Chicago
The National Council of Teachers of English has banded together with nearly two dozen other groups to create a new literacy center that aims to be a resource and point of collaboration for teachers of all disciplines.
Announced today at the NCTE‘s annual convention here, the new National Center for Literacy Education will offer a Web-based hub of information and resources for teachers, called the Literacy in Learning Exchange. It will offer research, expert commentary, and case studies of schools—including video clips and work samples—that are using fresh, effective approaches to literacy. (The Exchange website is just getting up and running; its pages are being built as we speak.)
To be part of its network of “literacy in every classroom sites,” schools or districts must have a collaborative “community of practice” approach to literacy. The center will use this network to conduct research on what works and share the results with the network members and with policymakers.
A key aspect of the project is that it envisions literacy work across all subjects, reflecting an emphasis of the common-core standards.
The Ball Foundation is taking the lead in funding the project. The 22 other partners include education groups, such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the Association for Career and Technical Education, and philanthropies, such as the Panasonic and Verizon Foundations.
Collaborative teacher teams are a pillar of NCTE’s world view, as reflected in its education policy platform.