ATAPS Pilot Study Findings

In October 2021, Australian Teacher Aide initiated the development of Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards.  

ATAPS was funded by Australian Teacher Aide, to benefit the education support sector. Stella Liliendal, Director and Co-Founder, led the development with support from other members of the Australian Teacher Aide team, and a panel of education experts from State, Catholic and Independent schools, as well educators from the university and vocational education sectors.

During this time, the Expert Panel met regularly, and all meetings and feedback was recorded, to ensure both rigour, and transparency.  

Australian Teacher Aide would like to acknowledge the many educators who contributed to the Standards. We would also like to thank our Content Expert - Industry Reference Group who, for the three years of development, generously gave their time, and shared their expertise to help ensure that the standards will contribute to the performance and professional growth of all teaching assistants.  

Thank you to our Content Expert - Industry Reference Group 

Michelle Csapo, Industry Innovation Specialist - TAFE NSW | Brenda Dalheim, Learning Diversity & Enrichment Consultant - Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic schools VIC | Leanne Hillman, Bolster Education NSW | Rachel Hawkins, SLSO - Monaro High School NSW | Dr. Claire Jackson, Inclusive Education Specialist VIC | Jane Keating, Administrator - Foundation College, VIC | Anna Kinnane, Educator Teacher Capability & former Project Manager - St Joseph's Nudgee College QLD | Astrid Morgan, Hudson Park Primary School, former Deputy Principal - Arbor Grove PS WA | Susan De Silva, Education Officer - Learner Diversity - Catholic Education Sandhurst VIC | Sharon Stone, Assistant Principal / Assistant Principal Curriculum & Instruction 
Budawang School, former Deputy Principal, Tallowwood School, NSW | Jen Twine, Middle Leader of Pedagogy - Mater Dei School, Camden, VIC | Jane Wenlock, Coordinator Learning Support -  Kolbe Catholic College, VIC | Allison Zournazidis, Special Needs Teacher Assistant, Tallowood School, NSW. 

Thank you to the following pilot school leaders and staff for your participation in the ATAPS School Pilot Program: 

Australian Capital Territory: Galilee School – Communities at Work 
New South Wales: Tallowood School, Monaro High School 
Northern Territory: Katherine School of the Air 
Queensland: Harristown State High School, St Joseph's Nudgee College, The Sycamore School 
Victoria: Montmorency Secondary College, Padua College 
Western Australia: Arbor Grove Primary School; Ocean Reef State High School; St Mark's Anglican Community School 
Catholic Education Sandhurst: St Augustine's School – Wodonga; Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership; Catherine McAuley College – Bendigo; Doxa School – Bendigo; St Francis of Assisi Primary School – Baranduda; St Francis of the Fields School – Bendigo; St Joseph's School – Rochester; St Michael's School – Tallangatta; St Mary's Catholic Primary – Inglewood; St Monica’s School- Wodonga; St Patrick's School – Tongala; Sacred Heart College –Yarrawonga. 

ATAPS School Pilot Program 

The purpose of the ATAPS School Pilot Program was to ensure that the Standards: 

  • are meaningful and relevant to teaching assistants, in all school settings

  • support the performance and professional growth of teaching assistants

  • contribute to role clarity

  • facilitate teachers and TAs working together more effectively.

Download Pilot Study Fact Sheet PDF

Findings of the ATAPS Pilot Study 

ATAPS enable teaching assistants to: 

ATAPS enable teachers to: 
  • understand the expectations of their role 
  • reflect on their strengths, current knowledge and skills, and areas for improvement 
  • set goals to improve their professional knowledge, practice, and engagement 
  • identify and participate in targeted professional learning that meets their professional growth needs 
  • use a shared language to engage effectively with colleagues 
  • set clear expectations for the teaching assistants they work with 
  • make the best use of the teaching assistant's knowledge, skills, and dispositions 
  • assist teaching assistants to reflect on their strengths, current knowledge and skills, and areas for improvement 
  • guide teaching assistants to set goals to improve their practice 
  • use a shared language to communicate and engage effectively with teaching assistants 

ATAPS enable school leaders to: 

ATAPS enable jurisdictions to: 
  • define the job role of teaching assistants 
  • effectively deploy teaching assistants 
  • implement a whole school approach to performance and professional growth 
  • build the expertise of teaching teams and improve outcomes for all students 
  • implement sector wide performance and professional growth processes for teaching assistants 
  • have consistent national benchmarks within all sectors 
  • support the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan 
  • implement national and international research guidelines on the effective deployment, preparedness and practice of teaching assistants 

School Leaders’ Reflections of ATAPS 

As a school we recognise that whilst our teacher development is guided by the AITSL Teaching Standards and our Teacher Performance and Development Framework, we do not have a similar framework for our ESOs which we are very keen to develop. The implementation of ATAPS will allow us to raise the status of our ESOs, facilitate their reflective practices, target their professional development needs, acknowledge their experience levels and support their career aspirations.

Ros Sullivan, Deputy Principal, The Sycamore School QLD 

We will use ATAPS to create a high-performance culture and to give our teaching assistants recognition for the hard work that they do every day. 

Joyce Clements, Assistant Principal, Tallowood School, NSW 

The school intends to use ATAPS to enhance the role of Learning Support Assistants within the school, and as a framework for staff development and professional learning. 

Tim McNevin, Principal, Galilee School, ACT 

The pilot program has remarkably enhanced my knowledge, skills and confidence as a tutor and mentor in a short time. I applaud your team for creating an incredible framework that equips each tutor with the opportunity to have personalised strategies, goals, and milestones for effective professional growth. 

Abbie Gilchrist, Tutor Mentor, Katherine School of the Air, NT 

The standards will help LSO staff to move away from being general classroom helpers into a more focused and targeted role which in turn will improve outcomes for students.  The standards also give teachers a better idea about the skills and knowledge our LSO team possesses. 

Lynsey Price, Leader of Learning Inclusion, St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Baranduda, VIC 

 

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