The absence of a professional career structure for teachers is not a new problem. In 1989, Australian unions, employers, and governments negotiated the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) classification. Three levels of AST status involving salary increases were proposed to offer teachers a professional career path in teaching comparable in status to that enjoyed by administrators. In 1994 it appeared that the reform had made little progress. An ongoing study has investigated what happened to the AST reform in practice. A central focus of the research was the extent to which the implementation of the AST classification had met the requirements of the career development model. The first part of the study, focusing on the first level of AST that represented a salary increase of $1,200 (Australian), involved 34 teachers, 10 principals, 18 employer representatives, and 12 teacher union officers in all Australian states except Tasmania and the Northern Territory. The second part, involving 45 study participants, investigated the implementation of AST levels 2 and 3 in Victoria (Australia), the only state school system so far to go beyond AST level 1. Throughout the interviews it became apparent that teachers regarded second and third level reforms more favorably than first level. Analysis of the findings revealed a series of issues other school systems might consider before implementing a similar career structure reform: (1) career stages in teaching versus administration; (2) developmental versus competitive standards; (3) pay for the person versus pay for the position; (4) teaching versus non-teaching criteria; and (5) valid versus inadequate evaluation for AST. Preliminary results of the study indicate that the AST classification is unlikely to provide a more attractive career path for the best teachers, raise the quality and status of teachers' work, or promote professional development and improve quality of learning in schools. Selection criteria and mandatory skills are listed in the appendix. (Contains 37 references.) (ND)