Info for school psychologists

Western Australian College of Teaching Guidelines for School Psychologists

Introduction

These guidelines have been prepared to assist school psychologists determine their need to be a member of the Western Australian College of Teaching (the College) in compliance with the Western Australian College of Teaching Act 2004 (the Act) when performing particular duties in a school.
 
School psychologists who are required to engage in ‘teaching activities’ will need to determine whether their duties require them to be a member of the Western Australian College of Teaching to carry out those ‘teaching activities’.
 
Some employers require staff employed as school psychologists to be members of the College in the category of Registered Teacher as a condition of employment. These guidelines do not seek to clarify the position of such school psychologists.  If, as a requirement of employment, they are Registered Teachers, then they meet the requirements of the Act to carry out any teaching duties that may be required of them.
 
These guidelines assist the school psychologist, who is not a member of the College, determine the need to become a member of the College if required to engage in ‘teaching activities’.
 

Guidelines

  • The Western Australian College of Teaching Act 2004 provides for membership of the College in the categories of Provisionally Registered Teacher, Registered Teacher, a Limited Authority to Teach and Associate member.
  • A person must be a Registered Teacher, a Provisionally Registered Teacher or have a Limited Authority to Teach to be eligible to teach in a school in Western Australia.
  • ‘Teaching’ is defined as:
    • the delivery of an educational program designed to implement the curriculum framework approved under the Curriculum Council Act 1997 and the assessment of student participation in such an educational program; or
    • the administration of any such educational program.
  • If a person is responsible for designing and delivering a teaching program, and assessing and reporting on student learning in that program, and that program is part of the school curriculum, then that person is ‘teaching’ according to the Act.
  • If a person substitutes for a teacher, in the absence of the teacher, during a period when students would normally be engaged with a program designed to implement the curriculum, then that person is ‘teaching’ according to the Act. For example, if a person’s duties for the day are as relief teacher, then that person is teaching as defined by the Act.
  • If a person delivers, or plans and delivers, a component of the school curriculum through agreement with the teacher, but is not responsible for student learning outcomes, then that person is not ‘teaching’ according to the Act. For example, if a person develops an individual learning plan for a student, in negotiation with the student’s teacher, but the teacher maintains responsibility for the student’s learning, that person is not teaching as defined by the Act.
  • Where a person presents information or a lesson, as a guest presenter with expert knowledge, to a class as part of a planned program in which the teacher maintains responsibility for the student’s learning, that person is not teaching as defined by the Act.