The Centers of Excellence for Teacher Training (CETT) Approach to
Transforming Children's Lives Through Reading

"The influence of teachers on student achievement is many times greater than any other commonly observed variable."¹

CETT works to transform children's lives through reading. It accomplishes this by helping teachers improve their ability to teach children to read and write well. The program focuses on the early grades, as these are the most critical years for learning to read.  And, children who can read by Grade 3 are able to make the most of further education.  To fulfill its goal of "Reading for All Children," CETT serves disadvantaged children who live in poor urban and rural areas. 

CETT is anchored in prestigious local universities and institutions, organized into regional consortia.  Each CETT has a cadre of master teachers who are trained in international best practices in literacy education. These practices include more interactive, child-centered teaching techniques and different strategies for responding to each child's unique learning needs.  The master teachers, in turn, provide training to CETT teachers in a year-long program.

CETT training includes workshops, in-classroom coaching by master teachers, and teacher circles, where teachers meet on a regular basis and discuss how to address classroom challenges.  Unique among teacher training programs, CETT emphasizes in-classroom coaching, to help teachers make the transition from understanding facts and theory to putting new practices into effect in the classroom.  This aspect of CETT has been fundamental to its success. 
  
As they learn to read, children must be given an opportunity to practice what they are being taught, so CETT provides classroom libraries.  Children can check out books and take them home. In addition, the program has developed high-quality supplemental teaching and learning materials through collaboration among each of the regional CETT consortia in Central America, the Caribbean, and in the Andes.  This regional approach has ensured that the teaching-learning materials are culturally appropriate and complementary to national curricula and textbooks. 

CETT has also developed in-classroom learning assessments that can be administered by teachers.  These assessments help teachers pinpoint where their children are having problems.  The teacher can then step in with tailored strategies to help the child. 

The Ministries of Education of the participating countries have endorsed this program and strongly support the goal of improving student learning in reading and writing.  They also recognize that, for many of the teachers, this will be the first time that they have received extensive formal training in literacy education.

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¹Rivkin, S.G., Hanushek, E.A., & Kain, J.F. (1998), "Teachers, schools and academic achievement," National Bureau Economic Research, Working Paper 6691.