In a survey recently conducted by Teachers Network, 90 percent of over 1200 teachers surveyed reported that participating in a network improved their teaching. More than three quarters of them reported that their network participation improved their school overall. 94 percent reported gaining new knowledge and skills through their collaborative participation. In addition to improving teaching and learning, 79 percent of participants also felt that their participation was a catalyst for staying in the classroom.

CTQ draws on the Teachers Network survey and other research, including their own case studies, in the newly published report A Better System for Schools: Developing, Supporting and Retaining Effective Teachers. The report surfaces the compelling influence that peer support can have on teacher retention and effectiveness. CTQ President Barnett Berry commented, "The evidence from growing research and this recent survey points clearly to the power of teacher collaboration for teaching effectiveness and improving student achievement. Now it is time for policymakers to use the evidence to think carefully and act boldly in designing a 21st century, results-oriented profession."

While collaboration and leadership opportunities should be built systemically, thriving initiatives already exist and show their promise. Teachers Network serves over 21 affiliates who have adopted programs such as TeachNet and the New Teacher Resource Program. These programs operate on the same belief as the CTQ-managed virtual learning community, the Teacher Leaders Network: We must move beyond the isolating egg carton structure of school culture, and it starts with connecting teachers for leading and learning.

Collaboration and leadership opportunities both keep accomplished teachers in the profession and have the potential to leverage their expertise across a school. CTQ's analysis surfaces several schoolwide practices that will promote effective teaching. These include:

(1) principals who cultivate and embrace teacher leadership;
(2) time and tools for teachers to learn from each other;
(3) opportunities for teachers to connect and work with community organizations and agencies that support students and their families outside the school walls;
(4) evaluation systems that comprehensively measure the impact of teachers on student learning; and
(5) performance pay systems that primarily reward the spread of teaching expertise and spur collaboration among teachers.

Several policy briefs by Barnett Berry, Alesha Daughtrey and Alan Wieder of the Center for Teaching Quality, as well as Ken Futernick of West Ed, accompany the research report.