Teacher Qualifications Service

_Français

The Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS) is the agency in Alberta responsible for evaluating a teacher’s years of education for salary purposes.

TQS staff evaluate the coursework and official transcripts of approximately 4,000 members per year in addition to providing advice and conducting research on educational opportunities for members. All public, separate and francophone school boards in the province, as well as some private boards, accept TQS evaluations to determine a teacher’s placement on the salary grid.

Evaluations are based on the years of acceptable education.

TQS uses the Principles for the Evaluation of Years of Teacher Education for Salary Purposes to evaluate each application. These principles are available in English and French.

Who are TQS services for?

• Teachers who hold or are eligible to hold a teaching certificate in Alberta
• Teachers who hold or are eligible to hold another teaching authority in Alberta
• Student teachers who are eligible for certification based on advanced standing

How is the TQS administered?

The Teacher Salary Qualifications Board (TSQB) was established under a memorandum of agreement signed on March 23, 1967, 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 10-member board includes representatives of these parties and representatives of the faculties of education of the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge. One of the three Association representatives is the chair, who may make motions and vote.

The board’s mandate is as follows:

• 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 TQS evaluations
• To hear and rule on appeals of TQS evaluations

Assessment of additional studies

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 five courses.

E-mail tqs@ata.ab.ca and include the following information:

• Your full name and any previous names
• Name of the institution offering the course
• Course name and course code (for example, EDUC 555)

TQS online application portal

What can you do through the online application portal?

• Start your application
• Upload your supporting documents
• Access communications from TQS
• Receive the results of your application

Before you apply

Obtain the following documentation, which you will need to support your application:

• Electronic copy of your valid Alberta teaching certificate or authority
• Electronic official university transcripts, including any transfer credits sent directly from the institution to tqs@ata.ab.ca.
• Electronic copy of any name-change documentation

How to apply

1. Log into your online ATA account.  Don’t have an account?  Find instructions on how to create one.
2. Go to TQS Online Application.
3. Log in with your online ATA account credentials.
4. Start your TQS Application 

During the process, you will receive e-mails from the following addresses:

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

Check your Junk or Spam folder.

After you apply

You will receive the following e-mail notifications:

1. A direct link to pay fees online
   Evaluation fee—$125
   Duplicate request—$75
   Certified copy of transcript on file—$25

Fees must be paid before your application proceeds. Fees are payable online in Canadian dollars.

2. Acknowledgment that TQS has received your supporting documents
3. Notice that your application is complete and that your evaluation is proceeding
4. Results of your evaluation

What if you’re not satisfied with your evaluation?

• First, request a reassessment by the Teacher Qualifications Committee (TQC).
• If you are not satisfied 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 (available in English and French).