Stage 2.2 - Career Stages - Australian Teacher Aide

2.2 - Career Stages

A Focus Group was formed following the virtual meeting held on 22 March to facilitate discussion of the progressive benchmarks that determine the career stages, name each stage, and write a description of the increasing professional capability (knowledge, practice & engagement) for each stage.

Focus Group Members

Facilitators: Michelle Newell, TAFE NSW & Leanne Hillman, Bolster Education , NSW

Focus Group: Sharon Stone, Deputy Principal, Tallowood School NSW; Susan DeSilva, Education Officer - Learner Diversity - Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd. VIC; Claire Jackson, PhD candidate/Content Manager for NCCD portal VIC; Jane Keating, Learning Enhancement Administrator- Pauda College VIC; Renae Whyte, Lead Education Assistant – Special Needs, Byford Secondary College WA; Kim Thompson, Lead Education Assistant, Ocean Road Primary School WA; Nigel Bowra, Lecturer, North Metropolitan TAFE, WA

ASPES Focus Group Meeting – 7th April 2022

The first focus group meeting was held to develop the career stages for the Standards.

Summary

1. How many career stages and what to name them?

At our first IRG meeting three career stages were proposed, and the following naming conventions were suggested:

Beginning, Early Career
Mid-Career, Proficient, Experienced, Accomplished
Advanced Career, Highly Accomplished, Lead

At the Focus Group Meeting it was proposed we have four career stages, and the following naming conventions were suggested:

Beginning
Proficient/ Mid
Highly Accomplished/ Experienced
Lead

Key Ideas:
•  Four stages may provide better scope for career progression, including progression to administrative roles, and to become a teacher
•  As with the Teacher Standards, TAs who choose to stay in their role should be valued at each stage of their career development
•  This work is aspirational, and we should consider what the role may look like, nationally, and in the future
•  Concern that not all TAs would reach the fourth level, e.g. SSPs in NSW schools, as opposed to LSOs in mainstream schools
•  Consider the pros and cons of career stages, if named the same as, or distinct from, teacher career stages

2. Where do qualifications fit in the career stages and what are the implications?
•  The discussion around national qualifications, and pay levels became very complex, as every State and Territory has their own system.
•  It was suggested that if qualifications are matched to career levels, then include ‘Or equivalent experience’ to avoid undervaluing experienced TAs with no qualifications, and bring inclusivity
•  It was pointed out that ATA is about building the capacity of educators, and has no jurisdiction over industrial and governance decisions such as qualifications and pay scales.

3. What should Standards say about professional capability and career stages?
•  In order to define the career stages, it was proposed the group consider using a competency framework. Marzano’s proficiency scale was proposed at the first IRG meeting.
•  Leanne Hillman suggested The Quality Teaching Classroom Practice Guide, and shared some weblinks
•  Nigel Bowra suggested the WA Competency Framework for Education Assistants (Special Needs) (EASN) would be helpful. He provided a summary of the benefits.

Resources

Agenda Focus Group Meeting 7 April 22

Slide Handout

EA-Competency Framework

EA-Competency Framework – Summary Nigel Bowra

Quality Teaching Framework: https://theelements.schools.nsw.gov.au/introduction-to-the-elements/policy-reforms-and-focus-areas/quality-teaching-framework.html

ASPES Focus Group Meeting - 28th April 2022

A Focus Group Meeting was held on Thursday 28 April to develop the first career stage in the Standards, and discuss the benefits of using a competency framework.

Summary of discussion
Leanne Hillman set the scene with this encouraging feedback from a group of NSW SLSOs, on what Standards might mean to them:
•  At least now, every teacher will know I am a professional
•  Very excited about the Standards
•  If we have professional standards, it will finally represent my value and my work

Michelle Newell provided an overview of how the verbs from Bloom’s taxonomy can assist us to develop professional capability at the career stages, and facilitated discussion of the first career stage.

The group discussed the first career stage, and developed three guidelines to help determine the stages:
•  What should paraprofessional educators know and understand?
•  What should paraprofessional educators be able to do?
•  Level of responsibility

Actions
The group agreed on the following action:
• To individually map out the capabilities in each career stage using the Table: Professional capability at the four career stages
• Due Friday 2 June.

The information from members will be collated in readiness for the next Focus Group Meeting rescheduled for 4.00pm Thursday 16th June 2022

ASPES Focus Group Meeting – 16th June 2022

A focus group meeting was held on Thursday 16 June to review the feedbacks survey on professional capability at the four career stages, collated by Leanne Hillman and Michelle Newell.

