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Professional Standards for Middle Leaders

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Professional Standards for Middle Leaders identify the key capabilities to be effective as a middle leader. They acknowledge the key role of middle leaders in schools and are intended to bridge the gap between the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the Australian Professional Standard for Principals.

There are a wide variety of resources available to support the understanding and implementation of each of the focus areas in the Professional Standards for Middle Leaders. ​

The Department of Education partnered with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) in the development of these Professional Standards for Middle Leaders. For more details about the research that underpins these middle leader standards, visit the middle leaders page on the AITSL website.

Middle Leader Standards

The Middle Leader Standards are orga​nised into 2 groups. The first group is referred to as the enabling standards because they ena​ble the successful demonstration of leadership practice in the other standards.​

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The enabling standards are:

  1. Enabling dispositions
  2. Enabling knowledge and skills.

The second group of standards represent middle leaders' core business, which is to improve teaching and learning to maximise the progress and achievement of all learners. Accordingly, these are known as the core standards:

  1. Enhancing understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
  2. Coordinating high-impact teaching and learning
  3. Leading improvement in teaching practice
  4. Managing effectively.
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Figure: The interconnection between the 2 groups of standards

Figure 1: The interconnection between the 2 groups of standards

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Enabling standards

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Core standards

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Source: Professional Standards for Middle Leaders © 2024 Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Used with permission.

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Last updated 17 May 2024