On a recent benchmarking trip, NCEE's team had the opportunity to see firsthand how Shanghai teachers have the time, space, and flexibility to collaborate with one another and improve as they collectively refine their work.

Ligel Lambert, a U.S. art teacher at Shanghai’s Shi Xi High School, highlights the IB program’s emphasis on independent learning, critical thinking, and English fluency, contrasting it with classroom norms in China, Japan, Korea, and the U.S.

This interview with Mistilina Sato highlights how Shanghai’s collaborative teaching culture, with peer observation, mentorship, and shared lesson planning, supports teacher growth and career advancement.

Teachers in the U.S. spend more time teaching, and thus have less time for collaboration and planning, than their counterparts in high-performing education systems.

High-performing education systems view teachers as highly-trained professionals, and teachers in those systems feel valued.

U.S. students have better access to computers and stronger web-browsing skills than their international counterparts, yet they struggle to solve problems using technology.

PIAAC data shows that U.S. adults, especially young and unemployed populations, lag behind their international peers in literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving, highlighting the need for improved skill development.

In high-performing education systems, fewer hours in front of a classroom means more time for teachers to pursue professional learning opportunities throughout the working week. All of this leads to a stronger, ever improving teaching force and higher student achievement overall.

Top-performing education systems strengthen schools by appointing experienced teachers as professional learning leaders to guide peer collaboration, support curriculum implementation, and foster continuous improvement.

Michael Day, Director of the School of Education at the University of Roehampton in London, discusses "learning rounds" for teacher education students—structured school visits where students observe and learn from practicing teachers, inspired by medical residency models.

Top-performing systems provide new teachers with structured mentorship from experienced educators to ensure continuous professional learning from day one.

Top-performing education systems require significantly longer and more structured classroom practicum experiences with expert mentorship for teacher candidates, compared to the inconsistent and often shorter requirements across U.S. states.