A report from McKinsey [10 MB PDF] more or less builds its brief conclusions into the titles of its three main chapters:
- The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers - therefore get the right people to become teachers;
- The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction - therefore develop them into effective instructors;
- Delivery for every child - therefore ensure that the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child.
| Question | Best in the world |
| Getting the right people to become teachers | |
| What is the average academic calibre of people who become teachers? | Among the top 10% of each cohort |
| How is the teaching profession viewed by university students and recent graduates? | One of the top 3 career choices |
| How rigorous are selection processes into teacher training? | Rigorous checks designed to assess teaching potential: e.g. teaching practice, literacy and numeracy tests |
| What is the ratio of places on initial teacher education courses to applicants? | 1:10 |
| How does starting compensation for teaching compare to other graduate salaries | In line with other graduate salaries |
| Developing effective instructors | |
| What is the total amount of coaching new teachers receive in schools? | >20 weeks |
| What proportion of each teacher's time is spend on professional development? | 10% of working time is used for professional development |
| Does each teacher have an exact knowledge of specific weaknesses in their practice? | Yes, as a result of everyday activities occurring in schools |
| Can teachers observe and understand better teaching practice in a school setting? | Yes, teachers regularly invite each other into each other's classes to observe and coach |
| Do teachers reflect on and discuss practice? | Yes, through both formal and informal practices in schools |
| What role do school leaders play in developing effective instructors? | The best coaches and teachers are selected as school leaders |
| How much focused, systematic research is conducted into effective instruction and then fed back into policy and classroom practice? | Research budget equivalent to $50 per student each year focused on improving instruction |
| Ensuring every student performs well | |
| What standards exist for what students should know, understand, and be able to do? | Clear standards appropriate to system performance |
| What system-wide checks exist on the quality of school performance? | All schools are aware of their strengths and weaknesses |
| What action is taken to tackle under-performance? | Effective mechanisms to support all failing students, minimal performance variation between schools |
| How is funding and support organised? | Funding and support are focused where it can have most impact |
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