Outcomes

Systems, sectors, and teacher regulatory authorities have policies, programs, and resources that reference and clearly align with the Induction Guidelines

Performance indicator

Number of systems, sectors, and teacher regulatory authorities that have induction resources clearly aligned with the Induction Guidelines

Graduate to Proficient: Australian guidelines for teacher induction into the profession was developed by AITSL and in consultation with national and international experts, key education authorities in each of the states and territories, as well as graduate teachers, educational leaders, and ITE providers.

To develop the Induction Guidelines, AITSL commissioned and developed research into effective induction approaches and conducted scans of current and innovative induction practices, both nationally and internationally.

The Induction Guidelines explore what beginning teacher induction is, why it matters, the conditions necessary for good induction, and the shared responsibility of individuals and agencies in managing and delivering induction programs. Crucially, they also set the four key focus areas for effective induction: Professional Practices, Professional Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Orientation.

It is important to note that implementation of the Induction Guidelines is not mandatory and that many existing policies and programs align with the core elements of the Induction Guidelines.

Outcomes

Induction experiences for new graduates are aligned with the Induction Guidelines

Performance indicator

1. Percentage of early career teachers who report experiencing a formal induction program based on the Induction Guidelines

There is currently no single data set that shows a comprehensive national picture of the induction experiences of early career teachers in Australia, and the data that is available does not specifically relate to policies aligned with the Induction Guidelines

The 2016 AITSL Stakeholder Survey collected data on induction from 3,736 school leaders, experienced teachers, and early career teachers. These findings, reported in the ITE Data Report 2017, show that 70% of school leaders indicated that early career teachers received a formal induction compared to early career teachers themselves 48% (p. 98).

2. Induction strategies being employed in schools include strategies that align with the Induction Guidelines

The Induction Guidelines set out the four key focus areas for effective induction: Professional Practices, Professional Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Orientation.

Baseline data on these four key focus areas, gathered through the 2016 AITSL Stakeholder Survey and reported in the ITE Data Report 2017 (p. 99), show that the level of alignment is already quite strong – but needs to be strengthened in the area of teacher wellbeing – and that school leaders and early career teachers tend to report the same perceptions:

When will we know more?

Data on the induction experiences of all early career teachers in Australia will be gathered through the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Strategy and will be available for up to five jurisdictions by mid-2019 (SA, Victoria, NSW, NT, and possibly Queensland).

Outcomes

Induction experiences result in a smooth transition to the classroom to increase retention of graduate teachers

Performance indicator

Reduction in the number of early career teachers who leave, or intend to leave the profession, due to lack of support

There is currently no national data set that shows a comprehensive picture of teacher attrition in Australia. The current rate of attrition of early career teachers in Australia can only be estimated and these estimates are highly variable, although a 2007 Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee inquiry into ITE suggested that up to 25% of beginning teachers may leave teaching within the first five years (What do we know about teacher attrition rates in Australia?, p. 8)

Data gathered through the 2016 AITSL Stakeholder Survey on the career intentions of early career teachers - as reported in the ITE Data Report 2018 (not yet published, p. 128) - show that while over half of early career teachers have no immediate plans to leave classroom teaching, a large number were either undecided or likely to leave in 1-5 years:

• 56% of early career teachers responded that they are not likely to leave classroom teaching in the foreseeable future

• 15% of early career teachers responded that they are likely to leave classroom teaching in 1-5 years

• 22% of early career teachers responded that they were unsure of their intentions.

When will we know more?

This 2016 data will provide a baseline for comparison against data on the attrition of early career teachers gathered through the ATWD strategy; the first of these reports will be available in 2019.