What's New

Announcing the Fourth Annual What Works Conference: “Beyond Highly Qualified: The Development and Distribution of Highly Effective Teachers and Leaders”

October 28–30, 2009
The Fairmont Washington, D.C.

The recent transition in federal administration presents new goals and opportunities for teacher quality. This conference is a must for federal and state policymakers, regional comprehensive centers, and practitioners who want to learn about the latest research on and strategies for addressing teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution so that they can make informed and strategic decisions about educator quality from a systems perspective.

Conference sessions will focus on these topics as well as school leadership, response to intervention, and the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on states. Keynote presenter Sir Michael Barber from McKinsey & Company will discuss why teacher quality matters now more than ever.

Increasing Teacher Retention to Facilitate the Equitable Distribution of Effective Teachers

The term teacher retention refers to the ability to keep teachers on the job, thus reducing or eliminating teacher turnover. This Key Issue offers strategies to improve the retention of qualified and effective teachers in hard-to-staff schools. ( Adobe® Reader® PDF 252 KB)

Using ARRA Funds to Improve Teacher Effectiveness and Equitable Distribution: An Interactive Mapping Tool

A new interactive mapping tool, Using ARRA Funds to Improve Teacher Effectiveness and Equitable Distribution—modeled on a subway map—is designed to guide conversations between regional comprehensive center (RCC) and state education agency (SEA) staff on the strategic use of funds appropriated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to improve teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution.

Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness: A Workshop Connecting Research to Policy and Practice

TQ Center and the Regional Education Laboratory-Midwest (REL-Midwest) co-presented a workshop that brought together experts and practitioners around the existing and emerging research on educator evaluation, and policy implications and impact on practice. The workshop was held April 28-29, 2009 in Denver.

Systems and Strategies to Address the Inequitable Distribution of Teachers

A live, interactive webcast sponsored by the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) on Thursday, May 21, 2009, brought together experts and practitioners to discuss the existing research and strategies that address the inequitable distribution of teachers. View an archive of the webcast.

Teaching as a Clinical Practice Profession: Implications for Teacher Preparation and State Policy

This brief describes five elements of a clinical practice profession and examines the work of teachers in relation to those elements.

Methods of Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness

As policy conversations turn to issues of teacher effectiveness, this brief can help regional centers and state policymakers considering teacher evaluation methods to clarify policy, develop new strategies, identify effective teachers, or guide and support districts in selecting and using appropriate evaluation methods for various purposes. The brief also includes a five-point definition of teacher effectiveness that the authors developed by analyzing research, policy and standards that address teacher effectiveness, and consulting experts in the field.

A Practical Guide to Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness

This guide is designed to provide guidance to states and districts as they consider which measures to use for the purpose of evaluating teacher effectiveness.

Highly Qualified Teacher Monitoring: Updates to Lessons Learned

The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality has updated the Ten Early Lessons Learned from Highly Qualified Teacher Monitoring Reports after a review of the most recent monitoring reports released. The updated document includes examples of how states met certain federal requirements.

Special Edition of TQ Research & Policy Update

This special edition of our newsletter highlights the key funding streams in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that support improvements in educator quality. It also includes research strategies and relevant resources for states to consider as they bid for and utilize these funds.

Sabrina Laine comments on teacher salary increases in Business Week online

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality director Sabrina Laine presents an argument for increasing teacher salaries.

Sabrina Laine quoted in EdWeek article

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality director Sabrina Laine was quoted in a recent EdWeek article about the stimulus bill’s education focus.

New TQ Research and Policy Brief on Supporting Gen Y Teachers

The latest Research and Policy Brief, Leading Teachers from Generation Y: Emerging Strategies for School Leaders, provides research-based strategies for supporting and retaining Generation Y teachers.

Sabrina Laine Testifies Before D.C. City Council on Teacher Quality

Sabrina Laine, Ph.D., director of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, presented testimony on the human capital management system approach toward strengthening educator quality to the Washington, D.C. City Council on Teacher Quality. Dr. Laine was invited by council chairman Vincent C. Gray to speak on the issue during an oversight hearing on human resources and human capital initiatives held on January 16, 2009. Her testimony was aimed at assisting the District of Columbia Public Schools in implementing its new human capital management strategy for improving educator quality.

• A Systemic Approach to Human Capital Management to Strengthen Educator Quality in the District of Columbia ( Adobe Reader PDF 47 KB)