E2 defines the roles and responsibilities of those involved in teacher accreditation:
- E2.1– Teachers
- E2.2– Accreditation Supervisors, HALT and External Assessors
- E2.3 – Principals, TA Delegates and employers
- E2.4 – NESA
E2.1 Teachers
E2.1.1 Teachers are responsible for meeting accreditation requirements
All teachers are responsible for:
| Responsibility | Details |
|---|
| Contact details | keeping their contact and employment details updated in eTAMS, even while on a Leave of Absence or accredited as a Non-practising teacher |
| Accreditation conditions | meeting the accreditation conditions set out in A1.2.1 |
| Accreditation requirements | understanding and completing all requirements for accreditation, re-accreditation and maintenance within the relevant timeframe (including for voluntary HALT accreditation) |
| Professional development | identifying their PD needs and planning their learning during the maintenance period (for teachers at Proficient Teacher level or above) |
| Extra information | providing relevant information to NESA as requested and within the specified timeframe, such as, for a PD audit or a suitability to teach assessment |
Teachers are not permitted to:
- provide false or misleading information to NESA in an accreditation application
- claim to be accredited at any level unless they are accredited at that level
- teach in a NSW school or service unless they are actively accredited.
E2.2 Accreditation Supervisors and assessors
E2.2.1 Accreditation Supervisors support applicants to reach Proficient Teacher level
Accreditation Supervisors support teachers with Provisional and Conditional accreditation to:
- develop their practice
- complete the Proficient Teacher accreditation requirements
- achieve accreditation at Proficient Teacher level.
Accreditation Supervisors are responsible for supporting teachers during their accreditation period by:
- providing them with adequate supervision, advice, feedback and support
- informing them of any Standard Descriptors they have not met and giving them advice on how to address them
- supporting them to finalise accreditation at Proficient Teacher level in line with A3.2.1
- advising the teacher and the principal/TA Delegate in writing of any issue(s) with a teacher’s practice in line with A3.1.4
- completing the accreditation declaration in eTAMS in line with A3.3.1.
E2.2.2 Assessors review HALT applications
Assessors for HALT applications must:
- maintain confidentiality
- meet their conflict-of-interest responsibilities
- meet other relevant commitments, as listed in their contract with NESA.
They also have other specific responsibilities:
| External Assessors | HALT Assessors |
|---|
- completing NESA’s assessor training program, including training on conducting Site Visits, and refresher training as required
- conducting Site Visits, as appointed by NESA, in line with B1.3.4
| - completing NESA’s assessor training program and refresher training as required
- completing control sample assessments as required
- assessing evidence modules allocated by NESA – this may include contributing to the HALT Module Report to give applicants feedback on their evidence, in line with B1.3.5
|
E2.3 Principals, Teacher Accreditation Delegates (TA Delegates) and employers
E2.3.1 Principals/TA Delegates ensure teachers are accredited
Principals and TA Delegates are responsible for the activities set out in the table below.
If the principal/TA Delegate is also the employer, E2.3.3 also applies.
| Responsibility | Details |
|---|
| Teacher accreditation at their own school/service | - ensuring that anyone employed to teach in their school/service holds active accreditation with NESA
- adhering to their employer’s procedures for implementing NESA’s teacher accreditation requirements
- informing the employer of any issues with a teacher’s practice that might impact on the accreditation recommendation/verification
- providing relevant support to teachers at risk of not meeting the Standards
|
| Recommendations and verifications | - making recommendations to NESA about teachers’ accreditation at Proficient Teacher level, in line with A3.4.1
- verifying if a teacher has maintained their practice at the relevant level of HALT Standards during their maintenance period, in line with B2.2.1
|
| HALT applications | - discussing a teacher’s intention and verifying their eligibility to apply for HALT accreditation, in line with B1.1.2
- creating a supportive environment for teachers applying for HALT accreditation
- accommodating Site Visits for HALT applicants and participating in a structured interview, in line with B1.3.4
|
| Requests for information | - providing any information that NESA requests within the specified timeframe, e.g. for an audit or in relation to any judgement about a teacher’s practice
- providing information about a teacher’s practice to another principal/TA Delegate if requested, within 14 days
|
| Notifications to NESA | - regarding teacher misconduct matters
- regarding teachers’ failure to maintain their practice at the Standards
|
E2.3.2 Delegates can meet accreditation responsibilities for principals
The Head of a school who is not accredited at the Proficient Teacher level or above is not permitted to make recommendations relating to teacher accreditation as set out below and must appoint a delegate who is:
- an employee at the school, and
- accredited at Proficient Teacher level or above.
The delegate will:
- make recommendations about applicants for Proficient Teacher accreditation
- make maintenance verifications for teachers at HALT level
- fulfil the principal’s HALT accreditation responsibilities in line with their employer’s procedure (except for creating a supportive environment for HALT applicants, which remains the principal’s responsibility).
