Book excerpt: Nations around the world are undertaking wide-ranging reforms to better prepare children for the higher educational demands of life and work in the 21st century. What are the skills that young people will need in a rapidly changing society, and what competencies do teachers need to effectively teach those skills? What can teacher preparation and continuing professional development do to prepare graduates to teach well in tomorrow's classroom? What are the different roles and responsibilities of upcoming school leaders, and how do countries succeed in developing these leaders? To help governments effectively address these and other key issues, the U.S. Department of Education, the OECD, and Education International brought education ministers, union leaders, and other teacher leaders together in the second International Summit on the Teaching Profession in March 2012. This publication summarizes the evidence that underpinned the summit and highlights its conclusions.