Teacher Quality
Why is this topic important?

The term “highly qualified” is defined by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and refers to the degrees, certifications, licensure, and specific subject area knowledge that each teacher is required to have by state law. While the initial discussion may have examined teacher preparation, recruitment and retention, the current discussion surrounds the equitable distribution of qualified teachers and teacher evaluation.
What resources can we suggest?
Holland, D., Detgen, A., and Gutekunst, L. (2008). Preparing Elementary School Teachers in the Southeast Region to Work with Students with Disabilities (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 065). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast.

Professional Learning Teams - An Overview

Professional Learning Teams - The Role of Leadership
Additional Resources
Barley, Z. A., and Brigham, N. (2008). Preparing Teachers to Teach in Rural Schools (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 045). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Central.
Brandt, C., Thomas, J., and Burke, M. (2008). State Policies on Teacher Evaluation Practices in the Midwest Region (REL Technical Brief, REL 2008–No. 004). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
Constantine, J., Player D., Silva, T., Hallgren, K., Grider, M., and Deke, J. (2009). An Evaluation of Teachers Trained Through Different Routes to Certification, Final Report (NCEE 2009- 4043). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Ellis, P., Grogan, M., Levy, A. J., and Tucker-Seeley, K. (2008). Developing the “Compendium of Strategies to Reduce Teacher Turnover in the Northeast and Islands Region”: a companion to the database (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 052).Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands.
Heine, H., & Emesiochl, M. (2007). Preparing and Licensing High Quality Teachers (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007–No. 031). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific.
Links
National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER)
Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ)