September 28, 2012 – Thanks to increasingly meaningful teacher evaluations, we know far more than ever about the effectiveness of teachers in public school classrooms. What should states, districts, and schools do with that knowledge? In policy debates, much of the attention has focused on teachers at the “ineffective” end of the spectrum. However, state and district policymakers should instead focus on opportunities for the top 25 percent of teachers. This report, first published for the PIE Network’s Sixth Annual Policy Summit, offers seven strategies for policymakers who are ready to create the policy changes to leverage, reward, retain, and attract excellent teachers.