E2.3.3 Employers must have appropriate procedures
Employers are responsible for:
- ensuring that any teacher they employ or intend to employ holds active accreditation by checking their status in eTAMS
- supporting teachers maintaining accreditation by providing and ensuring access to appropriate high quality professional development opportunities suited to their needs and contexts
- having procedures for teacher accreditation.
Procedures for teacher accreditation
Employers must have procedures for:
- implementing NESA's requirements for teacher accreditation
- supporting teachers to achieve Proficient Teacher accreditation
- supporting teachers to maintain Proficient Teacher and HALT accreditation.
Employers must ensure all teachers have access to all relevant procedures, which must include the following topics:
| Topic | Details |
|---|
| Appropriate staff for accreditation processes | - ensuring any teacher who makes verifications and/or recommendations holds accreditation at Proficient Teacher level or above
- ensuring that principals who are not accredited at Proficient Teacher or above appoint a delegate from within the school who is accredited at Proficient Teacher level or above to make verifications and recommendations
- allocating an appropriate Accreditation Supervisor to supervise all teachers with Conditional or Provisional accreditation during their accreditation period
|
| Support for teachers to meet accreditation requirements | - giving ongoing support and feedback at appropriate intervals to teachers with Conditional or Provisional accreditation (whether casual, part-time or full-time) about their practice in relation to the Standards
- giving timely feedback to all teachers about their practice against the Standards, including those at risk of not meeting the accreditation requirements within the relevant timeframe
- addressing issues related to a teacher’s practice not meeting the applicable Standards as and when they arise, including during a maintenance period for teachers at Proficient Teacher or HALT level
|
| Dealing with concerns and issues | - addressing any concerns relating to teachers’ ongoing professional practice by providing appropriate support
- notifying teachers of any issues with their practice and giving them 28 days to respond and address the issues before a principal/TA Delegate verifies or recommends that a teacher's practice does not meet the relevant Standards
- notify teachers who are at risk of not meeting the relevant Standards the employer’s obligation to notify NESA where grounds for suspension and revocation are determined
- notification of teacher misconduct to NESA including all relevant documentation.
|
| Conflicts and complaints | - managing conflicts of interest relating to teacher accreditation
- managing complaints and grievances about teacher accreditation processes
|
| Record keeping | - maintaining records of accreditation matters
|
E2.4 NESA
E2.4.1 NESA oversees teacher accreditation
NESA oversees the teacher accreditation system. It recognises teachers’ professional capacity against the Standards, including the requirements and processes for achieving and maintaining accreditation at all levels.
NESA is responsible for the following functions:
| Responsibility | Details |
|---|
| Setting rules and guidelines | - publishing rules, procedures and guidelines about how teachers can meet the professional teaching standards at all levels of the Standards and how they apply across schools/services to support a consistent and fair process for all teachers
- prescribing the Standard Descriptors teachers must address in their documentary evidence and observation of practice (based on factors such as the outcome of a NESA Thematic Review)
|
| Making decisions | - making accreditation decisions for all teachers in NSW and recording them in eTAMS within the specified timeframe
- convening panels to review re-accreditation applications and make recommendations to NESA, including any conditions
- conducting internal reviews of accreditation decisions, in line
with relevant legislation and information on the NESA website - conducting suitability to teach assessments in line with D1
|
| Keeping records | - keeping all records relevant to teacher accreditation decisions
- maintaining the NSW Public Register of Teachers
|
| Providing support to teachers | - providing resources and information to support teachers to understand the Standards and accreditation requirements
- delivering all mandatory courses and training as set out in
A3.1.1 and B1.1.2 - supporting teachers in small or single-teacher schools/services
to complete accreditation requirements
|
| Supporting HALT accreditation | - delivering mandatory training to HALT and External Assessors
- seeking nominees to participate in the training
- assessing and approving applications for individual programs to be NESA recognised programs
- allocating trained HALT and External Assessors to assess HALT applications, conduct Site Visits and support internal reviews of HALT accreditation decisions
- asking applicants to revise and resubmit documentary evidence after the assessment of their second module for any Standard Descriptor(s) not successfully demonstrated in a previous
module
|
| Conducting reviews and audits | - reporting annually to the NESA Board on HALT accreditation matters and decisions
- reviewing the implementation and impact of teacher
accreditation requirements and processes - conducting random and risk-based audits of accreditation recommendations and verifications, PD logs and employers’ accreditation procedures and records (as set out in E2.3.3)
|
| Maintaining the PD provider list | - maintaining the recognised PD Provider list
- convening an Expert Advisory Panel to determine if a PD Provider’s course meets NESA’s guidelines. When there is an issue with a course, NESA may remove providers from the Recognised PD Provider list based on advice from an Expert Advisory Panel.
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