Setting the stage for improved learning: The state of teacher policies in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic

This regional report summarizes the main findings and recommendations of monitoring reports for Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in 2015. Those reports offer a common analytical framework for monitoring the key elements of good teacher policy.

In each of the four countries, the collaborating organizations analyzed the state of teacher policies across nine common dimensions, grouped into three categories:

• Preparing the way for effective teaching. This category explores whether basic preconditions exist to allow for quality instruction, including clear expectations, sufficient class time, and solid teacher training.
• Recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented teachers. This category explores whether the current systems manage to select and retain the best candidates for teaching positions, and whether teachers are given support to improve their teaching practices.
• Managing for good performance. This category explores whether teachers are regularly assessed; whether good performance is recognized and continual poor performance penalized; and whether human and material resources are allocated to provide quality education for the most vulnerable children and youths.

The report highlights the most significant trends and findings at the regional level, supported by examples from each country. It also recaps the main recommendations of the national reports and proposes areas for improvement in teacher policy.