In countries with high performing school systems, reports indicate part of their success stems from better implementation of professional development systems, says eSchoolNews.

"Australian researcher Ben Jensen’s report, Beyond PD: Teacher Professional Learning in High-Performing Systems, analyzed the professional learning systems in four high-performing systems. Shanghai, British Columbia, Singapore, and Hong Kong all score near the top of those tested in mathematics, reading and science on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA),” the article said.

All four systems have something very important in common: on a day-to-day basis, they ensure teacher collaboration to improve “curriculum, instruction, school climate, etc.”

These school systems also create leadership roles for teachers to "both develop other teachers and lead school improvement teams” and “reward the development of teacher expertise,” among other things.

One of the strongest school systems studied, according to the report, is Shanghai.

"Shanghai’s career ladder provides financial motivation and a progression pathway for teachers. The in-service training enables teachers to move along the ladder. Performance appraisal evaluates and recognizes teacher performance at each step of the ladder,” the article said.

"Former Shanghai Normal University President and Shanghai Education Commission Deputy Director Minxuan Zhang’s report, Developing Shanghai’s Teachers, offers an insider’s perspective into the Shanghai education system.”

It looks at its high-functioning teacher development system, and how Shanghai sits atop of the PISA league tables despite having only teacher preparation institutions for a city of 25 million people.

The U.S., which traditionally falls behind in providing sound professional development for its public school teachers, could potentially increase its international standing by watching these competitors’ practices.

Read the full story.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

1/18/2016