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Information Session

Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Certification

Funded under the Australian Government’s Non-Government Reform Support Fund

What is HAT & LT certification?• Opportunity for teachers to critically reflect on

and showcase their practice• Receive quality feedback through a rigorous assessment

process against the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Standards

• Receive recognition for high quality teaching andinstructional leadership

• Highly accomplished and lead teachers have positive impact on school improvement through influencing student outcomes and colleagues’ practice.

Eligibility requirementsNational requirements:

• Australian or NZ citizenship OR AU Permanent Residency Visa• Current and FULL registration with the QCT• Completion of annual performance reviews or equivalent over

2 years (HA certification) OR 3 years (Lead certification)• Have an ‘authentic teaching role’ –

applicant must plan, prepare, teach, differentiate,assess and report (to students and parents) on the outcomes of a prescribed educational program.

Eligibility requirements

Employer requirements:

• Employed and teaching in a Queensland Catholic school

• At least 5 years teaching experience • Not currently subject to formal performance

management processes

Describe the key elements ofquality teaching

The APST

Graduate ProficientHighly 

AccomplishedLead

Certification

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Graduate ProficientHighly 

AccomplishedLead Graduate Proficient Highly Accomplished Lead

Demonstrate Learning Support Lead

Learning Teaching Work with Initiate

Strategies Students Students Implement

Teaching Design Assist Review

Knowledge Implement Colleagues Evaluate

Understanding Programs Practice Exemplary

Skills Strategies Teaching School

Students Knowledge Learning Students

Range Professional Develop Colleagues

Frequently used words

Lead 7.2Initiate, develop and implement relevant policies and processes to support colleagues’ compliance with and understanding of existing and new legislative, administrative, organisationaland professional responsibilities.

Unpacking Descriptorslegislative responsibilities

administrative responsibilities

initiate policies existing

develop relevant support colleaguesorganisational responsibilities

implement processes newprofessional responsibilities

Unpacking descriptors

Elaboration of Focus Area 5.5 at theHAT and LT career stages

Descriptor 5.5 Highly AccomplishedWork with colleagues to construct accurate, informative and timely reports to students and parents/carers about student learning and achievement.

Descriptor 5.5 LeadEvaluate and revise reporting and accountability mechanismsin the school to meet the needs of students, parents/carers and colleagues.

POSITIVE impact on classroom learning is…teaching that transcends educational content and process inputs to create a classroom environment where output focused teachers concentrate on breakthrough learning, and where students are able to recognize, share and celebrate their progress,and feel positively motivated to continue learning.

(Kertesz & Brett, 2019)

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The Certification

Process

Stage 1: Submission of evidence, decision making and feedback(11 – 16 of the Guide to the Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers in Australia)

• Each of the seven Standards must be addressed by at least two pieces of evidence• Each of the Standard Descriptors need to be accounted for at least once at the relevant career stage

Collect evidence of practice

• Reflect on practice• Index and map 

evidence to Standards and Descriptors

• Write annotations

Complete two Classroom Observations

• Principal / supervisor or delegate

• School Leader or colleague

• Ensure clear links to Standards / Descriptors

Write reflection on the direct evidence which addresses the Standards

Write description of Lead Initiative (Lead applicants only)

Contact referees

• 3‐5 referees, including Principal / supervisor or delegate

• Inform referees about Certification

• Identify Standards to which each referee will provide evaluative statements

Key documents Important InformationAddress each of the 37 Descriptors

Evidence each Standard on two occasions in your portfolio

Be consistent – stick with either Highly Accomplished OR Lead Descriptors

Address each of the 37 Descriptors

Evidence each Standard on two occasionsin your portfolio Direct evidence is…

do

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So what does it mean to collect evidence?

Gather direct evidence of practice that demonstrates alignment to the wording and intent of the Descriptor.

The evidence drawn directly from practice must also include:

• at least two reports of classroom observation that have occurred in the past twelve months.

• one must be by the Principal or Principal’s delegate as nominated by the Principal

The evidence you include should stand-alone and clearly link to the Descriptor(s) covered.

Other important information on evidence:

There is no requirement for each Descriptor to have a separate piece of evidence. Thirty-five (35) pieces of evidence is a guide.

A piece of evidence can address multiple Descriptors, across the Standards, and should demonstrate the holistic nature of the teacher’s practice.

RED is DEAD!Green – descriptor FULLY evidencedYellow – descriptor PARTIALLY evidencedWhite – descriptor is NOT VALIDLY evidenced

All evidence submitted by the applicant must be…

RobustVerifiable

Authentica true 

representationof the teacher’s impact over

time 

and show impact on and improvement of student outcomes and colleagues’ 

practiceAND

presentedin a user‐friendlyformat

Lead Initiative• Timeframe – greater than 6 months

• Sustainable project• Linked to school or system initiative

• Significant role in the implementation of the initiative

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• Impact on colleagues’ practice

• Impact on student outcomes (academic, wellbeing, engagement)

•Demonstrates the applicant’s leadership in design, implementation, evaluation and review

•Written description of lead initiative (2 A4 pages in addition to annotated artefacts but referenced to evidence)

Lead Initiative Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)

enquiries@qct.edu.au

Judy NeilsonManager:  Certification

Queensland Catholic Education Commission

qcechaltprogram@qcec.catholic.edu.au

Kate O’NeillSenior Education Officer

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