Marc Tucker of the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) co-authored with the Organization for Economic and Co-operation and Development (OECD) the recently released report, “Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education”. The report examines in detail success stories from high-performing and fast-improving nations and highlights for policymakers, educators, and media in the U.S. important lessons from these countries that can help inform education reform efforts stateside.
Chapter 11 is perhaps the most useful chapter of this text. In it, authors explore lessons for the United States. Key factors behind the education success of nations highlighted in the report that have implications for ESEA reauthorization and education policy include:
- Clear, rigorous standards closely tied to a curriculum that in turn informs high-quality tests that measure complex, higher-order thinking.
- Gateways through the education system that students can only get through by demonstrating that they are qualified to go on to the next step in their education or their career.
- Greater professionalization of the teaching workforce, including higher standards to enter teacher education programs and careers, better training of prospective teachers so that they can diagnose and address student problems early on, higher teacher pay to attract the best and brightest into teaching, master teachers to mentor new recruits, and career ladders for master teachers that will enable them to earn at high levels and stay in teaching.
- Collaboration with teachers’ unions in ways that lead to high student performance.
- School funding systems that provide the most resources for the students who are hardest to educate to high standards.
To access the full report, see
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/50/46623978.pdf
To access Chapter 11 only, see
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/52/30/46581520.pdf
