applying for – either Highly Accomplished or Lead. Deciding to apply for Certification requires applicants to honestly reflect on their practice against the APST. To support this decision-making process, AITSL has provided a Self- Assessment Tool and Classroom Practice Continuum to support this reflection and assist applicants to understand where their practice lies against the career stages of the APST. The regular conversations applicants have with peers, mentors and school leaders also provides valuable information regarding readiness to apply.
Differences when applying for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher
Teachers do not have to be certified as Highly Accomplished before applying for Lead teacher status. The process for submitting a portfolio of evidence is the same for both career stages. However, applicants considering applying for Lead Teacher do need to be aware there is an additional requirement, the Lead initiative.
This is a significant leadership project of greater than 6 months duration implemented across the school and/or a cluster of schools. Additional information is available in the Framework for the Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers.
‘Colleagues’ in the Context of the APST
An important factor when applying for HAT and LT certification and providing direct evidence of practice against the descriptors at the relevant career stage is understanding who ‘colleagues’ is referring to in the descriptors.
Many of the descriptors refer to leading, supporting, working with and assisting colleagues. It is important to be aware that when the HAT and LT descriptors refer to colleagues, these must be teaching colleagues.
Although teacher aides are valued members of staff in our schools, in relation to the APST, you must ensure the colleagues you are referencing are teaching colleagues. Preservice teachers are also not considered colleagues.
Evidence of supporting and providing quality placements for preservice teachers should be referenced in descriptors 6.1 and 6.2.
The process to achieve Certification as a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher
The certification process has five main elements:
Pre-assessment
Eligibility, self assessment and professional discussion
Assessment Stage 1
Submission of evidence, decision-making and feedback
Referee reports-validate and verify evidence
Successful applicants progress to Stage 2
Assessment Stage 2
Virtual site visit including direct observation of practice and professional discussion
Certification
Decision making and recommendation. Certification is awarded for 5 years.
Renewal of Certification
After 4 years the applicant must apply for recertification in order to continue their certified status.
Submitting an Application for Certification
Certification is a rigorous and rewarding professional process of reflecting on and providing evidence and annotations relating to teaching practice. Teachers vary significantly in how long they require to prepare their portfolios, and this is normal. It is important that applicants consider taking additional time if required and submitting their portfolio in the following year.
Role of the Referee
The time commitment required by referees will depend on the content of the applicant’s portfolio. Some applicants may ask their colleagues to be a referee for a number of Standard Descriptors, while other colleagues may be a referee for only one Descriptor.
It is important that applicants meet with their referee to take them though their portfolio and discuss the evidence they are providing against the Standard Descriptors. Applicants need to be clear, by indicating on the Referee Statement template, which Standard Descriptors they would like the referee to verify.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to collate and include all signed Referee Statements with their application for certification submitted to the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) for Stage 1 assessment.
It is important that referees understand that they are not being asked to provide a character reference but rather a statement of how the applicant’s evidence of practice demonstrates the Standards. It is not the referee’s role to assess an applicant’s portfolio of evidence.
Remuneration
Useful Links for Applicants
Queensland College of Teachers Online Resources
QCT website Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers
