Empowering Effective Teachers: Readiness for Reform

Readiness for Reform A teacher’s effectiveness has more impact on student learning than any other factor under the control of school systems, including class size, school size, and the quality of after-school programs. In the summer of 2009, nine school districts and one coalition of Charter Management Organizations proposed strategies to improve the recruitment, placement, evaluation, retention, and support of highly effective teachers.

At the conclusion of these cooperative planning processes, four areas were identified as key to future success: shared leadership, vision, and commitment to action; culture of data-driven decision making; stakeholder engagement; and policies that support, or at a minimum, do not restrict improvement efforts. 

This brief explains why districts and sites considering an effective teaching agenda should assess their strengths and weaknesses in those areas and provides considerations and rubrics for use in making such an assessment.

About the Report:
Title: Empowering Effective Teachers: Readiness for Reform  (24 pages, 503KB, PDF)
Prepared by: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Date Published: February 2010