Dept. of Education Announces Initiative to Share Best Practices in Teaching

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a new initiative to engage teachers and education experts in the sharing of best practices in teaching. The four-pronged Teacher-to-Teacher initiative includes the following features.

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* Teacher Roundtables: In the spring and summer of 2004, the U.S. Department of Education will host a series of discussions with teachers at various locations around the country to listen to teachers’ suggestions on how the department can support them in the implementation of No Child Left Behind. Topics will include effective teaching, professional development, teacher leadership, and ways to advance the teaching profession.

* Summer Workshops: Teachers and education experts who have improved student achievement and closed the achievement gap will share experiences with fellow teachers and discuss how to emulate their practices and programs. Teachers will receive additional resources—such as online assistance and networking, DVDs, publications, and suggested Internet sites—to support them as they implement new strategies in the classroom.

* Research-to-Practice Summit: The summit will be held in Washington, DC in summer 2004 and will feature presentations on the latest research findings on effective teaching practices. Teachers will then share how they have applied those findings in their classrooms.

* Teacher E-mail Updates: Teachers can sign up to receive electronic updates from the Department that will address some of the hot topics from the other events and provide links to resources to aid teachers in learning about the latest policy, research, and professional issues affecting the classroom.

The initiative also includes a website that offers more information about the Teacher-to-Teacher initiative, upcoming events, and research and best practices in teaching at the state and local level.

Related Links:

* Teacher-to-Teacher http://www.teacherquality.us

* U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet http://www.ed.gov/teachers/dev/contedu/initiative/factsheet.html

* U.S. Department of Education Press Release http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/04/04212004.html