The group agreed to focus on the levels of responsibility at each career stage, and address professional capabilities after the focus areas for each Standard have been decided by the IRG.

Key points: Please refer to the video recording for details of the discussion.
•  The expectation of an early career TA starting in the role, is that they demonstrate broad knowledge across allocated areas
•  Value Education Support qualifications by building the capabilities up from the training package, not down from teacher Standards
•  Define competence in terms of knowledge and skills and how they are gained
•  Value equivalent experience to formal qualifications
•  Review training package for key skill sets
•  The WA JDF qualifies the levels of supervision: direct, general, and limited
•  All levels are with supervision
•  Capabilities are about fading the level of teacher involvement, but not direction as this should always be present
•  Collaboration is about knowing how teams work and function
•  Consider the role of Lead/ Highly Accomplished TAs to mentor others

Actions
Following the meeting, Stella Liliendal collated the feedback, and created the document: Career Level Statements:
•  13 June 22 – shows the career levels collated from the Focus Group survey by Michelle and Leanne
•  16 June 22 – shows changes to the career levels, resulting from feedback during the meeting
•  24 June 22 – shows the career levels based on interpretation of the feedback recorded during the meeting

The most recent Career Level Statement is cross referenced to Statements of Duties/ Job Description from most jurisdictions, and will be provided in a web form, for review by the IRG.

A copy of the Statements of Career Stages can be found below the video recording of the meeting. This is in MS Word format and may be downloaded and used as a working copy.

Resources

Agenda Focus Group Meeting 16 June 22

Career Level Statements

IRG Meeting – 21 July 2022

The IRG met on Thursday 21 July to review the Career Level Statements. We considered the feedback collated from the latest webform survey, and collaboratively decided on the wording of the first two career levels.

The IRG will meet again on Thursday 4th August to finalise the career level statements. In preparation for the meeting, please view the work done on the career level statements in the ASPES Stage 2.2 IRG Feedback – Working Document (See below). You are able to write your version in the document. Please download and save to your files first.

Please refer to the video recording for an insight into the decision making process, and details of the discussion.

General Comments from 2.2 Webform Survey
The following comments were considered before work on the career levels started. There was also a wide range of views on the title.
•  Career level names are strong, descriptive aspirational and professional.
•  The Supervision, Competence and Collaboration descriptors are clear, with distinctive progressions, and reflect the role responsibilities well.
•  The length of the statements is perfect
•  The length of information within each sub-strand would be a few dot points or 1-2 paragraphs.
•  Progression from "direct supervision" to "work independently" is problematic.
•  Remove the words 'limited', 'general', 'targeted' and 'specialist'.

Key points

Early Career
•  Change 1a from have to developing
•  Keep with supervision not under
•  Remove ‘the’ from 1b (repeat for remainder of levels)
•  Change 1c to ‘You are guided to improve your professional practice.’
•  Add or other relevant professional (repeat for remainder of levels)

Proficient
• Change to knowledge, skills and understanding (repeat for remainder of levels)

Actions
The actions to be considered at the next meeting:
• Complete career level statements for Highly Accomplished & Lead
• Decide if we should remove or shift the order of the words: limited, general, targeted specific

Resources

Agenda Focus Group Meeting 21 July 2022

ASPES Stage 2.2 IRG Feedback – Working Document

IRG Meeting – 4 August 2022

The IRG met on Thursday 4 August to review the Career Level Statements. We used the headings to evaluate and clarify the intent of the Career Level Statements. We also added a new Statement 4 called: Whole School Engagement.

Supervision: These statements address the level of supervision at each career stage. For this reason, any reference to the type of educational support provided was removed.

Competence: These statements address the levels of competence to provide teaching and learning support. It was decided to describe the levels of knowledge, skills and understanding; and the level of teaching and learning support provided.

Collaboration: These statements address the levels of collaboration with teachers and other relevant professionals. It was decided to describe the levels of collaboration being demonstrated to improve their own practice and/or that of others.

Whole School Engagement: It was decided to add statements to address the levels of engagement with whole school initiatives and strategic planning.

The updated Working Document showing all changes can be accessed below. In this document, Row 5 is in writeable pdf format, where you can record your feedback in preparation for our next meeting. Please note that you need to save the document to your files, to enable you to save your work. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please return your Working Document by email before the next meeting, and your feedback will be presented for consideration.

ASPES Career Stage 2.2 - Working Document_V3