To find out why some schools succeed where others do not, the authors studied 25 of the world’s school systems, including ten of the top performers. The authors then examined what these high-performing schools had in common and what tools they use to improve student outcomes.

The experiences of these top school systems suggest that three things matter most:

1)     Getting the right people to become teachers.

2)     Developing them into effective instructors.

3)     Ensuring that the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child.

The systems analysed demonstrated that the best practices for achieving these three things work irrespective of the culture in which they are applied. They demonstrate that substantial improvement in outcomes is possible in a short period of time and that applying these best practices universally could have enormous impact in improving failing school systems, wherever they might be located.