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Tasmanian HALT Pilot
Tasmanian HALT Pilot
As the certifying authority for the teaching profession in Tasmania, the Teachers Registration Board successfully launched a pilot of national certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers (HALT) in 2021.
Delivery of the project is guided by a cross-sectoral steering committee comprised of representatives from the Teachers Registration Board, Department of Education, University of Tasmania, Independent Schools Tasmania, Catholic Education Tasmania, and Christian Schools Tasmania.
The Tasmanian HALT pilot is a unique, three-strand program designed to support teachers on their journey to achieving certification. It includes:
- a modular approach to certification*
- enrolment in a Graduate Certificate of Education with the University of Tasmania
- professional learning sessions aligned to each certification module.
Running HALT certification as a pilot allows the model and materials to be assessed and refined to suit Tasmania’s education sector. Applicants, assessors, and their school leaders contribute to shaping the process in many ways. In return, all fees are fully subsidised, including for the Graduate Certificate of Education.
The HALT steering committee is currently considering future arrangements for the delivery of HALT certification. If you are interested in becoming an applicant, assessor, or supporting someone to become one, please email prof.standards@trb.tas.gov.au.
*Certification is undertaken in two stages in many other jurisdictions around Australia. The modular model is a developmental approach that reduces the investment of time and effort (and costs, post-pilot) into smaller increments for applicants.
Why undertake national certification?
- Enhance your capacity to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes
- Pursue career progression without leaving the classroom
- Develop your leadership abilities
- Receive feedback on your professional practice from nationally trained assessors external to your school
- Deepen your knowledge of the Teacher Standards
- Achieve a nationally portable certification for your exemplary teaching practice
- Support colleagues undertaking HALT certification
- Contribute to a culture of professional growth in the Tasmanian teaching profession
What's involved?
Certification modules
Certification is undertaken in three modules. For each module, applicants submit a portfolio of evidence demonstrating their practice at the highly accomplished or lead teacher career stage. Lead teacher applicants also undertake a special project known as a ‘lead initiative’. Assessment of the third module will include a site visit for classroom observations. Portfolios must be submitted at set intervals throughout the year, however, there are several submission dates to choose from for each module.
As the certifying authority, the Board assigns two assessors to each submission. Assessors have completed the national Assessor Training Program, and are external to the school/setting of the applicant, with no significant prior knowledge of the applicant’s practice. Assessors conduct an individual assessment, then confer with their co-assessor to write a joint feedback report and make a recommendation to the Board on whether the applicant has met the standard at the career stage applied for.
Graduate Certificate of Education
During the pilot, applicants are also enrolled in a Graduate Certificate of Education with the University of Tasmania. Coursework will complement the journey to certification.
Professional learning
Professional learning (PL) sessions aligned to each certification module are provided throughout the pilot. Applicants must attend each module PL at least once and are encouraged to attend as early and as many times as they like.
Who can apply?
HALT certification is open to teachers from all education sectors and school ages. Eligibility requirements include:
- full registration to teach in Tasmania
- Australian citizenship or a permanent residency visa
- for highly accomplished teacher: satisfactory annual performance assessments for the last two years (or equivalent school/TAFE endorsement)
- for lead teacher: satisfactory annual performance assessments for the last three years (or equivalent school/TAFE endorsement).
If you are interested in undertaking certification, AITSL’s Teacher Self-Assessment Tool can help you to assess your readiness. It is also important to initiate a professional discussion with your principal or manager, to ensure that your workplace can support you to undertake the process.
How to apply
Please email prof.standards@trb.tas.gov.au and we will contact you when the next information session is scheduled. Applications will be available once you have attended an information session.
Please note
When you apply, you must choose between highly accomplished or lead teacher career stage. You must provide three to five referees in your application, who can speak to your practice at that career stage. Referees must include your principal or manager, or their nominated delegate.
FAQs
Because HALT certification is new to Tasmania. As a key initiative of the Tasmanian Government’s More Teachers, Quality Teaching Action Plan, the program is collaborative, cross-sectoral, and tailored to Tasmania. Learnings from the pilot will inform future HALT offerings in Tasmania.
Participating in the pilot has the same value in terms of national recognition and membership of the HALT Network.
Pilot participants receive additional benefits, including:
- fully subsidised fees
- the opportunity to contribute to and shape the process
- demonstrating leadership within Tasmania’s education sector.
Your feedback will help shape the future of HALT certification in Tasmania. You may be asked to provide testimonials and participate in creating promotional material.
No. The three streams of professional learning, university study, and HALT certification are complementary. Each builds on and value-adds to the other. This is unique to Tasmania’s collaborative, cross-sectoral approach in the HALT pilot.
A statement of endorsement (in a form yet to be finalised) from your principal or manager may be a suitable alternative if your school does not have regular performance assessments or appraisal processes.
Yes. Certification is open to all teachers of any school year group or specialisation, and from any sector, provided they hold Full Registration with the TRB.
Yes. Certification of both Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers is based on evidence of practice against the APST.
There are three components to the HALT pilot:
Certification modules
Certification consists of three modules with several assessment windows throughout. You can complete it within around 18 months and up to two years.
Graduate Certificate of Education
The Graduate Certificate is over two years (four semesters). It requires about 10 hours per week.
Professional Learning
Professional learning is held at intervals throughout the pilot to support your journey.
Pilot participants have fees waived for all three components; certification, the Graduate Certificate of Education, and professional learning.
