AITSL Profile - Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership

A Profileof AITSLSchool LeadershipEarly ChildhoodCertificationLocal LeadershipAustralian ProfessionalStandards for TeachersInnovationResearch and EvaluationPerformance andDevelopment FrameworkTeacher FeaturePromoting excellence in the professionof teaching and school leadershipAssessment for MigrationAccreditation of InitialTeacher Education ProgramsProfessional Learning CharterTeacher QualityAboriginal and TorresStrait Islander EducationLeading Curriculum ChangeAustralian ProfessionalStandard for PrincipalsAsia LiteracySupervising Preservice TeachersClearinghouseNationally ConsistentRegistration of TeachersIllustrations of PracticeAustralian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership

From the ChairAs Chair of the Board, I am delighted to introduce this profile ofthe Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).AITSL has a critical role in improving the quality of teaching andschool leadership experienced by all students throughout Australia.Our work is shaped by two key premises:• all young Australians deserve the opportunity to become successfullearners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens• the main in-school determinant of student success is the quality ofteaching and leadership.With that in mind, this profile explains what AITSL is and what it has done to date.To find out more about our work, there are pointers to detailed onlineresources. Importantly, we also encourage you to participate in livelydiscussions and follow news about AITSL through social media.Anthony MackayChair

What is AITSL and its mission?AITSL’s mission is to promote excellence in teacherand school leader practice for the benefit of allyoung Australians.This mission is collaborative in nature, drawing upon thetalent and commitment of the Australian Government; theeight state and territory education departments and theirministers; the Catholic and independent school sectors;professional and community organisations; teacherregulatory authorities; unions; the higher education sector;national and international research and experts; and, ofcourse, teachers and principals throughout Australia.AITSL was established in January 2010 and is funded bythe Australian Government. While AITSL acts on behalf ofall of Australia’s Education Ministers - state, territory andfederal - it is nevertheless not a government department.AITSL is a company limited by guarantee, governedby an independent Board of Directors. The AustralianGovernment, as represented by the Minister for SchoolEducation, Early Childhood and Youth, is the sole memberof the company.What does AITSL do?AITSL provides policies, advice and resourcesto support all Australian educators to becomeexpert practitioners.AITSL works towards this objective through the collaborativedevelopment, promulgation and operationalising of sevenkey inter-related educational policies. These policiesoperate end-to-end to provide the basis for a world classprofession of teachers and school leaders.In summary, AITSL:• defines and maintains national standards forteachers and principals• leads and influences improvement in teachingand school leadership• supports and recognises high qualityprofessional practice.The AITSL office in Canberra is the designated assessingauthority for people migrating to Australia as teachers.

Excellence in Teaching and School Leadership: policy platformsPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION3PREPARATIONAccreditation of Initial TeacherEducation Programs in AustraliaSHARED RESPONSIBILITY7RECOGNITION, REWARDAND CAREER GROWTHCertification of HighlyAccomplished andLead Teachers6PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENTAND FEEDBACKAustralian Teacher Performanceand Development Framework1 & 2AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONALSTANDARDS FOR TEACHERSAND PRINCIPALS5LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAustralian Charter for theProfessional Learning ofTeachers and School Leaders4INDUCTIONNationally ConsistentRegistration of TeachersLEADERSHIP

Australian ProfessionalStandards for Teachers1Standards define the essential qualities, duties and expectations that characterise aprofession. The Teacher Standards promote excellence in teaching and provide thewww.aitsl.edu.au/apstfirst Australia-wide basis for recognising quality teaching. The Standards clearly statethe knowledge, practice and professional engagement required of teachers throughoutthe four stages of their careers: Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead.AITSL supports the nationwide implementation of the Standards by producing a suiteof practical and ready-to-use resources, including a Self Assessment Tool and videoillustrations of practice that show what the Standards look like in classrooms acrossAustralia. The Standards, with the support of the practical resources, provide theplatform from which the quality of teaching in Australian schools can be enhanced,with the ultimate objective of improving educational outcomes for all students.

