NESA makes changes to Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation

The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) has revised requirements for teachers applying for and maintaining Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers (HALT) accreditation in the NSW Teacher Accreditation Manual (the TA Manual). 

The changes came into effect 14 October and will be of note to: 

• Teachers (including early childhood teachers)
• Current HALT applicants
• Teachers accredited at HALT
• Principals
• Early childhood service directors
• Employers

The changes streamline and add flexibility to HALT accreditation requirements, reducing the workload for HALT applicants and those supporting them as well as teachers currently maintaining HALT accreditation.

Key changes include:

• reducing the amount of evidence that a HALT applicant must submit by: 
  • reducing the module of evidence from three to two
  • reducing the number of Standard Descriptors required to demonstrate from 37 to 20, of which 14 are mandatory by NESA and 6 are the applicant’s own choice
  • removing the need to nominate referees
  • removing the two internal observation reports 
  • removing the Lead Teacher Initiative requirement for Lead Teacher applications
• introducing flexible ways to demonstrate the Standards, including using collaborative evidence, evidence with indirect impact on students/colleagues and evidence from a NESA recognised program 
• simplifying maintenance requirements by removing the HALT maintenance report. Teachers now will make a declaration about their practice and their principal or service director will verify they have maintained it by the end of their maintenance period.  

These changes align HALT accreditation in NSW with the national Framework for the Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers. 

Reference: NESA 38/24