Teacher Qualifications Service

The Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS) is the agency in Alberta responsible for evaluating a teacher's years of education for salary purposes. The TQS staff evaluate the course work and official transcripts for approximately 4000 members a year. All public, separate and francophone school boards in the province, as well as some private boards, accept evaluations issued by the TQS for the purpose of helping to determine a teacher's placement on the salary grid. Evaluations are based on the years of acceptable education along with the assessment of the teacher’s years of teaching experience as governed by the relevant collective agreement.

TQS services are available to:

1. teachers who hold or are eligible to hold a teaching certificate in Alberta;
2. teachers who hold or are eligible to hold another teaching authority in Alberta; 
3. a student teacher who is eligible for certification based on advanced standing.

The Principles for the Evaluation of Years of Teacher Education for Salary Purposes are used to by TQS to evaluate each application and are available in English and French.

How is the Teacher Qualifications Service administered?

The Teacher Salary Qualifications Board (TSQB) was established under a memorandum of agreement signed on 1967 03 23, by The Alberta Teachers’ Association, the Alberta School Trustees’ Association (now the Alberta School Boards Association) and the Department of Education (now Alberta Education). The ten-member board includes representatives of the parties to the agreement and the three Alberta universities having faculties of education. One of the three Association representatives is the chair who may make motions and vote.

The mandate of the board is to adopt bylaws for its own operation, to develop and establish principles for the evaluation of years of teacher education for salary purposes that guide the evaluations completed by the TQS, and to hear and rule on appeals of evaluations completed by the TQS.

Assessment of Additional Studies

Are you planning to continue your teacher education? Looking to move up on the salary grid? Check with TQS staff before you enroll to make sure your courses are eligible for salary purposes. Please limit your inquiry to a maximum of five courses.

Contact TQS staff at tqs@ata.ab.ca and include

• your full name and any previous names,
• name of institution, and
• course name and course code (ie, University of TQS, EDUC 555).

TQS Online Application Portal

Use the Portal to

• start your application,
• upload your supporting documents,
• access communications from TQS,
• receive the results of your application.

Before you Apply

• Take steps to obtain the following documentation, which you will need to support your application:
• Electronic copy of your valid Alberta teaching certificate or authority
• Official university transcripts including any transfer credits; TQS prefers to receive electronic transcripts directly from the institution.
• Electronic copy of any name-change documentation

How to Apply

Step 1

Create an ATA online account if you do not already have one https://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Online%20ATA%20Account/Pages/Six-great-reasons-to-get-your-Online-ATA-Account.aspx/

Step 2

Go to TQS Online Application

Step 3

Login with your ATA Online Account credentials

Step 4

Initiate TQS Application ["Start my Application" button here linked to https://tqsapplications.teachers.ab.ca/pages/home.aspx]

You will need to receive emails from the following addresses during the process.  Please ensure that they are not treated as Junk or Spam messages.

• TQSApplications@ata.ab.ca
• no-reply@sharepointonline.com
• no-reply@bambora.com

After you Apply

Once you have completed and submitted your online application, you will be receiving email notifications for the following application milestones:

1. A direct link to pay fees online

Application Fees are applied based on the study contributing to the evaluation

Only Study from Alberta only: $100

Study from outside Alberta: $150

Duplicate request: $75

Certified copy of transcript on file: $25

Fees must be paid before applications proceed. Fees are payable online in Canadian dollars.

2. Acknowledgment that TQS has received your supporting documents

3. Notice that your application is complete, and your evaluation is proceeding

4. Results of your evaluation

What if I am dissatisfied with my evaluation?

You have two options:

• You can request a reassessment by the Teacher Qualifications Committee (TQC).
• If you are dissatisfied with the reassessment, you can appeal it to the TSQB.

Appeal procedures can be found in the Principles for the Evaluation of Years of Teacher Education for Salary Purposes.