New tool from Learning Bridges

CHANDLER, ARIZONA: Learning Bridges, a provider of research-based, online professional development programs announced a new Teacher Support Tool being offered as part of a partnership with the National Education Association, through its NEA Academy.

"Research shows that an effective teacher is the highest predictor of student learning and achievement. Who better than the individual teachers to understand what professional development and training they need to be the most effective educators they can be?” asks Sandra K. Darling, Ph.D., president, Learning Bridges. “The Teacher Support Tool puts that power directly in the hands of educators who are responsible for planning and implementing the learning in their classrooms.”

Darling further stated that the Teacher Support Tool is particularly timely as states transition to the Common Core State Standards.

“Implementing new standards is very challenging on all levels. The Teacher Support Tool makes the transition easy for educators through its aligned instructional strategies, lesson plans, and professional development,” she said. According to a seven-year study by McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning), a nonprofit, nonpartisan education research organization, students whose teachers participate in Learning Bridges’ courses score 13 to 21 percentile points higher on district and state reading and math tests than other students. “This is the highest impact on learning of any professional development system in the industry,” stated Darling. McREL cited the findings in a 2009 report, “Learning Bridges: The Relationship Between Online Professional Development and Student Achievement.”