Improving Teacher Supply and Effectiveness

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Improving Teacher Supply and Effectiveness
Phillip McKenzie and Paulo Santiago Directorate
for Education
Meeting of OECD Education Ministers Raising the
Quality of Learning for All Dublin, 18-19 March
2004
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Why are teachers a focus?

• Research shows that teaching quality is a key
  influence on student learning

• Teachers are the largest item in school budgets
• -- The teaching workforce is large (2.5 of
  total labour force)
• -- Teachers compensation averages 63 of
  spending on schools

• Teachers roles are changing

• Efforts to improve schools will fail if there
  are serious shortfalls in teacher supply and
  quality

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Principals are concerned
In half the OECD countries the majority of 15
year-olds are enrolled in schools where
principals report learning is hindered by a
teacher shortage/inadequacy
of 15-year-old students enrolled in schools
where principals report learning is hindered to
some extent or a lot by a shortage/inadequacy
of teachers
Source OECD PISA Database, 2001.
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Concerns about hiring teachers
There are major difficulties in hiring qualified
teachers in key subjects

Cross-country mean of upper secondary students
attending schools where the principal reported
that hiring fully qualified teachers is
difficult, 2001
Source OECD International Survey of Upper
Secondary Schools (ISUSS) database, 2003.
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Teacher workforce is ageing
In some countries a large of teachers will
retire within the next decade

of teachers aged 50 years and over, lower
secondary education
Source OECD Education database.
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Teachers relative salaries are falling
Teachers relative salaries are declining in most
countries
Ratio of salary after 15 years of experience to
GDP per capita, public institutions, lower
secondary education, 1994 and 2001
Source OECD Education at a Glance 2001 and 2003.
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Teacher quantity and quality are linked
Quantitative shortfalls raise quality concerns
of upper secondary students attending schools
that use the following methods to respond to
teacher vacancies, as reported by school
principals
Source OECD International Survey of Upper
Secondary Schools (ISUSS) database, 2003.
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Improving teacher supply - Responses

• Improving the image and status of teachers

• Making incentives more differentiated and
  flexible

• Improving non-salary conditions in teaching

• Improving geographical mobility

• Making teacher education programmes more flexible

• Developing targeted policies rather than one
  size fits all policies

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Improving teacher supply - Responses

• Greater school involvement in teacher
  recruitment and selection

• Broadening the criteria for teacher selection

• Changing the nature of appointments

• More flexible responses to short-term staffing
  needs

• Expanding the supply pool of teachers / Creating
  alternative pathways into teaching

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Improving teacher effectiveness - Concerns

• Teachers face new demands to improve their skills
• -- more diverse student populations
• -- new curricula and broadened expectations

But concerns that
-- teacher education programmes are low quality
and lack relevance to school needs
-- instruments to reward the work of teachers
are limited
-- there are limited opportunities for career
growth
-- teacher mobility is limited
-- attrition rates are high for some types of
teachers
And...
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Improving teacher effectiveness - Concerns
Some countries face considerable difficulties in
motivating teachers
of 15-year-old students enrolled in schools
where principals strongly disagree or
disagree with the following statements
Source OECD PISA Database, 2001.
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Improving teacher effectiveness - Concerns
Large differences in teachers participation in
professional development
of teachers who attended a prof. development
programme in previous 3 months
Source OECD PISA Database, 2001.
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Improving teacher effectiveness - Responses
Teaching needs to be seen in a lifelong learning
framework
Teacher effectiveness and retention will improve
if
-- teaching becomes more knowledge rich
-- school leaders support teacher development
and link it to meeting school needs
-- school systems provide incentives for
teachers to continue improving
-- recognition and rewards for effective
teaching is improved
-- greater career diversity is created
-- workload and stress are reduced
-- flexible working hours and conditions are
offered
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Further information
Documents and updates are available
from www.oecd.org/edu/teacherpolicy