NSW Teacher Accreditation Manual
E4. Terms and acronyms
E4 contains a glossary of terms and acronyms used in the TA Manual. Where there is any inconsistency between these definitions and those in the TA Act or any other legislation, the statutory definitions prevail.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accreditation Supervisor | A teacher accredited at Proficient Teacher level (or above) who is allocated to fulfil the roles and responsibilities described in E2.2.1 in line with the school/early childhood employer’s procedures. |
| ACECQA | Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority |
| ACECQA-approved qualification | An early childhood education teaching qualification approved by ACECQA. |
| active accreditation | Accreditation at Provisional, Conditional, Proficient Teacher or HALT level. Does not include cases where the teacher: • holds Non-practising teacher accreditation • is on an approved Leave of Absence, or • has had their accreditation suspended. |
| annotation (of documentary evidence) | A teacher’s written description that explains how: • an item or set of evidence relates to their 2–4 identified Standard Descriptors • they have integrated the identified Standard Descriptors in their teaching practice. |
| applicant | A person who has applied for teacher accreditation in NSW. |
| assessor | Assessors involved in the HALT accreditation process – includes HALT Assessors and External Assessors. |
| Assessor Training Program | Mandatory training delivered by NESA for HALT Assessors, External Assessors and NESA officers responsible for making judgements and decisions about HALT accreditation. |
| bar (on WWCC) | A bar placed on a person’s WWCC clearance by the OCG. A person cannot work in child-related employment while there is a bar on their WWCC. |
| cancellation (of accreditation) | The revocation of a teacher’s accreditation by NESA when a teacher has been suspended for 12 months or more for failure to meet any of the following conditions: • provide NESA with a current WWCC clearance • pay their outstanding annual fee/s • provide their PD log • complete their maintenance of accreditation requirements. See also ‘voluntary cancellation’. |
| cancelled WWCC | The cancellation of a person’s WWCC clearance by the OCG. A person cannot work in child-related employment if their WWCC is cancelled. |
| casual teacher | A teacher who is employed on a casual basis, according to the terms of their employment. |
| cease (to be accredited) | When a teacher’s Provisional or Conditional accreditation ends in line with sections 30(5) and 31(4) of the TA Act. Teachers who cease to be accredited cannot be employed as a teacher in a NSW school/service. |
| Child Safe Scheme | The Child Safe Scheme is built on ten Child Safe Standards. These standards are principle-based and are designed to keep children safe by creating organisations that help prevent, detect and respond more effectively to harm and abuse, if it occurs. |
| Child Safe Standards | The Child Safe Standards provide a framework to help organisations meet their obligations under the Child Safe Scheme. |
| closed (WWCC) | If a person’s WWCC clearance application is closed by the OCG, they cannot work in child-related employment. |
| Conditional accreditation | Accreditation level described in section 31 of the TA Act. NESA can conditionally accredit a person if they either: • hold a degree in the area they will be teaching in and provide evidence of an offer of employment as a teacher • have completed a substantial part of an accredited initial teacher education program. |
| colleague | A teacher accredited at any level (unless otherwise stated) who works with the teacher. |
| days | In general, references to a number of ‘days’ excludes school holidays and shutdown periods except the 14-day notice period set out in A4.3.3, B2.3.3 and D2.3.3. |
| documentary evidence (of practice) | Primary evidence of a teacher’s practice that they produce in the course of their work. See also ‘item’ and ‘evidence set’. |
| domains of teaching | The 3 domains that the 7 Standards are grouped into: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement. |
| early childhood service (service) | A centre-based early childhood service (referred to as an ‘early childhood education centre’ in the TA Act) approved within the meaning of the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) |
| early childhood provider | An individual or an entity such as a company, an association or a partnership that holds a Provider Approval granted under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW). This approval authorises the provider to operate an approved education and care service. This approval authorises the provider to operate an approved centre-based early childhood service (i.e replace an approved education and care service with an approved centre-based early childhood service). |
| employer | For the purposes of the TA Manual, an ‘employer’ is a person, entity or organisation that employs, engages or contracts an accredited teacher to teach. See also ‘teacher’ and ‘teach’. |
