2014年-世界发展银行全球_Georgia_Teachers___SABER_Country_Report_2014_31页_461kb

Summary of Georgia's Teacher Policy System

Core Content

The document provides an overview of Georgia's teacher policy system based on the SABER-Teachers framework, which evaluates education systems on eight key Teacher Policy Goals. These goals aim to ensure that every classroom has a motivated, supported, and competent teacher. The analysis focuses on policy design rather than implementation, and highlights the current status of each policy goal as either Established, Latent, or Emerging.

Main Policy Goals and Status

1. Setting Clear Expectations for Teachers

Status: Established

• Georgia has clear expectations for what students should learn and what teachers are expected to do.
• These expectations are set by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) and the National Curriculum for General Education.
• However, the proportion of school time dedicated to instructional improvement is not defined.
• Successful systems like Japan and Singapore allocate a larger portion of teachers' time to instructional improvement activities.

2. Attracting the Best into Teaching

Status: Latent

• Entry requirements for teaching are in place but may not be sufficient to attract the best candidates.
• The 2007 Law on General Education required a bachelor’s degree for primary school teachers and a master’s degree for secondary school teachers, along with an induction program and certification exams.
• These requirements have been revised or suspended since 2014, with the introduction of a new Teacher Recruitment, Evaluation, and Professional Development Scheme.
• Teacher salaries remain below the national average and are not strongly linked to performance.
• Career advancement opportunities are not formally tied to teacher performance.

3. Preparing Teachers with Useful Training and Experience

Status: Emerging

• Initial teacher education in Georgia is at the ISCED 5B level, which is a bachelor’s degree with a practical component.
• However, the amount of practical experience is limited, with less than three months of classroom practice during preservice training.
• There is a need to strengthen the practical classroom experience requirements for teacher candidates.

4. Matching Teachers' Skills with Students' Needs

Status: Latent

• There are small-scale incentive programs for schools and subjects with teacher shortages.
• However, no systematic policies exist to improve the equity of the teacher supply.
• Teacher shortages may affect the quality of education, particularly in certain regions or subjects.

5. Leading Teachers with Strong Principals

Status: Emerging

• Principals are expected to monitor teacher performance and provide support to improve instructional practice.
• However, principal performance is not rewarded, and while some training courses exist, they are not mandatory.
• Strong leadership is essential for improving teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.

6. Monitoring Teaching and Learning

Status: Latent

• Student assessments are not systematically used to inform policy or classroom activities.
• There are no formal mechanisms to evaluate teacher performance.
• Effective monitoring systems are crucial for identifying areas of improvement and supporting teacher development.

7. Supporting Teachers to Improve Instruction

Status: Emerging

• Teacher professional development is not mandatory, and teachers are required to cover some of the associated costs.
• Support mechanisms for instructional improvement are limited.
• Professional development should be integrated into teacher policies to ensure continuous improvement.

8. Motivating Teachers to Perform

Status: Emerging

• There are few mechanisms to hold teachers accountable.
• Compensation is linked to results of teacher certification examinations, but not to performance in the classroom.
• Motivational policies, such as performance-based incentives, could enhance teacher effectiveness and retention.

Key Findings

• Georgia has established clear expectations for student and teacher performance, but lacks mechanisms to ensure instructional improvement time.
• Teacher entry requirements are not sufficient to attract the best candidates, and salary structures do not adequately reflect performance or qualifications.
• Initial teacher education lacks sufficient practical experience, and there is a need for stronger training and support.
• There is no systematic policy to match teachers' skills with students' needs, and principal performance is not recognized or rewarded.
• Teacher monitoring and professional development systems are underdeveloped, and motivational policies are limited.
• The new Teacher Recruitment, Evaluation, and Professional Development Scheme, introduced in 2015, aims to address some of these issues through a more comprehensive and merit-based approach.

Recommendations

• Strengthen the alignment of teacher policies with empirical evidence on student performance.
• Increase teacher salaries to match national averages and link them to performance.
• Enhance teacher professional development by making it mandatory and reducing associated costs.
• Develop systematic policies to ensure equitable teacher distribution and skill alignment with student needs.
• Implement performance-based incentives and reward systems for both teachers and principals.
• Ensure that teacher training programs include sufficient practical experience and mentorship.

Conclusion

Georgia's teacher policy system is at a critical stage of development, with several areas showing potential for improvement. The SABER-Teachers framework provides a valuable tool for diagnosing these challenges and guiding future reforms to enhance teacher quality and student outcomes.