Australian ProfessionalStandard For PrincipalsThe principal’s role is pivotal to the performance of students, teachers and the school.The Principal Standard provides school leaders with a challenging basis to reflectupon and improve their own professional practices and performance. Developed incollaboration with practising principals from across Australia and with school leadershipexperts, the Standard is a public statement that sets out what principals are expectedto know, understand and do to operate at high levels in their roles. It provides a modelby which principals can evaluate their knowledge, qualities, experience and skills.The Standard also provides a basis for the broader Australian community to understandthe scope and complexity of a principal’s work. AITSL has developed a powerful360° Reflection Tool based on the Standard for use by principals in identifying theirleadership attributes and development needs. In addition, AITSL conducts a limited2number of flagship learning programs that focus on leadership excellence.www.aitsl.edu.au/apsp

Accreditation of Initial TeacherEducation Programs in AustraliaTeacher preparation is the basis of a successful education system that developssuccessful learners. Equally, it is the foundation of a rewarding career in education.Accordingly, it is essential that initial teacher education programs prepare new teachersto meet the Graduate career stage of the Teacher Standards. All Australian states andterritories have agreed to a rigorous approach to accrediting initial teacher educationprograms, so we can be assured that new teachers know what and how to teach and are‘classroom-ready.’ Using a common accreditation process, programs in higher educationinstitutions throughout Australia are now assessed on the quality of their courses andthe extent to which their graduates meet the requirements of the Australian Professional3Standards for Teachers.www.aitsl.edu.au/ite

Nationally ConsistentRegistration of Teachers4A nationally consistent approach to teacher registration, where the standards expectedare clear, is another crucial step towards further improving teacher quality and increasingcommunity confidence in the teaching profession. This approach means that to becomefully registered all teachers across the nation will need to provide evidence, against a setof seven standards, that they are proficient practitioners. To maintain their registration,teachers will need to demonstrate that they have continued to grow professionallythrough active participation in learning and reflection. State and territory based regulatoryauthorities administer these registration and re-registration processes with a clear focuson safeguarding the quality of the teaching profession.www.aitsl.edu.au/registration

AUSTRALIAN CHARTERFOR THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNINGOF TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS5Active participation in relevant, collaborative and future focused professional learning, onthe part of all educators from the graduate to the experienced principal, can have a highlypositive impact on teacher and school leader quality. Complementing the Australian TeacherPerformance and Development Framework, the Professional Learning Charter emphasisesthe expectation that all teachers and school leaders will take responsibility for and activelyengage in professional learning throughout their careers, enabling them to successfullyaddress the challenges of improving student learning, engagement and wellbeing.www.aitsl.edu.au/professionallearning

AUSTRALIAN TEACHER PERFORMANCEAND DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK6A meaningful learning culture and a robust performance and development cyclededicated to improving teaching are powerful means of improving student outcomes.For teachers, an annual review is an essential part of the cycle. The Australian TeacherPerformance and Development Framework requires that teachers know what is expectedof them; agree on clear goals; receive frequent, useful feedback on their teaching basedon multiple sources of evidence; and have access high quality support to improve theirpractice. The AITSL website provides a range of practical multi-media resources thatshow the many ways that teachers and leaders can engage in effective performance anddevelopment practices.www.aisl.edu.au/performance

Certification of HighlyAccomplished and Lead Teachers7Community confidence in the teaching profession is important, as is public recognitionof those skilled and dedicated teachers who are highly accomplished or leaders inthe profession. Certification is an initiative that addresses both of those related needs.Teachers choosing to work through the certification process are required to think criticallyand deeply about their teaching practice. These teachers will be assessed through arigorous process that includes documenting and reflecting on their impact on studentsand colleagues over time and having their practice observed. To assist potentialapplicants, AITSL has developed a guide to certification and provided examplesof the quality of evidence that teachers are expected to submit.www.aitsl.edu.au/certification

Assessmentfor MigrationLearnLeading Curriculum Changeaitsl.edu.au/lccThrough its office located in Canberra, AITSL is thedesignated assessing authority for people migratingto Australia as teachers across a variety of categories.Supervising Preservice Teachersaitsl.edu.au/sptReflectionTool360 Degree Reflection Toolaitsl.edu.au/360www.aitsl.edu.au/assessmentformigrationSelf Assessment Toolselfassessment.aitsl.edu.au

WatchConnectView AITSL’s animations and videos at:NeNewsaitsl.edu.au/enewsFacebookfacebook.com/aitslTwittertwitter.com/aitslyoutube.com/aitsleduauYouTubeyoutube.com/aitsleduau

aitsl.edu.auFurther informationTelephone: +61 3 9944 1200Email: info@aitsl.edu.auMelbourne | CanberraAITSL is funded by the Australian GovernmentISBN 978-0-9874004-8-2