A cost structure for certification beyond the pilot is not yet finalised. Course fees would usually apply to the Graduate Certificate in Education. Professional learning can sometimes incur costs. There are also costs involved in delivering certification, including administering the program.
During the pilot
Certification consists of three modules with several assessment windows throughout the school year. You can complete it within around 18 months and up to two years. The Graduate Certificate of Education is over two years (four semesters).
After the pilot finishes
Applicants will have up to three years to complete certification.
You can only undertake one at a time. To help you determine which pathway to pursue, see the APST descriptors for Highly Accomplished and Lead career stages on pages 19-27 of the AISTL Guide to Certification here.
If you apply for Lead Teacher and then cannot complete a lead project or fall short in the evidence provided, you cannot ‘drop back’ to HAT. You would need to apply again in a future intake. For this reason, it is important to fully assess your readiness and to have your principal’s support before choosing which option to apply for.
That is the usual and national requirement. However, if there is a special circumstance, please discuss this with the TRB immediately following Workshop 1 and before the application deadline.
Following the information session, you will be invited to attend Workshop 1. The application form will be available after you attend the workshop. If your application is successful, you will be invited to join the pilot and attend Workshop 2.
Applications will be considered against a range of criteria, including:
- merit
- sector quotas (to honour the cross-sectoral commitment)
- principal’s endorsement
- timeliness of your application.
The Graduate Certificate is included in the Tasmanian HALT certification pilot program to complement the certification process. It is intended that pilot participants will undertake the program in its entirety.
If you have extensive leadership experience and/or a strong history of postgraduate study, we encourage you to consider applying to become a (nationally certified) HALT assessor.
To be eligible for the Graduate Certificate, you need to hold an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degree (or equivalent). All registered teachers would meet this requirement. However, the university may have different evidence requirements.
Enrolments for the Graduate Certificate will be processed once your participation in the HALT pilot is confirmed. This will occur between the initial workshop run by the TRB and the beginning of the Winter School in late May.
During the 2021 pilot, the first two units were delivered during ‘Winter School’ (31st May – 11th July) and ‘Spring School’ (18th October – 9th January). We anticipate that delivery dates will remain similar. Please see the Graduate Certificate of Education (E5E) course page on the University of Tasmania website.
Each unit is designed to involve approximately 10 hours of study per week. For the HALT pilot, this time will complement your engagement in the certification and professional learning requirements.
The Grad Cert component of the pilot runs over two years (four semesters – one unit per semester).
2021 pilot participants will undertake the Grad Cert from May 2021 to December 2022
Not as part of the HALT pilot.
For the HALT pilot, the Grad Cert includes the following units, in this order:
- Education Project A
- Planning for Practice-Focused Mentoring
- Education Project B
- Leadership for Learning
For more information, see the Graduate Certificate of Education (E5E) on the University of Tasmania website.
Our preference is that all pilot participants engage with all four units of the Grad Cert and all professional learning offerings. If you have extensive leadership experience and/or a strong history of postgraduate study, we encourage you to consider applying to become a (nationally certified) HALT assessor.
Different aspects are presented face-to-face, online self-paced, and virtual webinar/workshop style.
The PL component of the pilot includes:
- mentoring
- evidencing practice
- understanding the Standards
- leading learning
- theory to support quality teaching practice, etc.
PL sessions aligned to each certification module will be provided throughout the pilot. Applicants must attend each module PL at least once and are encouraged to attend as early and as many times as they like.
HALT is very much an assessment using evidence of classroom teaching practice. While it is not impossible for people who teach in specialised areas to undertake certification, it is necessary to teach at least one “class”.
As the certifying authority, the Board will assign two nationally certified trained assessors to assess your evidence for each module. Assessors are external to the school/setting of the applicant, and must have no significant prior knowledge of their practice.
You must meet the standard for each module to progress to the next stage. This is one of the advantages of the modular approach – your investment of time and (after the pilot) money is phased, to minimise the expense to you if you do not meet the requirements of a module. You can attempt certification again in another intake.
Assessment windows are during the school term, over the course of 2021 and 2022. Dates will be available for 2022 in due course. The windows are designed to allow some degree of flexibility.
There will be several opportunities to submit for each module.
Certification is nationally endorsed and portable. It may open up opportunities to extend your practice and lead in your school and beyond. The intent of certification is to support professional growth and leadership from within the classroom, where teachers can have the greatest impact on student wellbeing and learning outcomes.
If you are looking to advance your career in other ways, we suggest looking at alternative professional development.
HALT certification only became available to Tasmanian teachers with the 2021 pilot. At this early stage, certification and remuneration are not linked, as Tasmania has not had certified HALT teachers before. That is not to say that employers will not consider it in the future.
It may be possible to continue. Please talk with us about if/how your specific unexpected circumstances impact your ability to meet expectations. If you are expecting changes to your circumstances that are likely to impact your engagement, we encourage you to consider undertaking HALT certification at another stage in your career when it is more favourable for you to do so.
If you are changing jurisdiction, please see the next FAQ.
An application for certification is not transferrable between certifying authorities. Unfortunately, if you move jurisdictions during the process you will need to withdraw your application. Once you complete certification it is nationally recognised.
It will depend on the duration of the break you need. The modular approach is designed to assist with such breaks. Keep in mind that you may find you need to pay for future modules etc. when you return to certification, as fees are only subsidised for the pilot.
You may be able to defer the Graduate Certificate component of the HALT pilot. If you anticipate needing to defer, consider undertaking HALT certification at another time.