Maintaining accreditation at Proficient in NSW

Amy Cotton
Professional Officer
Who has to do this?
Only teachers accredited at Proficient in NSW:
  • any New Scheme teacher who has achieved Proficient (or full) accreditation since 1 October 2004, and
  • early childhood teachers accredited at Proficient from 18 July 2016 onwards.
Who doesn’t have to do this right now?
  • any existing/old scheme teacher who will be accredited on 1 January 2018 at Proficient
  • any New Scheme Teacher still attaining Proficient accreditation, and
  • early childhood teachers beginning from 1 October 2016 onwards (until they get to Proficient).

You don’t have to maintain accreditation at Proficient until you have it!

BOSTES requires 100 hours of PD in five years (full time) or seven years (part time). The 100 hours can be completed over the period, or all at once. This allows teachers the professional decision of deciding when they want to do the bulk of their PD, and to have years where they don’t do as much.

BOSTES also asks for a maintenance of accreditation report to be completed.

The PD requirements

  • 50 hours must be Quality Teacher Council (QTC) Registered PD (like that which the IEU runs in its PD program), and
  • 50 additional hours of either QTC Registered or Teacher Identified PD.

Over the 100 hours, the PD must meet at least:

  • one Descriptor each from Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, and all Descriptors from Standard 6.

Early childhood teachers note – the IEU negotiated a different ratio for those accredited at Proficient between 18 July 2016 and 17 July 2018. You have to achieve at least 20 QTC Registered hours and 80 hours either QTC Registered or Teacher Identified.

What is Teacher Identified PD?

These are teacher-based learning opportunities that aren’t QTC Registered. It might include:

  • professional reading
  • engaging with colleagues
  • reflection activities
  • observations
  • working with the industry (eg, textile industry for Design and Technology teachers)
  • research
  • writing articles for professional journals
  • delivering PD to colleagues, and
  • other workshops/courses that aren’t QTC registered.

Do further under/post grad studies count?

They do count as long as they have something to do with education, the NSW syllabus or the EYLF (early childhood teachers). You have to fill in an application form here: http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/maintain-proficient-teacher-accreditation/further-study-as-pd/

The Maintenance of Accreditation Report

This report is submitted online at the BOSTES webpage. You can write it over the maintenance period, but should only submit in the six months before the due date.

It is a reflection report on your teaching practice – not the PD. So it includes things like programming, differentiation, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for teaching and learning purposes, researching, feedback and reporting, excursions, being a committee member, working with parents, volunteering with teaching associations and so many other things.

When you’re writing the report, use it as an opportunity to shine – share the best of your practice with your Teacher Accreditation Authority (TAA).

Who signs off what?

The Teacher Accreditation Authority for your workplace differs depending on your workplace!

For independent schools, it is usually the principal or someone delegated with the role. It must be someone eligible to teach in NSW. Some independent schools use the AIS’s ISTAA.

For systemic schools, it is likely someone at head office, but sometimes roles are delegated down to the school. Your Teacher Identified PD will most likely be validated by someone at the school, but the reports are signed off at head office by the actual TAA.

For early childhood teachers, the IEU is negotiating that it will be the NSW BOSTES.

How do I log my PD?

  1. Log into your BOSTES account.
  2. Click the ‘teacher’ tab at the top.
  3. In the flowchart, click ‘Professional Development’.
  4. Choose ‘View/add/edit/evaluate PD’.
  5. Your log will appear – you can switch between QTC and Teacher Identified PD.

A.Teacher Identified – pick one or two descriptors. A maximum of one to two sentences per descriptor is needed to describe how the activity helped you develop your practice.

B.QTC Registered – these are validated by the provider within a month of completion. You need to click the ‘eval’ button and evaluate the course quickly. These evaluations are used for BOSTES’s quality assurance process of the PD.

Enter you PD within 3 months of completion.

How do I put in my report?

  1. Log into your BOSTES account.
  2. Click the ‘teacher’ tab at the top.
  3. In the flowchart, click ‘Maintenance of Accreditation Report’.

A.Fill in the text boxes (one per Standard).
B.No evidence needed.
C.Save drafts as you go.
D.If you are doing annual teacher performance and development for AITSL’s purposes, copy and paste your reflections from that into the BOSTES MOA report. Why not? It’s the same!

Still lost?

Never fear – the IEU is here. Members can email accreditation@ieu.asn.au for clarification or assistance.