National Teaching Standards transcript RTF 41KB
A national approach to accreditation of initial teacher education programs
On 15 April 2011, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) endorsed a national approach to the accreditation of initial teacher education programs, Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures. This endorsement is an important milestone on the way to improving educational outcomes for young Australians
The national approach to the accreditation of initial teacher education programs, aimed at improving teacher quality through the improvement of the quality of initial teacher education programs, is one of the elements of the national education reforms. Along with the National Professional Standards for Teachers and a nationally consistent approach to teacher registration, the national approach to accreditation of initial teacher education programs contributes to an integrated framework for continuous improvement of, and increased public confidence in, teacher quality.
The endorsement of the Standards and Procedures requires programs preparing teachers to be assessed against agreed program benchmarks and their graduates meeting the National Professional Standards for Teachers. These nationally agreed standards describe what teachers should know and be able to do at appropriate career stages.
The Standards and Procedures were developed through extensive national work drawing on the expert knowledge of a number of key stakeholders and organisations involved in initial teacher education and followed by wide consultation on a draft proposal in 2010. Stakeholder responses, collected through consultation forums, an online survey, and written submissions and compiled in a consultation report, were instrumental in shaping the content and structure of the national approach.
Requests for further information and any queries about the accreditation of initial teacher education programs may be directed to ite@aitsl.edu.au
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Media Releases
4:30PM Friday, 15 April 2011
“Teacher quality is the major in-school factor affecting student achievement, and we will take every step to improve teacher quality across Australia. Today’s historic decision to endorse the first national standards and processes for accrediting initial teacher education programs is an important step in this direction.” The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth