B8 Human Resources Management

Ensuring a Highly Capable Workforce

The ACTPS Education and Training Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2014-2018 (the Agreement) sets the platform for the ongoing development of a highly capable teaching workforce. Attraction, development and retention of excellent teachers is central to leading the nation in achieving high quality outcomes for all students.

The Directorate is committed to ensuring students in ACT public schools are taught by excellent teachers in every classroom in every school. The Agreement creates an enabling environment where striving for excellence by teachers and school leaders is recognised and celebrated.

In 2017-18, the Directorate successfully delivered critical outputs from the implementation of the following six major work streams arising from the Agreement.

Sustainable Reduction of Teacher Workload

Established in 2015, the project team has continued to work closely with schools to strengthen supports to assist teachers in assessing and effectively managing workload. The team has delivered a number of key outputs, including articulation and promulgation of workload theory, definition of a teacher’s core role, and the establishment of Workload Committees developing individual School Workload Reduction Plans across all schools.

In 2017, the Government committed to ongoing funding for administrative support for all schools to ensure sustainable teacher workloads. This support in conjunction with School Workload Reduction Plans has decreased the time spent by teachers on non-core activities, enabling teachers to invest quality time on their core teaching role, lesson planning and professional learning. Great teachers and great teaching practice are highly valued and will ultimately lead to improved student outcomes.

Principal Career Structure

Following development work and consultations with key stakeholders, including principal groups and the Australian Education Union (AEU), a draft Principal Career Structure (new Structure) and was endorsed by the Directorate’s Senior Executive Team (SET) in 2017.

Further consultation and work on the implementation of the new Structure will continue in 2018-19.

Alignment of Teacher Performance and Development Processes with National Standards

Following the initial pilot in 2017, the revised Teacher, School Leader and Principal Performance and Development Framework (the Framework) was launched for system-wide implementation in Term one, 2018. The Framework reflects the Directorate’s commitment to continuous improvement of ACT public school teacher and school leader performance through effective goal setting and evidence-based feedback. The Framework is aligned with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and Australian Professional Standard for Principals. The Framework guides our schools to support a performance and learning culture.

Recognition and Reward for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers

In 2015, the reward and recognition process for teachers who achieve certification at the national Australian Standards of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) career stages was established. Certified Teachers were recognised and financially rewarded with an additional salary increment or equivalent one-year allowance. In 2017, there were 14 successful applicants in the ACT, of which eight teachers from the Directorate attained certification at the HALT career stages. The Directorate has a total of 35 teachers certified at the HALT career stages, four of whom have successfully attained re-certification within the reporting period.

In early 2018, the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI), in partnership with the Directorate, provided several information sessions for teachers and school leaders who are interested in learning more about Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Certification and certification renewal process.

School Leader C Career Development

This project was completed in 2016-17, with the implementation of transitional arrangements moving from separate designations of Executive Teacher (School Leader C), under a variety of job titles and conditions, to a holistic Executive Teacher (School Leader C) position. In 2017-18, the Directorate is continuing to provide support to ensure that School Leader C's have opportunities to develop the full range of school leadership capabilities and to meet the learning and wellbeing needs of students.

Annual Professional Learning Program

The Annual Professional Learning Program (the Program) outlines a high-quality program of professional learning in every school to support all teachers to continually develop their professional knowledge, practice and engagement. The Program provides teachers with ongoing opportunities to come together with colleagues to engage in professional conversations and investigations of teaching practice and student learning. With the support of colleagues, each teacher can focus attention on addressing educational issues directly relevant to their students’ learning needs in the classroom and develop their own teaching practice to meet these needs.

The requirements of the Program include two days professional learning during the stand down period, along with engagement with regular professional learning opportunities during term time. In 2018, principals of all schools were required to develop a professional learning program, supported through the Annual Professional Learning Program Guidelines and Planning Template, which focused on building quality teaching practice. The Program has been designed in collaboration with the ACT TQI professional learning requirements for registration.

