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Become a Nationally Accredited Assessor
Become a Nationally Accredited Assessor
Why become an assessor?
- Contribute to the advancement of quality teaching and learning outcomes for students
- Reflect on and improve your professional practice by deepening your knowledge of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Teacher Standards)
- Learn to make rigorous, consistent, evidence-based judgments on a teacher’s professional practice using the Teacher Standards as criteria
- Grow your skill and confidence as a leader and mentor
- Support colleagues who are working to achieve HALT certification
- Become a capacity-building resource for your school or cluster as an expert-level practitioner of the Teacher Standards
- Contribute to a culture of professional growth in the teaching profession
What's involved?
Training
As the certifying authority, the Board trains and certifies assessors using the national Assessor Training Program. The program equips educators to make rigorous, consistent, evidence-based judgments on a teacher’s professional practice, using the Teacher Standards as criteria. The program was developed with assistance from the SiMMer National Research Centre at the University of New England.
Assessors must maintain currency through refresher training and by undertaking HALT assessments.
Assessment
Once trained, assessors will be asked to undertake assessments of evidence submitted by teachers who are working to achieve national certification as a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher.
The Board matches two assessors to each submission. Assessors are external to the applicant’s school, with no significant prior knowledge of their practice. They will undertake an individual assessment, then confer with their co-assessor to write a joint feedback report with a recommendation to the Board as to whether the applicant has met the standard at the career stage applied for. For the applicant’s third and final submission, one assessor also conducts a site visit for classroom observations.
Applicant submissions are accepted at set times throughout the year. Each assessment window allows approximately two weeks to complete the assessment process.
As professional standards experts, assessors are also an incredibly valuable capacity-building resource for their schools/clusters, and may be engaged in a range of other activities, including:
- as a principal’s delegate supporting colleagues progressing from provisional to full registration
- supporting ITE placements
- supporting colleagues who are undertaking the HALT certification process
- formal and informal mentoring.
Who can apply?
Anyone in an educational leadership role can apply to become an assessor. This includes principals, deputies, grade leaders, managers, supervisors, or Certified Highly Accomplished or Lead Teachers. Assessors are needed from all education sectors, from early childhood to college.
Eligibility requirements:
- Full registration to teach in Tasmania
- Currently or recently in a leadership role
- Can complete the national Assessor Training Program
- Can undertake assessments at set times throughout the year
How to apply
If you are interested in becoming an assessor, please contact prof.standards@trb.tas.gov.au.
FAQ
The national Assessor Training Program provides the skills and knowledge required to become an assessor. Teachers who complete the training will:
- develop a deep, comprehensive understanding of the Teacher Standards
- develop an understanding of the certification process, and particularly the role of assessors
- be capable of making valid, consistent, standards-based judgments on evidence of a teacher’s practice
- be capable of undertaking informed classroom observations and locating a teacher’s practice within the Classroom Practice Continuum
- be able to engage in effective communication with fellow assessors and applicants, principals, and others from across sectors, schools, and all stages of schooling during site visits and develop the required reports.
The program is delivered via a mix of online study and (virtual) face-to-face learning and takes approximately 50 hours to complete.
Training
There are three online learning modules and three face-to-face (or virtual) workshops. Workshops are held over two full days and a half-day. The full program takes approximately 50 hours to complete.
HALT assessments
The more trained assessors there are, the fewer assessments you may be asked to undertake. We hope that each assessor will only be asked to assess one submission per assessment window and will be needed for no more than two days per school term.
You do not need to currently be employed to become an assessor. The eligibility requirements are:
- Full registration to teach in Tasmania
- Currently or recently in a leadership role
- Can complete the national Assessor Training Program
- Can undertake assessments at set times throughout the year
If you are employed, your school covers your remuneration, as training and assessments will take place during school terms. It is essential that school leaders plan to provide relief and other supports allow you to undertake training and assessments. Assessor training is provided free of charge during the pilot, but there is no scope for relief funding.
If you are retired, the Board may be able to compensate you for the training days and assessment times you work. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.