Transition from Provisional to (Full) Registration

The Teachers Registration Board regulates the teaching profession in South Australia according to functions, roles and responsibilities defined by the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (the Act) and the Teachers Registration and Standards Regulations 2005 and subsequent amendments.
The term ‘Registration’ as used in the Act refers to what is termed ‘(full) Registration’ in some other jurisdictions.

Please note; the current application form is available on this website. Previous forms are obsolete and should not be submitted.

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1. About Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration

a. General Information

What is Provisional Registration?

A person is eligible for Provisional Registration as a teacher if the person does not have the necessary experience but has met all other requirements necessary to be eligible for registration. It is a condition of every Provisional Registration that the person acquires the experience or meets the requirements (as the case may be) necessary for the person to be eligible for registration under section 21 (1) of the Act.

I have been teaching a number of years and still hold Provisional Registration status – why is this?

Transition from Provisional Registration to (full) Registration is not an automatic process – an application is required. Each teacher holding Provisional Registration must meet the requirements and make an application to the Teachers Registration Board. If you allow your registration to expire at any stage and apply again for registration at a later date, Provisional Registration will be granted and you would need to apply to transition to (full) Registration once you have met the requirements.

Provisional Registration is not to be confused with any employer requirements for a probationary period of teaching.

What are the changes to the timeline being introduced for Provisional Registration?

Under the Ministerial agreements for a nationally consistent approach to registration, implemented from the beginning of 2013, the maximum period for meeting requirements for (full) Registration is 5 years (with provision for an extension). For the purpose of registration in South Australia this means a person can if necessary, have up to two terms of Provisional Registration within which to meet the requirements.

A teacher granted Provisional Registration is expected to meet the requirements for (full) Registration within their initial 3-year term of Provisional Registration. If a teacher has not met the requirements within their initial term, the teacher can apply to renew their Provisional Registration for one further term of 3 years i.e. two terms of Provisional Registration over a period of 6 years.

What is regarded as my ‘initial’ term of Provisional Registration under the nationally consistent approach to registration (implemented from the beginning of 2013)?

In South Australia, prior to 1 January 2013 there was not a set timeline for application to transition from Provisional to (full) Registration.

If you were granted Provisional Registration prior to 1 January 2013, the ‘initial’ term of Provisional Registration is defined as the term following renewal of your Provisional Registration (Refer to the diagram below).

If you were granted Provisional Registration for the first time or renewed your Provisional Registration at the end of 2012, then your ‘initial’ term of Provisional Registration is effective from 1/2/2013 to 31/01/2016 (Refer to diagram below).

Diagram-‘Initial’ terms of Provisional Registration in relation to transition to (full) Registration

(Click the image to enlarge it)

How are the National (Australian) Professional Standards for Teachers connected to registration?

The Standards make explicit the professional expectations of teachers at four different career stages. They can be found in detail on the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) website.To transition from Provisional to (full) Registration you must provide evidence to an evaluator to substantiate meeting each of the Standards (taking account of the descriptors) at the Proficient career stage.

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b. Eligibility

When can I apply to change from Provisional Registration to (full) Registration?

You can apply after you have completed 1 year full-time (or part-time equivalent of 200 days) satisfactory service as a teacher at a school in Australia or New Zealand or if appropriate a prescribed service in South Australia, within the five years preceding an application for transition to (full) Registration.

What are the requirements to apply for transition from Provisional to (full) Registration?

The following requirements need to be met:

• complete 1 year full-time (or part-time equivalent of 200 days) satisfactory service as a teacher at a school in Australia or New Zealand or if appropriate a prescribed service in South Australia within the five years preceding an application for transition to (full) Registration
• provide evidence to an evaluator to substantiate meeting the National (Australian) Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient career stage
• complete all requirements as outlined in the Application - Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration form and submit the application to the Board. (Please note; the current application form is available on this website. Previous forms are obsolete and should not be submitted.)

What happens if I am not able to undertake 200 days of satisfactory service during my initial three year term of Provisional Registration?

For the purpose of registration in South Australia a person can if necessary, have up to two terms of Provisional Registration within which to meet the requirements i.e. two terms of Provisional Registration over a period of six years.

