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ITE program accreditation

Learn how initial teacher education programs are accredited in Australia, including national frameworks, state/territory processes, and key documents.

Learn about ITE program accreditation

An initial teacher education (ITE) program is accredited by demonstrating evidence against the nationally agreed Accreditation Standards and Procedures. All Australian ITE programs are accredited by state and territory teacher regulatory authorities using these nationally agreed Standards and Procedures.

How AITSL is delivering improved ITE

It is important that every pre-service teacher is classroom ready upon graduation. Our role in the Australian accreditation system helps ensure this.

We work collaboratively with ITE providers, state and territory teacher regulatory authorities, teachers, leaders and employers to further improve the quality of Australian initial teacher education.

Standards and guidelines

Accreditation of ITE
Standards and procedures
All ITE programs must meet the national Standards and Procedures as part of the accreditation process. The Standards and Procedures draw on the expertise and vision of the key experts in the sector and embody a commitment to driving improvement in ITE.
View the Standards and Procedures
Accreditation Guidelines
The Guidelines for the accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia articulate the evidence requirements of the Standards and Procedures to support the consistent interpretation and assessment of the accreditation standards.
View the Accreditation Guidelines

Professional experience

Professional experience is a critical component of teacher preparation. When carefully coordinated, it provides pre-service teachers with rich learning opportunities designed to achieve a strong connection between university program with school classroom practical experience.

AITSL worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the key components of quality placements are a requirement of initial teacher education program accreditation, including:

  • strong and sustained school/ITE provider partnerships
  • communication across all placements
  • quality in-school experiences
  • rigorous pre-service teacher assessment.

We have developed the Australian Professional Experience Guidelines to support partnerships between schools and initial education providers when delivering quality placements.

Resources to support your application process

To support the implementation of the Standards and Procedures, we have developed a suite of resources and publications to help ITE providers when developing applications for accreditation and ITE accreditation panellists in making nationally consistent judgements.

 

National research and workforce planning opportunities

The AITSL Initial Teacher Education Research Agenda has been published to guide research on the effectiveness of initial teacher education. With a rigorous evidence base on ITE, program providers can learn from and be benchmarked against effective practice.

Read our Spotlight research reports.