Strengthening the quality of teaching and school leadership in Chile

Teachers are the most important factor influencing student achievement. What is the best way to prepare them to face constantly evolving educational needs in an increasingly globalised world? Chile’s new Education Law 20.903, which created the new System of Teacher Education and Professional Development (Sistema de Desarrollo Professional Docente), is an opportunity for Chile to support teachers to improve professionally and augment the impact they have on student learning. The following recommendations aim to provide guidance on ways to improve the new teacher education and professional development system and its implementation by: 1) engaging teachers in the reform process 2) completing the review of the Good Teaching Framework and developing professional standards 3) reviewing how initial teacher education and in-service training is delivered 4) promoting and providing high-quality professional development opportunities for all teachers and school leaders, and 5) developing a strong professional cadre of school leaders and principals.