14. Roles and Responsibilities

14.1. Teachers

All teachers are responsible for:

• maintaining current contact and employment details in their NESA online account, including while on a Leave of Absence or while accredited as a Non-practising teacher
• meeting the conditions of accreditation set out in Section 1
• understanding and completing all requirements for accreditation, re-accreditation or maintenance of accreditation within the applicable timeframe, including where their accreditation is voluntary
• identifying their PD needs and planning their learning throughout their maintenance period (for teachers maintaining accreditation at Proficient Teacher or above)
• providing any relevant information to NESA if requested, within the specified timeframe, including in relation to an audit of their PD log or if NESA is required to conduct a suitability to teach assessment.

Teachers are not permitted to:  

• provide any false or misleading information to NESA in an application for accreditation at any level
• make any representation that they are accredited at any accreditation level unless they are accredited at that level
• teach in a NSW school or service unless they are accredited. 

14.2. Accreditation Supervisors

The role of the Accreditation Supervisor is to support Provisional and Conditional teachers to develop their practice, complete the requirements for and gain accreditation at Proficient Teacher.  Accreditation Supervisors are responsible for:

• providing teachers with adequate supervision, advice, ongoing feedback and support during their accreditation period
• informing the teacher of any Standard Descriptors they have not met, if applicable, and providing the teacher with advice on how to address them
• supporting teachers to finalise their accreditation at Proficient Teacher in line with the requirements set out in Section 4.4, including:
  • determining when a valid and reliable judgement can be made
  • providing a report on an observation of the teacher’s practice
  • assisting the teacher to select and annotate evidence
  • confirming that the teacher’s annotated documentary evidence addresses the identified Standard Descriptors
• advising the teacher and the principal/service director in writing of any issue(s) with a teacher’s practice that may impact on the Proficient Teacher accreditation recommendation within 28 days of either becoming aware of the issue, or the teacher initiating the discussion about finalising their accreditation, as applicable
• completing the declaration for accreditation in their NESA online account (eTAMS) in line with Section 4.4.4. 

14.3. HALT Assessors

HALT Assessors are responsible for:

• completing NESA’s Assessor Training Program and refresher training as required
• completing control sample assessments as required
• assessing evidence modules when allocated to them by NESA. This includes contributing to the completion of the HALT Module Report for each module they assess to provide feedback to applicants on their evidence, in line with Section 6.6
• fulfilling their responsibilities regarding confidentiality, conflicts of interest and all relevant commitments as listed in their contract with NESA.

14.4 External Assessors

External Assessors are responsible for:

• completing NESA’s Assessor Training Program, including training on conducting Site Visits, and refresher training as required
• conducting Site Visits, as appointed by NESA, in line with Section 6.5
• fulfilling their responsibilities regarding confidentiality, conflicts of interest and all relevant commitments as listed in their contract with NESA. 

14.5. Principals/service directors

Principals and service directors are responsible for:

• ensuring that anyone employed to teach in their school/service holds active accreditation with NESA
• adhering to their employer’s internal procedures for implementing NESA’s requirements for teacher accreditation
• informing the employer of any issues with a teacher’s practice that may impact on the accreditation recommendation/verification¹ as and when they arise, and providing the relevant support to the teacher who is at risk of not meeting the Standards
• making recommendations to NESA about teachers’ accreditation at Proficient Teacher, in line with Section 4.5
• discussing a teacher’s intention and verifying their eligibility to apply for HALT accreditation, in line with Section 6.1
• creating a supportive environment for teachers applying for HALT accreditation
• accommodating Site Visits for HALT applicants and participating in a 30-minute structured interview, in line with Section 6.5
• verifying that a teacher continues to maintain their practice at the relevant level of HALT Standards, in line with Section 7.2
• providing any information to NESA if requested, within the specified timeframe, including, but not limited to, in the event of an audit or in relation to any judgement about a teacher’s practice
• providing any information about a teacher’s practice to another principal/service director if requested, within 14 days.

Principals who are not accredited at Proficient Teacher or above must appoint a delegate who is an employee in the school and who is accredited at Proficient Teacher or above to make recommendations (for gaining accreditation at Proficient Teacher), verifications (for maintenance of accreditation at HALT) and to fulfil the responsibilities of the principal under the TA Manual in relation to HALT accreditation,² in line with their employer’s procedure. The delegate must not be an external third party.

In cases where the principal/service director is also the employer, Section 14.5 and Section 14.6 both apply.

14.6. Employers

Employers are responsible for ensuring that any individual they employ as a teacher is actively accredited to teach in NSW.

Employers are responsible for supporting teachers maintaining accreditation by providing and ensuring access to appropriate high quality professional learning opportunities suited to their needs and contexts.

Employers must have internal procedures for implementing NESA's requirements for teacher accreditation in their schools/services for gaining Proficient Teacher and maintaining Proficient Teacher and HALT, and must provide all teachers with a copy/access to all relevant procedures.

