Teachers wanting a bonus under the government's reward scheme will have to show improved results and positive parent feedback. Picture: The Courier-Mail Source: AAP Government draft plan calls for annual teacher reviews Teachers must set goals, provide evidence of results Top teachers will be in line for bonus payments TEACHERS in every Australian school will have a compulsory performance assessment each year as part of a Federal Government plan.
The draft Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework, released for consultation today, calls for classroom observation and evidence of student achievement as part of annual reviews led by school leaders and external assessors.
It also proposes teachers set performance goals every year, which could include improving their students' literacy and numeracy results.
State and territory ministers agreed to the proposal last week and hope to sign off on the final framework in August after a three-month consultation period.
"The draft framework released today will provide the first national set of guidelines for performance assessments for the teaching profession," School Education Minister Peter Garrett said.
"Teachers will have a clear understanding of what they will be expected to achieve every year and a clear understanding of how their performance will be measured.
"This will allow our many terrific teachers to demonstrate how well they are performing and the positive results they are producing, while also providing opportunities to improve their skills where needed."
Under the plan, developed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, every teacher would have a set of documented, measurable and specific goals for the year.
Teachers would need to collect evidence - which could include improved student results, feedback from students, parents and their peers or supervisor, and observation of classroom teaching - to show they were achieving goals. The plan will have a three-month consultation period.
AITSL chairman Anthony Mackay said teacher performance and development was about supporting all teachers to improve.
"It will ensure teachers receive constructive feedback on their performance and can identify the support they need to become the best they can be," he said.
States and territories will have access to $60 million as part of the Rewards for Great Teachers initiative to help carry out the teacher assessments and implement a new plan to recognise teachers based on performance.
All education ministers also endorsed a new national approach to certify teachers as highly accomplished and lead teachers, who will be eligible for a bonus payment of up to $10,000.
"Teachers who regularly do well in their annual assessments will be encouraged to apply for certification under the bonus payments scheme as a reward for their great work," Mr Garrett said.
Australian Education Union national president Angelo Gavrielatos said the union was involved in the development of the draft and he believed its focus was on professional development. "What the document emphasised and tried to build on is the need for ongoing professional development for teachers," he said.
"We certainly support ongoing professional development and we believe it should be an entitlement for every single teacher. This can be best achieved when they are given the time and space to sit down together to evaluate and devise teaching and learning programs."
Mr Gavrielatos said that this would require significant financial investment from the Government. "The worst thing that could happen is that professional development programs for teachers are reduced to tick-a-box exercises."
Mr Garrett was in Adelaide yesterday to announce the rollout of the Empowering Local Schools initiative.
He committed $4 million to 61 public schools, which would allow them to work together more, including with shared staffing arrangements.