| eTAMS | electronic Teacher Accreditation Management System etams.nesa.nsw.edu.au |
| evidence set | A group of ‘items’ related by a general theme, such as a unit of work, curriculum area or professional development program. An example of a school based evidence set is a unit plan combined with an assessment rubric, student feedback and student data. |
| executive teaching staff | A member of the executive staff of a school or early childhood employer who holds a degree or teaching qualification recognised by NESA. Executive teaching staff may or may not be engaged in the delivery and assessment of curriculum or approved learning framework. |
| External Assessor | A teacher with relevant experience and expertise who has satisfactorily completed NESA’s Assessor Training Program, including training on conducting Site Visits. An External Assessor: • must be accredited at Proficient Teacher level or above • can be on a Leave of Absence or hold Non-practising teacher accreditation • is recognised as an Assessor for national certification. |
| HALT | Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher |
| HALT applicant | A teacher accredited at Proficient Teacher level who applies for accreditation as either a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher. |
| HALT Assessor | A teacher with relevant experience and expertise who has satisfactorily completed NESA’s Assessor Training Program. A HALT Assessor: • must be accredited at Proficient Teacher level or above • can be on a Leave of Absence or hold Non-practising teacher accreditation • is recognised as an Assessor for national certification. |
| HALT Module Report | A HALT Assessor’s report that gives feedback to an applicant and NESA on the applicant’s documentary evidence. |
| higher levels | A collective term for the Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher levels of the Standards. |
| immediate accreditation (at Proficient Teacher level) | Proficient Teacher level accreditation available to returning teachers during their re-accreditation timeframe. As set out in C2.6, these teachers do not need to submit: • annotated documentary evidence • a report on an observation of their practice. See also ‘returning teacher’. |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | An international standardised test of English language proficiency for non-native speakers of English. |
| interim bar (WWCC) | The OCG places a temporary bar on a person’s WWCC clearance. A person cannot work in child-related employment if there is an interim bar on their WWCC. |
| interstate teacher | A teacher who holds current full or provisional registration from another state or territory teacher regulatory authority other than NESA. |
| item (of documentary evidence) | A piece of documentary evidence or extract which relates to a teacher’s practice at 2–4 Standard Descriptors, such as: • a plan for learning • a policy statement • a PowerPoint presentation • a collection of assessment details. See also ‘evidence set’ and ‘documentary evidence’. |
| Leave of Absence | A period of leave from accreditation. Teachers apply in advance and if approved, their accreditation timeframe is put on hold. A Leave of Absence is distinct from any leave granted by an employer. |
| MR Act | Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Commonwealth legislation) Mutual Recognition Act (NSW) 1992 |
| NESA Act | Education Standards Authority Act 2013 |
| NESA Professional Development Framework | A NESA developed framework that outlines appropriate PD activities. |
| Non-practising teacher | A teacher with Proficient Teacher accreditation who is not teaching in a school/service who opts to remain an accredited member of the profession and changes their accreditation status to Non-practising in their NESA online account (eTAMS). |
| non-school/service-based teacher | An accredited teacher who is not teaching in a school/service, but who has done so previously, and is employed to undertake duties specified in section 3 of the TA Act. |
| Not To Be Employed (NTBE) list | A list of people maintained by the Secretary of the Department of Education under section 7(1)(e) of the Teaching Service Act 1980 (NSW) that includes people who are not to be employed in the Teaching Service. |
| OCG | NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian |
| orientation | Information about the requirements and processes for teachers applying for Proficient Teacher or HALT accreditation. |
| principal | A person who holds the role of ‘principal’, ‘Head of School’, or equivalent position in a school. References in this Manual to a principal do not include the head of a school who is not a teacher and does not undertake any of the duties set out in S3A of the Teacher Accreditation Act. |
| priority area | An area of teaching practice that the Minister (on advice from the NESA Board) has identified as a priority |
| professional activities | Activities that teachers undertake in the course of their teaching practice in relation to the Standards’ 3 domains. |
