The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative

BOARDS & COMMISSIONS

Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative

May 2006

"Highly skilled teachers are the key to closing the achievement gap and leaving no child behind. The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is helping teachers strengthen their skills by increasing their opportunities to engage in frequent professional development."

— U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings

The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative helps teachers to improve student achievement by supporting their professional development.

• Research confirms that teachers are the single most important factor in raising student achievement. Highly qualified teachers can maximize every child's potential to meet high academic standards. Good teachers are essential to closing the achievement gap and ensuring that no child is left behind.
• The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative was created by teachers for teachers. It provides support for teachers, including convenient access to free professional development activities. It keeps teachers informed in areas of vital importance and honors teachers for their hard work and dedication.
• The Initiative reaches out to States and school districts so that teachers will have the opportunity to receive credit toward professional development requirements.
• The Initiative offers help anytime, anywhere through free online digital workshops, an e-Learning website and popular Teacher-to-Teacher workshops held in cities from coast to coast.
• The Initiative honors teachers for their hard work and dedication through the American Stars of Teaching award program.

The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is working and being expanded so more teachers can take advantage.

• The Initiative had helped more than 300,000 teachers learn effective strategies for raising student achievement—and is expected to reach the teachers of more than one million students this year.
• Today, all 50 states and the District of Columbia grant professional development credit for Teacher-to-Teacher participation.
• The Initiative is offering 14 free summer workshops for teachers in all content areas in cities across the country during summer 2006.
• The Initiative offers 32 online professional development courses through e-Learning.
• Teacher-to-Teacher is partnering with TechNet, a group of technology companies, to create urban teacher workshops focusing on math, science and technology.

The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is engaging the nation's best teachers and principals to share strategies for raising student achievement.

• Teacher Training Corps: The Corps is made up of classroom teachers and practitioners from across the country experienced in scientifically based instruction. Corps members host regional workshops and provide onsite on-site technical assistance, e-mail mentoring, webcasts and personal follow-up visits to other educators sharing the strategies that have worked in their own classrooms and schools.
• Teacher Workshops: After an overwhelmingly positive response the past two summers, Teacher-to-Teacher has expanded the number of summer workshops offered in 2006 to 14 total workshops. Sessions will feature prominent teachers and principals sharing research-based practices they have successfully applied in the classroom. Topics included research-based professional development, effective use of data, and teaching strategies to reach all students. Reading, mathematics, science, history, foreign language and the arts will be among the subjects covered.
• e-Learning: Designed for both teachers and principals, e-Learning models successful classroom teaching strategies and supports mastery of academic content, combined with classroom application, follow-up activities and an online assessment. It's simple: Access the website (www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative), enroll, complete the course, take an assessment, complete the follow-up activities, and incorporate what you learn in the classroom. Principals may use an implementation rubric developed for each session. Sessions are from the recent highly successful Teacher-to-Teacher summer and fall workshops.
• Teacher Updates: Teachers may receive electronic updates from the U.S. Department of Education by signing up at www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative. These short "e-bytes" address topics including federal policy and opportunities for teachers and provide links to classroom teaching and learning aides.
• Teacher Roundtables: The Department has hosted teacher roundtables on various topics so Department officials could listen to and interact with teachers.
• American Stars of Teaching: American Stars of Teaching honors teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies to reach students and making a difference in their lives. Candidates may be nominated by anyone—parents, principals, school officials or former students. Nearly 4,000 nominations were received this year and names of the 2006 awardees will be posted in the fall. To learn more about American Stars or to nominate a teacher, go to http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/american-stars.html.
• "Teachers Ask the Secretary": This easy-to-use interactive feature (http://www.ed.gov/teachersask) allows teachers to ask questions of the Secretary of Education and learn answers on a wide range of issues: teacher quality, professional development, state academic standards and more. The page will be regularly updated to include as many topics as possible.

Call 1(888) 814-6252 or visit www.nclb.gov for more information on No Child Left Behind.