Principals and service directors

This presentation provides information for teachers, principals, service directors and leaders in education regarding the revised HALT accreditation requirements in 2024.

So, what does the revised HALT policy look like?

The revised policy:

Reduces the number of Standard Descriptors which must be evidenced by applicants from 37 Standard Descriptors to 20, of which:

• 14 Standard Descriptors mandated by NESA.

6 Standard Descriptors are chosen by the applicant The revised policy:

Reduces the number of modules of evidence from three (3) to two (2) per application. Applicants:

• no longer need to include referee evaluative comments, or two internal observations reports.

The revised policy:

Introduces flexibility for applicants in the ways they can develop evidence and submit modules. Applicants now have the option to:

• develop collaborative evidence
• develop evidence of indirect impact
• submit evidence through a NESA recognised program. 
• lastly, the Lead Teacher Initiative is no longer a requirement for Lead Teacher applicants. 

The analysis of HALT assessment data identified 14 mandatory Standard Descriptors as the most reliable indicators of practice at the relevant level of HALT Standards. 

The identified Standard Descriptors:

• are reliable in assessing teacher’s practice at the HALT Standards
• discriminate amongst applicants of differing ability
• are an appropriate level of difficulty 
• represent all 7 Standards
• meet government priorities and,
• are reflective of teachers from different contexts.

The mandatory Standard Descriptors can be found on the NESA website.

The revised policy continues to include the following successful elements:

• a mandatory HALT orientation course
• NESA run workshops A modular approach with scaffolded support and formative feedback to applicants
• a Site Visit report and,
• an internal report of the applicant observing and providing support to a teacher colleague.

To apply for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher accreditation, applicants will complete two modules with the option of a revision module – if required. 
All applicants must participate in a Site Visit at a school or early childhood service. 

Across 2 modules of evidence applicants must:

• provide evidence of their teaching practice that demonstrates 20 Standard Descriptors, of which;
  • 14 Standard Descriptors are mandated by NESA; and 
  • 6 Standard Descriptors are selected by applicants.

Applicants must submit at least one module of documentary evidence that demonstrates the direct impact of their practice on students or children and colleagues to NESA. NESA is responsible for making the accreditation decision and if successful, applicants will begin a new maintenance period as a highly accomplished or lead teacher.

The revised policy increases flexibility in the types of evidence an applicant can submit. These include:

• collaboratively produced evidence
• indirect impact on students or children and colleagues completion of a NESA recognised program.

NESA recognised programs are individual programs that:

• are developed by or in partnership with employers, a school/early childhood service and/or a sector/system/university or organisation
• support teachers to fully demonstrate nominated Standard Descriptors at the Highly Accomplished Teacher level and
• provide explicit opportunities for participants to contribute to their colleagues’ learning to improve practice and improve student outcomes.

Applications for recognition of individual programs are made directly to NESA. A list of NESA recognised programs is available on the NESA website. To provide greater flexibility for applicants NESA has introduced two pathways to submit evidence.

Applicants can submit all evidence for the 20 Standard Descriptors directly to NESA.

Or applicants may be verified for 6–10 Standard Descriptors through a NESA recognised program and evidence submitted directly to NESA for the balance of Standard Descriptors

When applicants submit a module to NESA, it will be assessed by two NESA-trained HALT Assessors who:

• review the documentary evidence; and
• prepare a HALT module report.

Evidence produced during the NESA recognised program is assessed by the program manager.

Applicants participate in a school or service-based Site Visit from a NESA trained External Assessor after they complete their first module and before submitting their second module. Applicants are responsible for planning the Site Visit and nominating Standard Descriptors. The External Assessor will be from the same sector or system and a similar context as the applicant. As part of the Site Visit, the External Assessor:

• observes three sessions of practice, 
• engages in professional discussion with the applicant and provides feedback on their observation
• conducts a structured interview with the applicant’s principal or service director.

NESA makes the HALT accreditation decision based on:

• the assessment of the applicant’s evidence modules, as documented in the HALT Module Reports;
• the demonstration of nominated Standard Descriptors, as verified by the program manager of a NESA recognised program, if applicable; and,
• the External Assessor’s Site Visit Report. 

If successful, the applicant will start their first maintenance period at Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher.

The revised national Framework provides the opportunity to remove the requirement for accredited HALTs to complete a maintenance report.

Instead of compiling a report about their teaching practice against the relevant level of the Standards, HALTs will only require a principal, service director or employer verification of their practice.

What has stayed the same? To maintain HALT accreditation, teachers must:

• demonstrate that their practice continues to meet the Standards for the relevant accreditation level,
• have their current principal, service director or employer verify whether they have continued to maintain their practice at the relevant level of the HALT standards,
• complete a minimum of 100 hours of professional development and
• retain a PD log for 12 months after the end of their maintenance period and provide their log to NESA, if requested in the event of an audit.

