This fall the School of Education will begin accepting applications for a new track in its master's degree program designed especially to help teachers improve the effectiveness of their own instruction through research.

The new master of arts for practicing teachers will provide training and experience in research focused on instruction in the classroom. It is designed for students to be able to complete it within two years as they continue teaching.

The ability to base instructional decisions on sound research conducted in the classroom is perhaps more important now than ever, with teachers increasingly called upon to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners, according to Sharon Dugdale, associate dean in the school.

"Our most effective teachers know how to conduct research in their own classrooms," said Dugdale. "This program option, similar to the preparation we provide new teachers, will offer the skills teachers need to understand what and how their students are learning and to adjust their teaching to meet those students' needs effectively."