About Us

The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) was launched on October 2, 2005, after Learning Point Associates, and its partner organizations, ETS, and Vanderbilt University, entered into a five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to operate the teacher quality content center.

In 2004, prior to the launch of the TQ Center, Learning Point Associates, the Education Commission of the States, and ETS created the National Partnership for Teaching in At-Risk Schools, which served as the foundation for the underlying knowledge base supporting the TQ Center’s current mission.

Mission
The TQ Center was created to serve as the premier national resource to which the regional comprehensive centers, states, and other education stakeholders turn for strengthening the quality of teaching—especially in high-poverty, low-performing, and hard-to-staff schools—and for finding guidance in addressing specific needs, thereby ensuring highly qualified teachers are serving students with special needs.

Goals and Action Strategies
The goals of the TQ Center are as follows:

  • Promote successful implementation of the teacher quality requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act by disseminating critically reviewed research, strategies, practices, and tools.

  • Ensure a highly qualified teacher workforce by developing needs-based solutions.

  • Broaden the understanding and use of successful models and practices relating to teacher quality.

  • Galvanize public and policymaker support to meet the demands of NCLB related to teacher quality.

To reach these goals, the TQ Center will:

  • Analyze research and identify proven and promising policies, strategies, models, and practices.

  • Disseminate information on these proven policies, strategies, models, and practices.

  • Develop useful products and tools related to teacher quality.

  • Train regional comprehensive center staff using face-to-face facilitation and online technology.

  • Convene clusters of regional comprehensive center staff and host an annual "What Works" conference.

  • Coordinate work with complementary efforts of other content centers.

  • Consult in areas of expertise.

Dissemination and Outreach
Dissemination and outreach objectives will be accomplished through online resources, print and electronic products, meetings and networks, and technical assistance resources, as follows:

  • Online resources
    • National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality website—www.tqsource.org
    • Databases and interactive data tools


  • Print and electronic products
  • Meetings and networks
    • Issue forums relating to specific teacher quality topics
    • What Works Annual Conference
    • Webcasts and Web dialogue


  • Technical assistance resources
    • Information clearinghouse
    • Consultation
    • Needs sensing

Leadership
Day-to-day leadership is provided by a management team that includes the director, deputy director, and the two principal investigators. An Advisory Board oversees the TQ Center work; and a Communication Coordination Council and a Higher Education Council are instrumental in coordinating the work of the TQ Center with other organizations engaged in teacher quality efforts and institutions of higher education.

Key Staff

Sabrina Laine, Ph.D., National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Director,
Learning Point Associates

Tricia Coulter, Ph.D., National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Deputy Director,
Learning Point Associates

Laura Goe, Ph.D., National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Principal Investigator for Research and Dissemination, ETS Research Scientist

Dan Reschly, Ph.D., National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Principal Investigator for Special Needs, Vanderbilt University

Gretchen Weber, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Coordinator of Field Services,
Learning Point Associates

Cortney Rowland, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Coordinator of Policy Products and Services, Learning Point Associates