ER&D Program
Educational Research & Dissemination
A union-sponsored, research-based professional development program designed to help educators improve student achievement through peer-delivered training.
About the Program
Research-based professional development since 1981
Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) is a union-sponsored, research-based professional development program. Created in 1981, it is designed to help local unions build the capacity to deliver high-quality professional development services to all their members—teachers, paraprofessionals, and school-related personnel.
The AFT has long recognized that the union's responsibilities go beyond traditional "bread and butter" issues. The ER&D Program represents a major effort to improve student achievement by fostering professional growth.
Why ER&D is Unique
- •Research-Based: Provides solid content based on reliable educational research.
- •Peer-Delivered: Created and delivered by classroom teachers and school personnel.
- •Ongoing Process: A continuous journey rather than a one-time inservice event.
- •Safe Environment: Offers a non-threatening, non-judgmental space for learning.
- •Action-Oriented: Builds in opportunities for self-reflection and implementation, resulting in real changes in practice.
What Participants Learn
Course Catalog
Comprehensive professional development offerings
Beginning Reading Instruction
Focuses on how children learn to read and the best ways to teach beginning reading (K-2).
Target Audience: K-2 teachers and those working with older students struggling with decoding.
Key Topics: Phonemic awareness, alphabetic system knowledge, phonics/decoding, print awareness, fluency, and comprehension.
Foundations of Effective Teaching I
A core course addressing fundamental aspects of teaching and learning for all grade levels.
Key Topics: Classroom management, maximizing learning time, questioning/feedback skills, homework, interactive guided instruction, and scaffolding.
Recommended
Managing Antisocial Behavior
Presents research on emotional and behavioral problems of students who consistently act out.
Goal: Learn strategies to reduce or prevent disruptive and dangerous outbreaks that threaten the learning environment.
Reading Comprehension Instruction
Focuses on research and exemplary practices for acquiring strong reading comprehension skills.
Target Audience: K-12 teachers (literature and subject area textbooks).
Key Topics: Vocabulary development, explicit vs. implicit teaching, narrative vs. expository texts, and "fix-up" strategies for students.
Strategies for Student Success
Covers a diverse range of essential classroom skills.
Key Topics: Constructing effective assessments, addressing anger/behavior, collaboration for struggling students, vocabulary strategies, parent partnerships, and using questions effectively.
Thinking Mathematics 1
Focuses on research regarding how children learn mathematics.
Key Topics: Ten Principles of math learning, counting, addition, subtraction, patterns/relationships, and questioning that promotes thinking.
The School-Home Connection
Helps school staff assist parents in supporting their children as learners.
Key Topics: Communication strategies, productive homework design, explaining grading systems, and school-wide parent involvement plans.
Beyond The Established Norms: A New Kind Of Union Activism (PDF)
Learn about the AFT's approach to union-led professional development.
PDF • 5.4 MB
Need More Information?
Contact the Educational Issues Department at the PFT Health and Welfare Fund for more information about ER&D programs and enrollment.