What is Educational Research & Dissemination?

The Educational Research and Dissemination program was created by the American Federation of Teachers to bring K-12 teachers into direct contact with the growing body of scientifically validated research findings that can have significant impact on how well they do their jobs.
 ER & D is an organized approach for selecting, summarizing and highlighting the work of highly regarded educational researchers and disseminating key findings nationally through a unique series of collegial workshops conducted by a growing network of specially trained public school teachers.  Participants explore practical classroom applications of research and learn how findings can be adapted or refined to fit individual teaching styles and needs.
 With an anticipated shortage of well over a million teachers in the next decade, ER & D is part of an important national trend to professionalize teaching, making it more stimulating and rewarding at a time when many outstanding people are leaving the classroom and fewer college students are choosing education as a major.  While higher salaries are crucial, it has become apparent that opportunities for on-the-job growth and collegial contacts are extremely important to attracting and retaining good teachers.
 On the state level, AFT-WV has been tremendously successful with the ER & D program. Federation members from across the state have participated in this valuable training opportunity. AFT-WV trainers provide their colleagues with the best available research in education, so that the “best practices’ are spread across the state.

Why Does ER & D Work?

While ER & D is by no means the first attempt to get educational research into the hands of teachers, it is by far the most successful. 
 What makes it work?