This report will make for interesting reading for heads and policy makers wishing to explore new ways of approaching teaching performance and its potential for positive impact on pupils' learning experience.
Improving the impact of teachers on pupil achievement in the UK – interim findings
Synopsis
This report describes the interim findings of a Sutton Trust project into policy proposals on improving the effectiveness of teachers in England, with a particular focus on teachers serving disadvantaged pupils. The research shows that improving the effectiveness of teaching would have a major impact on the performance of the country’s schools.
The project includes an international literature review as well as new research in the UK. The review highlights many of the problems associated with just using test performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers. It suggests that major reforms are needed to the performance and pay system for teachers, with assessment based on three core factors: improvement in results in the classroom; reviews by head teachers; and external appraisals.
It adds that teachers should be able to opt out of the standard promotion and pay system, and instead choose a more radical version that rewards high performers with extra pay and opportunities for faster career progression, but penalises under-performance. The report argues that as well as improving the performance of these teachers, this would make the profession a more attractive option for talented graduates.