Annual classification review changes for school leaders

The department undertakes an annual classification review of principal and other promotional teaching positions to determine the banding, in accordance with the Terms of Reference within s5.3.8 of the Teachers’ Award – State.

As a result of discussions which occurred earlier this year, the following significant changes have been approved.

• The principal classification review process has been changed to align with the streamlined ‘gains and losses’ process from the start of 2015.
• The new approach will see schools that have achieved the required enrolment or teacher full-time equivalent (FTE) threshold on a single Day 8 collection eligible for the relevant classification level upgrade in that school year.
• For schools experiencing declining enrolments, two Day 8 collections will be required before the downgrade is applied. 
• Special school principals to be remunerated above Stream 3/SL/6 (Band 10) and the creation of provisions enabling the adjustment of associated thresholds to attain Stream 3/SL/7 (Band 11). 
• Upgrade norms for Stream 3/SL/7 (Band 11) classification are 35 for schools with usual complexity and 33 for schools with additional complexity.

At the meeting, the QTU spoke strongly about the need to ensure that other relevant sources of resourcing for special schools should be investigated as a priority. While the upgrading of special schools from Band 10 to Band 11 was a recognition of the sheer size of these schools, it does not address the schools’ requirements in terms of further resourcing needs, including middle management.

Who undertakes this review?

The review is undertaken by the Evaluation Review Committee (ERC), which comprises the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the QTU, as well as representatives from the primary, secondary and special principal associations.

How are these decisions made?

The committee’s role is to develop and recommend consistent classification determinations or amendments for the consideration of approval by the delegated officer. Prior to this, recommendations are forwarded to regional directors for consultation.

How is a band level determined?

A band level determination informs the classification level of a position, and is different to a stream, which is the dollar amount individuals in positions are remunerated.

Band levels are reviewed by firstly comparing the appropriate enrolment level of a school within a set of established benchmarks for the enrolment (bell-curve) norms for all positions within the same band level, operating in a similar determined environment (complexity).

Enrolment norms are used on top of the job evaluation methodology system (JEMS). JEMS is a determined benchmark that maintains state-wide relativity between position evaluations. 

In the case of special schools and special education programs, teacher full-time equivalent resourcing is utilised, rather than enrolment norms. It is a more accurate benchmark for the special sector as it actually reflects the overall complexity of the position.

Paige Bousen
Assistant Secretary – Education Leaders

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 120 No 5, 17 July 2015, p18