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This background paper highlights opportunities for national, collaborative effort to continue building an effective, sustainable, supported, and high-status teacher workforce for Australia.

The key focus areas are: (1) Improved understanding of supply and demand - factors that affect teacher supply and demand trends, and their potential impact at national and local levels; (2) Addressing priority needs - national priorities for workforce planning, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, hard-to-staff schools, and teaching specialisations; (3) Supporting teachers and the teaching profession - ideas to support the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers and school leaders; (4) Identifying and developing educators of the future - developing a future-focused workforce, including issues of technology, diversity, and initial teacher education; and (5) Building data and evidence - the evidence base to inform workforce planning, including the Australian Teacher Workforce Data initiative and additional Australian Government datasets.

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Teaching Australia commissioned the Victoria University research team to undertake a research study to identify the characteristics of successful relationships between universities and schools, particularly for the school-based professional experience component of teacher education programs. The specific aims were: (1) to identify examples of effective and sustainable university-school partnerships as part of preservice teacher preparation programs, as well as research, induction and continuing professional learning for practising teachers; and (2) to analyse these programs to identify the characteristics of effectiveness and sustainability. Effective partnerships are critical to achieving high quality teacher education. The report presents detailed case studies of several partnership initiatives which show what makes collaboration effective and how to sustain it over the long term. The report includes an inquiry kit comprising a set of tools adapted from the research materials to support the development and improvement of local partnerships. Show less

Defining and Scoping Human Resource Development (HRD) in the Victorian TAFE System was one of a set of four projects supported by the Office of Employment, Training and Tertiary Education (ETTE) and designed to inform and promote human resource development (HRD) in TAFE Victoria. For the purposes of this project, human resource development is taken to mean those TAFE management arrangements, such as policies, practices, processes, programs and values, that develop individuals, teams and organisations to meet the TAFE organisation's strategies, goals and outcomes. The key aims of this project were to provide an overview of best practice in Australian HRD that is relevant to staff training and workforce development in TAFE, and to report on current HRD practices and trends in TAFE in Victoria. The project gathered data on the HRD infrastructure, policies and practices of a sample of Victorian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) providers (a number of TAFE Institutes and university TAFE Divisions), a selection of the larger Adult and Community Education (ACE) organisations and a sample of commercial TAFE providers. Thirteen TAFE provider case studies were also conducted to provide an accessible and user-friendly representation of current good practice in HRD in a range of Victorian TAFE organisations. From these case studies, five programs were selected to be developed into models that were intended to provide a highly accessible single representation of each program. Other project outcomes include a literature review, a web-based bibliography of relevant HRD literature and a set of recommendations advising the Office of Employment, Training and Tertiary Education on the promotion of HRD practices. The project also trialled innovative approaches to data collection and review by employing web-based survey technologies which enabled the project methodology to be iterative. For example, the models of HRD practice and summary survey results were placed on a website where they were accessed by respondents who emailed feedback. This method proved successful in eliciting detailed responses and allowed for freer exchange between researchers and survey respondents as the project progressed. Show less

Casual/relief teachers (CRTs) have a greater impact on student outcomes than many might think. It is of benefit to the entire school community that the practice and pedagogy of CRTs remains up-to-date through high-quality professional learning. These teachers play a crucial role in educating students, but recent literature and data is revealing that their professional learning (PL) needs are not being met. A recent Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) survey (undertaken in 2018) found that CRTs across Australia are undertaking less professional learning (PL), and at a lower quality. The survey also found the main motivators in choosing PL were the associated costs and a need to meet registration requirements, suggesting that practical concerns may take precedence over potential educational benefits. There is a need for a stronger national focus on the delivery and availability of professional learning for CRTs so that they have the opportunity to 'build on and further improve their teaching expertise'.

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The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers make explicit the elements of high quality teaching. The three-year evaluation of the implementation of the standards commenced in March 2013 and will conclude in December 2015. The evaluation contributes to continuously improving teacher quality to ensure the best educational outcomes for all young Australians. The evaluation is not concerned with evaluating the content of the standards but focuses on their implementation. The evaluation assesses implementation of the standards through the following initiatives: accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia; a nationally consistent approach to teacher registration in Australia; certification of highly accomplished and lead teachers in Australia; the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework; the Australian Charter for the Professional Learning of Teachers and School Leaders; and the development of support materials and resources. This report focuses on the interim findings of two major data collection activities of 2013 from the evaluation. These two activities investigated the perceptions and views of critical stakeholders on the implementation of the standards. The stakeholders engaged in the evaluation to date range from policy makers to educators in the profession.

Key findings from those who participated in the 2013 National Forum and National Survey are that: there is broad awareness and understanding of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as demonstrated by the range of activities reported by leaders of key education organisations/departments, school leaders and policy makers at the National Forum; an average of 70 per cent of the stakeholders reported that they have some knowledge of the standards; more than half (61 per cent) of the teachers, school leaders and teacher educators who completed the survey reported use of the standards in their practice; stakeholders report use of the standards for a range of activities in their practice, most particularly for self and guided reflection; approximately three-quarters (74 per cent) of the stakeholders reported they would have opportunities to use the standards over the next six months; and on average, more than three-quarters (78 per cent) of the stakeholders indicated they intend to use the standards in the next six months.

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This paper is intended to stimulate discussion on how teacher education programs in Australia can demonstrate their impact on school student learning. Evidence of impact is central to the approach to accreditation outlined in the Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers (Action Now) report [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 119.494], and the Australian Government's response to it. The response highlights that better quality assurance of teacher education programs is essential to ensure every program is preparing classroom ready teachers with the skills they need to make a positive impact on school student learning. This paper builds on the strengths of the current national approach to accreditation of initial teacher education, and the work of states and territories in an effort to help Australia's teachers be their best. It proposes three questions for consideration: (1) Which of the proposed components of evidence of impact would convince you about the quality of initial teacher education programs?; (2) What components of evidence of impact should be mandatory, and which should be optional? (3) What evidence of impact could initial teacher education providers feasibly collect? The paper is intended to promote discussion of these important questions as a basis for developing an approach to accrediting initial teacher education programs that is based on an assessment of their impact.

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This report brings together a range of data about initial teacher education (ITE) applicants, students and graduates collected by the Australian Government. Due to the timing associated with public release, mostly 2016 data are used in this report. This report aims to inform ongoing research and policy development by providing data about ITE in a single resource. By highlighting, describing and analysing data specific to teacher education in Australia, the report also contributes to the broader public discussion of issues related to ITE, including employment outcomes of graduates, their perceived employment readiness and employer satisfaction.

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The Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group found strong support for a sophisticated, blended approach to selection of candidates, taking into account academic capability, literacy and numeracy skills and personal characteristics, in order to select the students who will make the best teachers. The Australian Government has asked the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to develop and set clear expectations of universities in making sure that those going into teaching have the right mix of academic and personal qualities that give them the best chance of becoming effective teachers. AITSL has developed Selection Guidelines that were agreed by all Australian Education Ministers in September 2015.

The Selection Guidelines state that all initial teacher education providers should: (1) Set both academic and non academic criteria and apply these to every student they admit to their programs; and (2) Publish information about their selection mechanisms to ensure transparency, including: Selection mechanisms used; Threshold entry standards applied; Student cohort data; and Any exemptions used. These guidelines provide further information and guidance for providers in meeting these program standards, and accreditation panels in assessing applications. The document outlines the key factors for providers of accredited initial teacher education programs in Australia to take into account when developing and implementing selection processes and determining entry requirements for their programs. They also outline reporting requirements.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less