An employer’s internal procedures must include processes to ensure that:

• any teacher responsible for making verifications³ and/or recommendations about teacher accreditation is accredited at Proficient Teacher or above⁴
• Provisional and Conditional teachers are allocated an appropriate Accreditation Supervisor and are adequately supervised throughout their accreditation period
• all Provisional and Conditional teachers employed on a casual, part-time or full-time basis are provided with ongoing support and feedback about their practice in relation to the Standards for Proficient Teacher at intervals appropriate to the length of their employment
• timely feedback is provided to all teachers about their demonstration of practice at the Standards, including where teachers are at risk of not meeting the requirements for accreditation by the end of the relevant timeframe
• issues related to a teacher’s practice not meeting the applicable Standards are addressed as and when they arise, including at any point during a maintenance period for teachers maintaining accreditation at Proficient Teacher or HALT
• any concerns relating to teachers’ ongoing professional practice are addressed through appropriate support
• teachers are notified of any issues with their practice and given 28 days to respond and address those issues before a principal/service director/employer verifies⁵ and/or recommends that a teacher's practice does not meet the relevant Standards
• teachers who are at risk of not meeting the relevant Standards are advised of the employer’s obligation to notify NESA where grounds for suspension and revocation are determined  
• NESA is notified where there are grounds for suspension/revocation of a teacher’s accreditation as outlined in Section 11
• conflicts of interest relating to teacher accreditation are managed
• complaints and grievances about teacher accreditation processes are managed
• records related to matters concerning teachers’ accreditation are maintained. 

14.7. NESA

NESA oversees the system of accreditation and recognition of teachers’ professional capacity against the Standards, which includes the requirements and processes for achieving and maintaining accreditation at all levels.

NESA may prescribe particular Standard Descriptors to be addressed in teachers’ documentary evidence and/or observation of practice from time-to-time, on the basis of factors including but not limited to the outcome of a NESA Thematic Review. NESA is responsible for:

• publishing rules, procedures and guidelines in relation to meeting the professional teaching standards at all levels of the Standards, and the application of these across schools/services to support the consistent and fair application of the Standards for all teachers
• making accreditation decisions and placing any conditions on a teacher’s accreditation for all teachers in NSW and recording the decision in the teacher’s NESA online account (eTAMS) within the specified timeframe
• convening panels, as and when required, to review applications for re-accreditation and make a recommendation to NESA about a teacher’s re-accreditation, including any conditions
• conducting internal reviews of accreditation decisions, as requested, in line with relevant legislation and information published on the NESA website
• retaining all relevant records in relation to teacher accreditation decisions maintaining the NSW Public Register of Teachers
• conducting suitability to teach assessments, as and when required, in line with Section 13
• providing resources, materials and information to support teachers’ understanding of the Standards and accreditation requirements at all levels, including delivering all courses and training that are listed as mandatory in the TA Manual
• supporting teachers in small or single-teacher schools/services to complete a requirement(s) for accreditation, as and when required
• supporting valid and reliable HALT accreditation decisions by:
  • delivering mandatory training to HALT Assessors and External Assessors
  • seeking nominees to participate in the training, as necessary
  • assessing and approving applications for individual programs to be developed by or in partnership with a school/service and/or sector/system to be a NESA recognised program
  • allocating trained HALT Assessors and External Assessors, as and when required, to assess HALT applications, conduct Site Visits and support internal reviews of HALT accreditation decisions
  • requesting that applicants revise specified documentary evidence after the assessment of their second module for any Standard Descriptor(s) not successfully demonstrated in any previous module, and resubmit evidence, where applicable
• providing an annual report to the NESA Board on HALT accreditation matters and decisions
• reviewing the implementation and impact of teacher accreditation requirements and processes
• conducting random and risk-based audits of the following for quality assurance and compliance purposes:
  • recommendations and verifications about teacher accreditation
  • teachers’ PD logs; and
  • employers’ internal procedures for implementing NESA’s requirements for accreditation and associated records (as set out in Section 14.6)
• maintaining the Recognised PD Provider list
• convening an Expert Advisory Panel to determine if a PD Provider’s course meets NESA’s priority area guidelines. Where there is an issue with a course, NESA may remove providers from the Recognised PD Provider list based on advice from an Expert Advisory Panel.

_{1. The requirement for principals/service directors to verify a teacher's practice applies to HALT accreditation only.}

_{2. With the exception of creating a supportive environment for teachers applying for HALT accreditation.} 

_{3. The requirement to make verifications on a teacher's practice applies to HALT accreditation only.}

_{4. Where a principal is not accredited at Proficient Teacher or above, they must appoint a delegate employed in the school who is accredited at Proficient Teacher or above to carry out the relevant duties related to making verifications and recommendations to NESA, in line with their employer’s procedure.}

_{5. The requirement for principals/service directors to verify a teacher's practice applies to HALT accreditation only.}