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Key Issues

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Professional Development
NCTE believes that the key to good education is having knowledgeable teachers in every classroom. Achieving this goal requires the support of programs that provide for the professional development of teachers. This packet includes position statements, professional development opportunities, and other resources advocating NCTE's position on professional development.

Reading First
NCTE Responds to the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General's Report on Reading First

Beyond Grammar Drills: How Language Works in Learning to Write
Skilled teachers of writing know how to teach grammar to their students as they write, when they have a particular need to know the information. For English teachers, the study of language does not stop with improving the quality of written sentences. It involves tuning students in to the language of their daily lives.

Assessment & Testing
Includes NCTE position statements, SLATE Starter Sheets, and other resources to illustrate NCTE's position that a preoccupation with large-scale standardized testing leads to the distortion and reduction of curriculum and to unwise expenditure of public funds that could be better spent on teaching programs.

Writing
Writing is an essential key to achievement in school, in the workplace, and in the larger world. Research shows that writing develops higher-order thinking skills and helps students learn content across subject areas. Includes NCTE positon statements, research on writing, policy making resources, suggestions for teaching writing effectively, and a myriad of other resources.

Reading
To ensure that all students become successful readers and enjoy the benefits of full literacy, NCTE advocates providing students with a full range of literacy experiences and resources to support its development. Read on for NCTE position statements, programs, and journal articles.

Spelling
Patti Stock, president of NCTE, said rules about spelling are fine but that critical thinking is more vital than mechanics. "Spelling is important at a particular place and time,'' she said. "You do want your 'i's' dotted and your 't's' crossed. But you don't need to do it at once. We want students to think.'' Includes NCTE position statements, journal and media articles, and The Speller's Bill of Rights by Sandra Wilde.

Recommended Reading Lists and Booklists
A guide to NCTE's position on recommended reading and booklists.

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