The Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme was designed to recognise and reward teachers who attained high standards of practice. The scheme emerged in 2001 as part of an agreement between government, local employing authorities and teacher organisations. Policies such as the chartered teacher scheme aim to benefit students in two main ways: by…

In 2008, the Council of Australian governments (COAG) agreed to a set of reforms focused on teacher quality. These reforms aim to make teaching a more attractive career, lift the quality of teacher training, retain and reward quality teachers, promote effective professional learning and support workforce mobility. Australia has made several…

This paper was prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Training Taskforce on Teacher Quality & Educational Leadership. It covers the following broad areas: (1) How can a national definition of "Good Teaching" be developed, and what should it include?; (2) What should a "National Standards…

Educational policy makers in many countries recognize the need to focus their policies more directly on factors affecting the quality of teachers. Common to these policies are attempts to reform teachers' pay systems and career paths to place greater value on teachers' work and give stronger incentives for professional development. Investing in…

This paper falls into two main sections: (1) an overview of contemporary research on effective professional learning for practicing educators; and (2) recommendations for action to promote effective learning for practicing educators. Three central questions guide the paper: (1) When does professional learning lead to improved learning outcomes for…

This report examines effects of structural and process features of professional development programs on teachers' knowledge, practice and efficacy. It is based on four recent (2002-2003) studies undertaken through the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme, designed to enhance teacher quality. The total data set for the survey study…