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.
Strong Beginnings Program
Supporting novice teachers in their first years
Strong Beginnings is a professional development program designed by the PFT Health and Welfare Fund (Educational Issues Department). It targets novice teachers (3 years experience or less) to improve retention and quality in the School District of Philadelphia.
Program Structure
- 1Summer Session
Five days of face-to-face professional development presenting the latest research and best practices.
- 2Implementation
Teachers implement learned strategies in their classrooms.
- 3Reflection
Participants complete 25 "Reflection on Research Concepts" throughout the school year (Sept–March).
- 4Support
Access to Educational Issues Professional Development Leaders for guidance.
Evaluation & Credits
- •Process: Electronic submission of reflections with supporting artifacts.
- •Review: Reflections are reviewed by evaluators for inter-rater reliability.
- •Criteria: Must achieve an 80% successful completion rate to receive Act 48 hours.
Reflection Questions
- How did you apply the strategy; what did you change in your practice to implement; with whom did you try the strategy?
- Now that you have had a chance to apply the strategy, comment on how well it worked; if it worked, what change did you notice; did what you want to happen, happen?
- What, if anything, will you do differently in the future to apply the strategy?
Strong Beginnings Reflection Rubric
| Level | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Exemplary (4) | Explicitly identifies a specific area of instruction and explains application effectively. Explains reason for selection, changes made, and target audience. Artifacts highlight effectiveness. Discusses success/failure with suspected reasons. Includes statement on future changes. |
| Satisfactory (3) | Clearly describes application of research concept. Discusses at least two: changes made, target audience, or reason for selection. Artifacts highlight effectiveness. Discusses at least one reason for outcomes. Includes statement on future implementation. |
| Emergent (2) | Provides a working definition and statement of usage. Artifacts provide at least one example of effectiveness. Includes statement about success/lack of success and future plans. |
| Unsatisfactory (1) | Lacks sufficient information or understanding of the concept. Focuses on impact on the teacher rather than the student. No discussion of success/failure or future ideas. Artifacts missing or blank. |
Leadership & Participants
Program cohorts and committee members
Program Cohorts
Cohort 1
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Yvonne Bowersox | Ferguson Elementary School |
| Tarik Johnson | Penn Alexander Elementary School |
| Casandra Jackson | Robert Lamberton School |
| Shameeka Browne | Wagner Middle School |
| Tawanna Jones | Lincoln High School |
| Stephani Dublin-Fliegeelman | Lea Elementary School |
| Joe Nihill | Disston Elementary School |
| Tiffany Settles | Penn Alexander Elementary School |
Cohort 3
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Ruth Baines | George Washington High School |
| Tricia Collins | Richard Wright Elementary School |
| Rachel Horger | Morton Michael Elementary School |
| Tracey Johnson | Heston Academic Plus School |
| Renae Rutherford Lowe | Heston Academic Plus School |
| Melissa Moran | Sayre High School |
| Nolita Pettus | Carnell Elementary School |
Cohort 2
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Kerri Brewster | Harding Middle School |
| Daniel DiMartino | Juanita Park Elementary School |
| Beverly Faunce | Anderson Elementary School |
| Audrey Fields | Heston Academic Plus School |
| Russell Gregory | Northeast High School |
| Karen Holman | Gilbert Spruance Elementary School |
| JoAnn Lander | John B. Kelly Elementary School |
| Christine Lokey | Finletter Elementary School |
| Jessica McCracken | Anderson Elementary School |
| Lydia Merriweather | W.D. Kelley Elementary School |
| Tina Randall | Overbrook Educational Center |
| Eleanor Reese | W.D. Kelley Elementary School |
| Michele Sampson | Murrell Dobbins Vo-Tech |
| Mira Solomon | Juanita Park Elementary School |
| Yolanda Sutton | W.D. Kelley Elementary School |
| Anna Varano | Penn Alexander School |
| Sydney Warren | High School of the Future |
| Felicia Whitney | Morris Elementary School |
| Heather Zajdel | Philadelphia Learning Academy |
Cohort 4
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Shelly Alston | Gilbert Spruance Elementary School |
| Kimbery Ardley | Blandeburg Elementary School |
| Alisa Baldwin | Pennell Elementary School |
| Donna Brockenbrough-Jordan | School District Head Start Services |
| Colett F. Carter | Penn Alexander School |
| Carmella Granger | E.B. Kirkbride School |
| Allan Johnson | Penn Alexander |
| YuGina Lee | Gilbert Spruance Elementary School |
| Melissa Moran | Science Leadership Academy at Beeber |
| Trina Pemberton | Pennell Elementary School |
| Erin Richardson | Carnell Elementary School |
| Thinh Thach | Kirkbride Elementary School |
| Jessica Troyer | Emlen Elementary School |
| Kathleen Wainwright | Overbrook Educational Center School |
Committee Reports
Language Arts Committee
Chair: Tiffany Settles
Members: Stephanie Conaghan, Audrey Fields, Ruth Garcia, Rosemary Jacob, Tracey Johnson, Kristin Johnson, Meghan Kosiak, Maria Ottinger, Renae Rutherford-Lowe
Math Committee
Co-Chairs: Karen Holman, Thinh Thach
Members: Shelly Alston, Shameeka Browne, Jacqueline Greene, Evelyn Johns, YuJina Lee
Science Committee
Chair: Heather Zajdel
Members: Tasnim Aziz, Paula Conzelman, Sandra Dunham, LeeAnne Fox-Jones, Catherine Fylypowycz, Ambra Hook, Theresa Maas-Anger, Eual Phillips
Special Education Committee
Co-Chairs: Jessica McCracken, Nolita Pettus
Members: Tarik Johnson, Tawanna Jones-Morris, Ashley Moffitt, Amy Pabon, Eleanor Pettus, Marcel Reynolds, Erin Richardson, Jacqueline Rubinsky, Maya Sherin, M.D.
World Language Committee
Chair: Melissa Moran
Members: Ben Koch, Phoebe Baum, Gail Cervantes, Alicia Conquest, Elizabeth Hestand, Leo Johnson, Ed Myers, Sarah Rittenhouse, Rosa Rosado, Max Rose-Long, Nicole Siering, Cresta Taylor
Resources & Downloads
Additional materials and documentation
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.