Like all good bureaucracies, the authority looking after teacher accreditation in NSW has a multitude of acronyms for you to wade through as you embark upon the accreditation journey. Let’s unpack a few here:
NESA: New South Wales Educational Standards Authority – the government body that oversees teacher accreditation (among other things). They used to be called BOSTES (Board of Studies, Teaching and Education Standards) and before that, they were the NSW Institute of Teachers.
GTIL: Great Teaching, Inspired Learning – in 2013 the NSW Government launched a ‘blueprint for action’ with a focus on “initiatives to improve teacher quality and student learning outcomes in NSW schools”.
APST: Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – the public statement developed by AITSL that defines teacher quality.
AITSL: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership – the national body that oversees the state education bodies.
PT: Proficient Teachers – those who began teaching after 1 October 2004 would have already jumped through the hoops to become accredited at Proficient. Early childhood teachers who began teaching before October 2004 were deemed Proficient in 2016 and finally those ‘wise and experienced’ (not old) teachers who began teaching prior to 1 October 2004 and who are still teaching now, will be deemed Proficient on 1 January 2018.
HAT: Highly Accomplished Teachers – a voluntary level of accreditation through NESA, for “highly effective, skilled practitioners” who are “knowledgeable and active members of their school community” (APST p7).
Lead: actually not an acronym, just the word to describe “exemplary teachers” who have chosen to undergo another voluntary level of accreditation through NESA, (APST p7).
TAA: Teacher Accreditation Authority - for our early childhood teachers, NESA is the TAA. For Catholic systemic school teachers, your diocesan schools office is your TAA for independent schools, your TAA might be the school principal or a delegate or they may choose to use the NSW AIS – ISTAA.
AIS: Association of Independent Schools (we generally refer to the NSW branch).
ISTAA: Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority
IEU NSW/ACT: The Independent Education Union, New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory Branch: YOU and ME! The Union committed to ensuring that members get through the whole process of accreditation unscathed – or at least with as few scratches as possible!