Teach for Australia Pathway: Evaluation Report Phase 3 of 3

This report is the final of three reports of the evaluation of the Teach for Australia (TFA) Pathway, a pilot of an alternative approach to teacher education in Australia. The evaluation was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) over the period 2010 to 2012. The basic design of the TFA Pathway is as follows: 1. High-achieving university graduates are recruited nationally. Applicants are subject to a rigorous recruitment process and are selected on the basis of qualities and skills suitable to the teaching profession, and the possession of a genuine desire to reduce educational disadvantage. 2. Selected applicants (termed Associates) undertake six weeks of initial residential intensive education prior to commencing a two-year placement as an Associate in a disadvantaged secondary school (the Placement School). 3. Associates undertake a two-year employment-based course involving continued study toward a qualification in teaching; a teaching role with a 0.8FTE reduced load, and the support of an in-school teacher Mentor. 4. Further support is provided fortnightly by a Clinical Specialist (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, MGSE) and a Training and Leadership Adviser (TFA). 5. Associates are placed in secondary schools in geographic ‘clusters’, allowing for multiple Associates within a school and within a region to ensure Associates have access to peer-support. 6. The Associate’s in-school experienced Mentor also undertakes mentor training, conducted by the University of Melbourne.