| professional development (PD) | Formal and informal learning activities designed to maintain and enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills. |
| Professional English Assessment for Teachers (PEAT) | The PEAT test: • was designed to determine the English language competence in overseas-trained teachers applying to teach in NSW Department of Education schools • assessed English language skills within the educational context • was not an assessment of subject matter competence • provides results across different language components to indicate if the teacher’s proficiency would enable them to teach and interact effectively and confidently in a NSW school • is no longer available. |
| professional learning | Growth of teacher expertise through processes, activities and experiences including but not limited to professional development. |
| professional teaching standards | The professional teaching standards approved by the Minister under section 19 of the TA Act. It includes the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and NESA’s policies for teacher accreditation including this TA Manual and any other matter as declared under S20 of the Teacher Accreditation Act. |
| Proficient Teacher | A teacher who has met the Standards at the level of Proficient Teacher. This level is known as full accreditation (or full registration in other Australian states and territories). |
| Provisional accreditation | Accreditation level described in section 30 of the TA Act. NESA can provisionally accredit a person who: • meets the requirements specified in the professional teaching standards, and • has completed a teaching qualification or initial teacher education program. |
| Re-accreditation Panel | A panel of 2 teachers accredited at Proficient Teacher level or above who are trained by NESA to: • assess re-accreditation applications, and • provide advice to inform NESA’s decision. |
| registration | In all other jurisdictions, teachers must be ‘registered’ or hold ‘registration’. The term is equivalent to being ‘accredited’ or holding ‘accreditation’ in NSW. |
| returning teacher | A teacher who: • has previously been accredited to teach in NSW and is not currently accredited; or • taught in a NSW school before 1 October 2004 or in a NSW early childhood service before 18 July 2016, and has never been accredited in NSW. |
| revocation | The removal of a teacher’s accreditation by NESA in line with section 24 of the TA Act. |
| session of practice | A period of time during a Site Visit where an External Assessor observes an applicant’s practice. |
| Standard Descriptors | The statements in the Standards that describe the expected professional knowledge, practice and engagement at the levels of accreditation. |
| Standards | Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. |
| suspension (of accreditation) | The temporary removal of a teacher’s accreditation, in line with section 24A of the TA Act. |
| Teacher Accreditation Delegate | A teacher accredited at Proficient Teacher or above in an early childhood service who is assigned to perform the functions of the TA Delegate set out in this manual. They: • are not necessarily the ‘Service Director' of an early childhood service • have some seniority over the teachers for whom they make an accreditation recommendation or verification • can be a teacher in the same service or a teacher working elsewhere for the same employer. |
| teach | To ‘teach’ is defined in section 3A of the TA Act 2004. To ‘teach’ is to undertake any or all of the duties related to delivering, assessing or supporting and leading the development and implementation of courses designed to implement the curriculum under the Education Act 1990 in a school or an approved learning framework under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law Application (NSW) in a service. |
| teacher | A person who is accredited as a teacher by NESA. Individuals employed in NSW schools/services who do not undertake any of the duties described in the definition of ‘teach’ (including people who only deliver courses not developed or endorsed by NESA) are not required to be accredited teachers. See also ‘teach’. |
| thematic review | A review conducted by NESA, as directed by the Minister, into any matter arising under the education and teaching legislation, including priorities across schools and systems. |
| voluntary cancellation | The removal of a teacher’s accreditation by NESA, at the teacher’s request, in line with the section 24E of the TA Act. In other jurisdictions the term cancel is used as the equivalent to revoke. |
| Working with Children Check (WWCC) | A WWCC involves a National Police Check and a review of reportable workplace misconduct. The outcome of a check is either a clearance to work with children or a bar against working with children. A WWCC clearance is required for anyone who works in child-related work in NSW. Employers in child-related work have legal obligations for verifying their workers’ and volunteers’ clearances and keeping a record that they have done so. WWCCs are managed by the OCG. |
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