OECD Schools+ Project

Paula Rodríguez Sánchez

OECD Schools+ Project Summary

Paola Rodríguez Sánchez (OECD Directorate for Education and Skills) presents the “Unlocking High-Quality Teaching” report, asking: what does high-quality teaching look like in practice?

Evidence-Based Global Co-Creation Systemic Support

Global Context & Challenges

The project is situated in today’s global challenges—climate change, AI, and natural disasters—which reshape how and where learning happens.

The PISA 2022 Reality

Data shows a sharp decline in mathematics and reading performance between 2018 and 2022. There are also worrying weaknesses in students’ capacity for lifelong learning, such as connecting new and prior knowledge.

A Taxonomy of High-Quality Teaching

To respond, Schools+ developed a taxonomy with five overarching goals. Specific practices under these goals are included only if backed by solid research and relevant across cultures.

1. Fostering rich classroom interaction
2. Ensuring cognitive engagement
3. Using formative assessment & feedback
4. Crafting high-quality subject content
5. Providing social-emotional support

Co-Creation: The taxonomy was refined through a multi-year process with international experts and over 150 schools from 40 countries in a “learning circle” network.

The Report: A Reflective Guide

The report “Unlocking High-Quality Teaching” does not prescribe a method but offers a reflective guide. For each practice (e.g., feedback), it includes:

  • Definitions: What the practice is.
  • Evidence Summary: The best research available.
  • Key Decisions: Questions like “Is feedback timely?”
  • Success Indicators: What it looks like when working.
  • Signposts for Leaders: How leadership, class size, and resources shape feasibility.

Systemic Support & Policy

Paola stresses that improving teaching is not a solo effort. Schools+ identifies seven policy areas at the school level (e.g., teacher allocation) and shows how they interact with the taxonomy.

It explicitly maps each practice and its student outcomes to the OECD Learning Compass 2030, aligning classroom practice with the broader vision of future-ready competencies.

The OECD Schools+ Circle

An online platform where teachers can explore the taxonomy and browse “inspiring practices”—real examples from classrooms around the world (e.g., India, Romania, Canada, UK) with resource descriptions and impact evidence.

The idea is that teachers can adapt these to their own contexts, recognizing that the core challenges of educators are remarkably similar globally.

Key Resources & Links

Direct links to the main reports and platforms mentioned in the segment.

Unlocking High-Quality Teaching Report The flagship Schools+ report (English & Spanish).
oecd.org/education… OECD Schools+ Circle Online platform for taxonomy & inspiring practices.
oecd.org (Schools+ Circle) PISA 2022 Results Analysis of student learning outcomes and trends.
oecd.org/pisa OECD Learning Compass 2030 Framework connecting practices to competencies.
oecd.org/education/2030
🌍-OECD-Schools