How can evaluation contribute to policy reform? Lessons from the evaluation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Abstract

To support teachers and the teaching profession as a whole, it is important for teachers to feel valued and be recognised for their contribution to teaching and learning. Implementing national teaching standards is a policy instrument that aims to strengthen the teaching profession through seeking national consistency for teacher quality. Accordingly, governments in a number of OECD nations have worked to develop policies to ensure teachers meet certain professional standards (Hanushek & Rivkin 2012; Snoek, Clouder, Ganck, Klonari & Lorist 2009). Australia has not escaped this, the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) were developed and endorsed in 2010, and they are curren..