Induction

In 2018, existing induction practices were enhanced to ensure Directorate employees are aware of their obligations as ACTPS employees, with an explicit focus on the ACTPS values and employment conditions. The enhanced program includes three stages:

• Stage one includes a centralised induction program designed to welcome new staff to the Directorate, this includes an opportunity to hear from the Director-General, gain an understanding of the strategic direction and understand their obligations and expectations as ACT Public Service and Education Directorate employees. It also includes work-based activities designed to support new employees to understand the work context. Stage one also includes mandatory online training modules (school network only) to assist new employees to understand their legislative responsibilities;
• Stage two provides new employees with additional support in their roles to foster professional development. This includes specific details about policies, processes and tasks; and
• Stage three provides new staff with ongoing and sustained support to develop their professional skills. Continued professional growth is guided by identified individual professional learning needs.

ACTPS Graduate Program

The ACT Education Directorate participates in the ACTPS Graduate Program on an annual basis. The Directorate makes available a number of positions for graduates identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, or as people with disability.

Attraction Retention Incentives, Special Employment Arrangements and Australian Workplace Agreements

Attraction and Retention Incentives (ARIns) and Special Employment Arrangements (SEAs) and Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAS) are made in accordance with the provision of the relevant enterprise agreement. They are part of the Directorate’s attraction and retention strategy, enabling the Directorate to deliver on strategic goals through the attraction and retention of officers with specialist skills and qualifications.

Table B8.1: ARIns, SEAs, and AWAs, classifications and remuneration of officers

Consistent with the increase in the number of ARIns for the previous reporting period, the high number of ARIns within the Directorate relates to the introduction of new industrial and employment arrangements for school assistants working under the Health Access at School (HAAS) Program. Specifically, in agreement with the relevant unions, the Australian Education Union and the Community and Public Sector Union, a new HAAS Allowance has been introduced.

As there is no authority under the Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2013-2017 to facilitate payment of the HAAS Allowance, a Group ARIn has been implemented as the mechanism by which to facilitate authority for the payment of the HAAS Allowance.

Provision for the HAAS Allowance will be included in the next EA, currently being negotiated. The HAAS Group ARIn will cease to operate on commencement of the new EA.

Workforce Profile

The number of staff employed in the Directorate increased from 6,578 at 29 June 2017 to 6,814 at 27 June 2018. The majority of the additional staff were employed in schools to meet increases in student enrolments.

The ratio of female to male staff (3.3:1) has remained consistent for the last five financial years. The average length of service remained steady at 8.9 years during 2017-18. The Directorate currently employs 101 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members, representing 1.5 percent of the Directorate’s total headcount.

Table B8.2 outlines full-time equivalent (FTE) and head count of staff by gender. The information is provided by Shared Services and is reported for the pay period of 27 June 2018. The statistics exclude staff not paid by the ACT Public Service and people on leave without pay. Staff members who separated from the ACT Public Service prior to 27 June 2018 but received a payment have been included.

Table B8.2: FTE and headcount by gender

Tables B8.3 to B8.9 break this data down further representing classification, employment category, FTE and headcount by Division/Branch, age, length of service, diversity and separation.

Table B8.3: Headcount by classification and gender

¹ Breakdown by classification groups not for publication due to privacy reasons.

Table B8.4: Headcount by employment category and gender

¹Breakdown by employment category not for publication due to privacy reasons.

Table B8.5: FTE and headcount by division/branch

Table B8.6: Headcount by age group and gender

¹ Breakdown by age group not for publication due to privacy reasons.

Table B8.7: Average years of service by gender

¹ Not for publication due to privacy reasons.

Table B8.8: Headcount by diversity group¹

¹Employees may identify with more than one of the diversity groups.

Table B8.9: Recruitment and separation rates by classification group

¹Not for publication due to privacy reasons.

For further information contact:
Director, People and Performance
(02) 6205 9203

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