An extensive suite of support materials and resources have been developed to support understanding of the HALT Policy and are published on the NESA website.

If you have questions about HALT accreditation, contact our team at HALenquiry@nesa.nsw.edu.au and let us help you begin your HALT accreditation journey.

This video will review the key accreditation changes NESA implemented in 2024, including changes to professional development requirements and the revised HALT policy.

It will also cover the support and resources NESA makes available to support teachers in meeting their accreditation requirements.

NESA has been implementing changes to simplify and strengthen accreditation processes since becoming the sole decision maker for all stages of teacher accreditation in November 2022.

These changes are designed to ensure the right structures are in place so that schools, early childhood services and teachers can focus on teaching and student and children's outcomes instead of administrative tasks associated with accreditation.

In 2024, NESA streamlined professional development requirements for all teachers in NSW.

These changes mark a significant shift in accreditation requirements and will ensure all NSW teachers can spend more time focusing on the learning needs of their students and children and less time on administrative tasks.

NESA also reconceptualized Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation, bringing NSW in line with the National Framework for HALT Certification.

The changes reduce teacher workload, provide more flexibility in the process and simplify maintenance requirements.

eTAMS has been updated to reflect these changes.

Professional Development changes on 16 August 2024

NESA made changes to the requirements for professional development to give teachers more flexibility with their PD and more time to teach.

These changes also bring NSW in line with other jurisdictions in Australia.

We removed the accredited and elective PD categories as well as the mandatory requirement to complete PD in priority areas.

Teachers must still complete 100 hours of PD that are aligned to the seven Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and not the standard descriptors.

This gives teachers flexibility to choose PD that best suits their context and role. They no longer need to write an evaluation for any PD activities they complete.

Teachers will keep a simple log with essential information, either on eTAMS or in a format they prefer.

All mandatory compliance training required by employers, which is aligned to the Standards, can be counted towards a teacher's 100 hours.

These changes give teachers greater choice and flexibility so NSW teachers can focus on learning that is most relevant to them, and to help meet the learning needs of their students and children.

NESA remains responsible for supporting teachers to complete their PD requirements and has published a PD framework to help teachers choose effective PD. NESA will continue to conduct compliance checks of teachers’ PD records to ensure the selection of PD activities is appropriate.

NESA publishes and maintains a list of recognised PD providers who continue to offer PD that is relevant for teachers across NSW.

NESA is supported by expert advisory panels to review courses and provide advice as relevant.

The revised Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher policy

On October 14 2024, NESA released a revised HALT policy which has streamlined the requirements for HALT accreditation.

The revised policy has four key aims.

Firstly:

• to reduce the workload for HALT applicants by reducing the number of standard descriptors, which must be evidenced by applicants, from 37 to 20
• by reducing the number of modules of evidence from 3 to 2 per application
• by streamlining other application components, including the removal of the module overview statement, referee requirements, internal observation of the applicant's practise and the lead teacher initiative.

Secondly:

• to provide more flexibility in the process by allowing applicants to submit collaboratively produced evidence and evidence that demonstrates indirect impact on students, children and colleagues,
• by allowing applicants to be verified as fully demonstrating 6 to 10 standard descriptors at the highly accomplished teacher level through completion of a NESA recognised program.

Thirdly, to simplify the requirements for teachers maintaining HALT accreditation.

And lastly, to ensure greater alignment with the new National Framework for the Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers.

The revised National Framework provided the opportunity to make it easier for accredited HALTs to maintain their accreditation.

Instead of compiling a lengthy report about their teaching practise against the relevant level of the Standards, HALTs will only require a verification of their practise from their principal, service director or employer.

In line with the National Framework, this change provides teachers accredited at HALT with greater flexibility to maintain their accreditation if they move into a non-school or service based role that is aligned to the higher levels of the Standards.

Nationally consistent teachers who are accredited as HALT will still need to complete a minimum of 100 hours of professional development aligned to the Standards in their maintenance.

Support and Resources

The NESA website includes an extensive suite of resources to support teachers with all stages of accreditation, including evidence guides, fact sheets and templates.

NESA Evidence Guides support teachers to develop documentary evidence for the relevant stage of accreditation.

In 2024, to improve our support for teachers working towards proficient teacher, we redeveloped our Proficient Teacher Evidence Guide.

The guide provides concise and explicit examples that assist teachers in schools and early childhood services to confidently use and interpret the standards to demonstrate and reflect the range of complex, interwoven practises that exist at the proficient teacher career stage.