Over the last several years, in collaboration with the National Education Association (NEA), the Center for Teaching Quality has sponsored statewide summits of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) designed to find solutions to the staffing and support challenges faced by high-needs schools. The summits engaged some of the nation's best teachers in identifying policies and practices that can close the student achievement gap by eliminating the teaching quality gap. Summits were held in Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Washington, with more than 2000 NBCTs participating. CTQ assisted these teacher-led efforts in three ways: mobilizing NBCTs through virtual community discussions; ensuring that the best available research evidence was used in the deliberations; and drawing on summit proceedings to develop policy papers that can drive new consensus and action.

Across all six states, NBCTs concluded that attracting good teachers to high-needs schools requires 1) capable and competent principles in place; 2) well-trained colleagues with whom to collaborate; 3) instructional resources needed to serve diverse students; and 4) opportunities to use professional judgement, not just scripted curriculum, in teaching lessons.

The recommendations of each summit are organized around 5 action themes:

• Transform the teaching and learning conditions in high-needs schools
• Prepare and support teachers for the specific challenges posed by working in high-needs schools
• Recruit and develop administrators who can draw on the expertise of specially-trained teacher leaders
• Create a menu of recruitment incentives, but focus on growing teaching expertise within high-needs schools
• Build awareness among policy makers, practitioners and the public about the importance of National Board Certification for high-needs schools

View the final state reports for:

• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina, and
• Washington. 

In addition, CTQ prepared a National Strategy Forum cumulative report highlighting themes from all six locations.

In a June 2008 article in Phi Delta KAPPAN magazine, CTQ President Barnett Berry summarized the views of these and other outstanding educators on how to staff and support high-needs schools.