If you have not been able to undertake the required amount of satisfactory teaching service within the initial 3 year term of your Provisional Registration you can apply to renew your Provisional Registration for one further term of three years. When applying to renew your Provisional Registration (for one further term) you must meet all legislated and Board requirements including 60 hours of Standards-referenced professional learning. If you do not meet the professional learning requirement you will not be eligible to renew Provisional Registration for a further term.

Teachers who do not meet the requirements to transition to (full) Registration by the end of their one further term of Provisional Registration (i.e. two terms of Provisional Registration over 6 years) will need to submit a new application for Provisional Registration through a modified process.

What happens if I have met the requirements within my initial term of Provisional Registration and have not applied to transition from Provisional to (full) Registration?

If you have met the requirements to transition from Provisional to (full) Registration during your initial term of Provisional Registration and have not applied to change the status of your registration status to (full) Registration, you may not be granted a further term of Provisional Registration.

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c. Cost

What fees apply to transition from Provisional Registration to (full) Registration?

There is no cost involved in this application process. When (full) Registration is granted a new certificate is issued indicating the change in registration status to ‘Registration’. The registration status only is amended.

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2. Applying for Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration

a. Before applying for Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration

What should I do to prepare to apply for transition to (full) Registration?

Some suggestions of what you might do:

• inform your line – manager (s) and/or leader(s), principal(s) or director(s) that you hold Provisional Registration and speak to the person who you will be asking to support you as an evaluator
• familiarise yourself with the National (Australian) Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient career stage
• begin early to create opportunities to discuss your teaching with prospective evaluators
• begin early to ‘gather’ examples of evidence of meeting the Standards derived from a range of sources including evidence of student learning and observations of your teaching and engage in ongoing self-reflection on how you are meeting the Standards
• look at useful resources e.g. Illustrations of Practice at the Proficient career stage available on the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) website

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Evaluator

What is the role of an evaluator?

An evaluator is usually a person in a line management role and/or the principal or director and must hold (full) Registration status. The person would have adequate knowledge about your teaching and the National (Australian) Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient career stage to enable them to make a summative judgement about whether you have met the Standards.

It is your responsibility to assist the evaluator by discussing your teaching and sharing evidence to substantiate how you achieve all seven Standards at the Proficient career stage. You would seek support from an evaluator who you believe is in the best position to undertake this role.

The recommendation for (full) Registration is a judgement about a level of professional competence required for registration at the proficient career stage. Implicit in the process and in the evidence required is a presumption of success. A recommendation for (full) Registration does not need to reflect any capacity higher than that of competent professional practice at the proficient level.

The evaluator should consider multiple forms of evidence to make an holistic judgement as to whether you meet each of the seven Standards, taking account of the descriptors and based on your teaching practice and evidence shared.

Once the evaluator has made a summative judgement as to whether or not you have substantiated meeting each of the Standards, they make a recommendation.

How do I assist my evaluator in making a judgement about whether I meet each Standard?

You would need to begin early to create opportunities to discuss your teaching with prospective evaluators. This is particularly important for teachers who work in a part-time capacity, on contract or as temporary relieving teachers.

You need to be familiar with the Standards, and focus areas at the Proficient career stage so that you can ‘gather evidence’ to help substantiate meeting each of the Standards. Evidence should be drawn from a range of sources and cover a broad scope of your knowledge, practice and engagement. A piece of evidence can address multiple Standards.

What does the recommendation from an evaluator involve?

The recommendation is an on balance judgement about your capacity to meet the Standards at the Proficient career stage appropriate to the teaching context. It recognises your level of experience, teaching context, the development of your practice and your potential further development and should be based on shared evidence that you have discussed with the evaluator. There is an expectation that the vast majority of teachers who have undertaken 1 full year (or part-time equivalent of 200 days) teaching will be able to share evidence of meeting the Standards at the Proficient career stage.

Once the evaluator has made a summative judgement they complete Section 6 – Recommendation.

If the evaluator is not the principal or director then the recommendation should be countersigned by the principal or director.

