Does student achievement really improve when teachers look for new ways to engage every student? 

A new evaluation of participants in the QTL program from The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning shows that teachers who've learned about research-based teaching strategies and then put them to use in the classroom commonly see an immediate impact on students.  The study shows participants who completed QTL were more likely to use strategies such as constructivism and brain-based learning. 

Nearly three out of four reported that by the time they completed the program, they could already observe a change in students.  A third said students' attitudes changed; 14 percent more reported better behavior; another 16 percent said they'd seen improved academic performance; and ten percent said they'd seen other positive impacts.  See the full report.

Analysis of student data, determining student needs, developing action plans to meet those needs, and monitoring progress on a faculty-wide basis has a tremendous impact on a school's academic climate.  A Virginia school district that asked the question "What's next after QTL?" is finding that the Whole Faculty Study Groups approach forms a natural follow-up.  District leaders found integrating WFSG into QTL concepts was a recipe for success.  Find out why one principal says the process has made him feel more like an instructional leader than ever before.

Dare County, North Carolina has a tradition of being ahead of the curve - it's where the Wright Brothers launched the First Flight.  Now the county is implementing the QTL program (formerly known as ExplorNet) to keep teachers on the cutting edge of instructional technology.  The effort is generating attention on the NC Coast and beyond. 

What would keep more new teachers from leaving the profession within years of entering the classroom?  Of course higher salaries would help, but a new report says better peer support and professional development would make an even greater difference.

eSchool News staff searched for the best educational blogs on the 'Net, and found the following standouts:

• Best Classroom Instruction Blog for Teachers
  www.assortedstuff.com
• Best Classroom Instruction Blog for Students
  www.appliedscienceresearch.blogspot.com
• Best Education Theory Blog
  www.speedofcreativity.org
• Best K-12 Administration Blog
  www.eduwonk.com

The QTL program serves an ever expanding number of teachers and schools across the Southeast.  More than 400 teachers have participated in the program during the first two months of 2006 alone!  Here are some of the places QTL is having an impact:

NORTH CAROLINA
District partnerships are making QTL available locally to teachers in districts including Buncombe, Person, and Robeson Counties and Thomasville City Schools.  Over the past year IMPACT grants and federally funded projects guided by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) have brought the program to numerous other districts, and additional partnerships are beginning this spring.  

Among the more ambitious projects in North Carolina is Capacity First, an intensive effort that combines QTL with Whole Faculty Study Groups and Learning Centered Schools in order to meet the needs of Comprehensive School Reform schools. 

VIRGINIA
Two Virginia LEAs are wrapping up the first phase of district-wide QTL implementation, and will have sent almost every teacher through the program by the end of this school year.  The Botetourt County school system is already launching phase two, with the Whole Faculty Study Groups program forming an integral part of the 'next step' in school improvement.  Lee County Schools are also continuing on with a second phase implementation. 

Meanwhile, in districts across Virginia this year, brand new ITRTs (Instructional Technology Resource Teachers) are working to help teachers make the best use of instructional technology.  More than 50 of those emerging leaders have already gone through a specially focused version of the program called QTL for ITRTs, designed specifically to meet their needs as leaders.  The program focuses on research-based teaching strategies, and models the use of those strategies in a classroom setting.  ITRTs who participate report they've found new ways to help teachers connect with students.

ARKANSAS
A 'lighthouse' partnership with East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City began in January.  This summer, that partnership will offer sessions to teachers across the college's service area.  The EACC partnership will serve as a model for further expansion across Arkansas. 

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education is partnering with The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning to offer The Technical and Professional Teacher Training Program.  TPTTP is a 90-hour variation of QTL that unfolds over 15 months and prepares lateral entry and other new teachers for the classroom. First sessions are scheduled this summer in the Little Rock area.

MISSISSIPPI
A partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi's SCMCEED will bring more teachers through QTL during 2006, after a disruption caused by hurricane aftermath. Scores of Mississippi teachers went through the program in 2006 before nature intervened.

TENNESSEE
QTL staff presented a Two-Day Leadership Seminar to school leaders in the Dyersburg, TN cooperative during February. The session was presented in partnership with The Rutherford Learning Group.

GEORGIA
The Capacity First program is being implemented in Centerville, GA.  In addition to QTL, staff will participate in the Learning Centered Schools and Whole Faculty Study Groups programs. The combination of programs is designed to help the participating school meet the challenges of Comprehensive School Reform.

Grant Wrangler Site Makes Process Easier
Looking for funding for a classroom project?  A new site called Grant Wrangler is a virtual clearing house for educational grants.  The site makes it easier for teachers to find funding, and helps grant-giving organizations more effectively promote grants to teachers and schools. To search for the latest classroom and teacher grants or to sign up for a monthly email bulletin, go to www.grantwrangler.com.

USA Today Seeks All-USA Teaching Team
USA Today is looking for its 2006 All-USA Teacher Team.  The honor distinguishes great K-12 teachers from across the country.  Each of 20 teachers or teams of teachers chosen will get a $500 prize, with additional cash awarded to their school.  Anyone who'll take the time is welcome to nominate a teacher; the nominees have to complete a form as well.  Details are on the USA Today web site.