Leadership for Effective School Improvement: Support for Schools and Teachers’ Professional Development in the Latin American Region

After the expansion of basic education occurred in most Latin American countries during the second half of the twentieth century, currently the education systems in the region face new challenges. These mainly relate to: improving the quality of student learning and performance of schools, the possibility of offering education that is of interest and relevance to children and adolescents, the support of educational innovations, culture change, and continuous improvement of teachers. This chapter presents the status of the issue focusing on recent debates on two key processes to transform schools and ensure quality education to all citizens. These are: inspection systems for schools and devices for pedagogic support and school-centered professional development. With the aim of contributing to the debate, this work offers a review of the origins and evolution of these processes, along with a discussion of policies and experiences in the countries of Latin America.