Dear Colleagues:

Greetings! I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the Fourth Annual Forum of the Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ). This Forum is our largest ever as we expect representation from 43 states and over 220 attendees. Thank you for making the commitment to work toward improving the teaching quality of all students, especially students with disabilities. Your support of this process has helped us all take on the challenge together and leverage our best knowledge and strategies.

We want to extend special thanks to the Office of Special Education Programs at the US Department of Education for supporting CTQ. It is their sustained funding over these last four years that has enabled us to build the relationships and policy sharing infrastructure that is now paying dividends.

Sincere thanks also go to our key partners in the Center, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), and the OSEP- funded Regional Resource Centers, whose collaboration has been essential to our success in serving the states. We extend a special welcome to our two new partners this year: the National Comprehensive Center on Teacher Quality (NCCTQ) and the new OESE federal Regional Comprehensive Centers. These new technical assistance providers are highlighted on the program this year and you will have a chance to meet them in your regional breakout sessions.

We hope you enjoy the Forum this year. We have worked hard to provide you with stimulating plenary sessions, breakout sharing opportunities and, as always, plenty of state team work time. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Paliokas
Director, Center for Improving
Teacher Quality (CTQ)