If the provisionally registered teacher is not recommended for transition to (full) Registration at this time as they have not yet substantiated meeting one or more of the Standards at the Proficient career stage, a further comment is sought regarding which of the Standards have not yet been met. In this case, the evaluator and the provisionally registered teacher should each attach an explanation on a separate sheet marked ‘Private and Confidential’ to the Registrar.

The final decision to grant (full) Registration rests with the Teachers Registration Board.

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Evidence

What kind of evidence should I gather?

Evidence to share with your evaluator will be drawn from a range of sources and contexts:

• directly from your work as a teacher
• including evidence of student learning and observations of teaching
• from performance development processes and/or documentation
• from curriculum, planning and assessment documentation
• from professional observations or collaborations with colleagues
• from reflections on practice
• from student work
• from collaborations and communications with parents, carers and community.

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Teaching service

How do I substantiate undertaking 200 days teaching service?

If you have undertaken the 200 days teaching in one school in Australia or New Zealand or prescribed service in South Australia (if appropriate) then the evaluator, principal or director will be able to verify your service in the application form and you will not be required to obtain a separate statement of service.

If your 200 days teaching service has occurred in more than one school in Australia or New Zealand or prescribed service in South Australia (if appropriate), you will need to obtain statements of service from all employers or principals or directors of the schools or prescribed services at which you have been employed as a provisionally registered teacher to verify the service. The statements should indicate the periods or days of employment (including fraction of time worked).

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b. Applying for Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration

Please note; the current application form is available on this website. Previous forms are obsolete and should not be submitted.

How do I apply to Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration?

Transition from Provisional Registration to (full) Registration is not an automatic process; you must submit your application.

Firstly, you should print an application form and read the guideline notes to familiarise yourself with what is required in the application. You need to complete all requirements, as outlined in the application form and submit the application to the Board. It is your responsibility to submit your application to the Board in person or by mail. Applications submitted by fax or email will not be accepted. You are advised to photocopy your application and retain the copy for your own records.

Please note: The application process can take up to 4 weeks from the time your application is received by the Board. You will be notified by email when the Board has received your application and should there be any delays beyond the 4 weeks you will be informed by email. Please ensure you have provided a current email address to the Board.

An incomplete application will not be accepted and will be returned to you.

Do I send my evidence to the Teachers Registration Board?

Do not send the evidence you shared with your evaluator to substantiate meeting the Standards to the Teachers Registration Board. You do however need to keep a summary record of the sources of the evidence used to substantiate your achievement of each of the Standards. A Summary Record of Sources of Evidence template including some sample sources of evidence is provided. You would be required to submit this summary record should you be notified of your participation in an audit of applications.

What if I wish to comment on the evaluation process?

There is provision in Section 7 of the application form for you to make any additional comments.

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c. After the application

How do I know if I’m involved in an audit?

A sample of Applications for Transition from Provisional to (full) Registration will be selected at random and audited by the Board. Teachers who are identified will be notified of their participation in an audit and asked to forward to the Board, within 28 days, their Summary Record of Sources of Evidence used to substantiate meeting the Standards at the Proficient career stage.

When is it a requirement to provide information to the Board?

In accordance with Section 27 of the Act, the Board or Registrar may at any time, require a registered teacher or the employer or a former employer of a registered teacher, to provide information relating to the teacher or the teacher’s employment. A person who fails to comply is guilty of an offence.

It is an offence under Section 54 of the Act for any person to provide false or misleading information to the Registrar or Board in respect to any matters encompassed in the Act.

What is the process to be followed if I have a grievance about an action or decision relating to my application to transition from Provisional to (full) Registration?

A teacher aggrieved at an action or decision relating to their application for transition to (full) Registration should set out their grievance in writing addressed to the Registrar.

The document should:

• give details of full name, address and teacher registration number
• outline the reason for complaint
• be sent to the Teachers Registration Board no later than three months after the date when the problem occurred.

The teacher will be contacted within 28 days (from the date the letter is received by the Registrar) in regard to the action being taken on the matter.

If a hearing is warranted and the Board makes a determination, in accordance with Section 49 of the Act a teacher has the right to appeal the determination to the Administrative and Disciplinary Division of the District Court.

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