Learning to Teaching in Inner-City Schools (LTICS) is a program to help teachers and student teachers learn effective strategies for educating culturally diverse students in the inner city. It is based at the Center for Collaborative Learning Communities at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (1995) describes this program:

"In l987, the Houston Teaching Academy, located on the campus of a combination elementary/middle school, became the site for the Learning to Teach in Inner-City Schools (LTICS) project. The purpose of the program is to change how teachers think about instruction in inner-city schools and to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach effectively in urban settings. The Academy includes a school site council and a university-based council. LTICS uses a 'triad' approach that joins university supervisors, college supervisors, and inner-city students. Teachers and supervising teachers are observed and set goals for themselves at the beginning of the semester, and they are evaluated at the end of the semester. The Stallings Observation System is used, which involves in-depth observation of students' and teachers' behavior and interaction. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide professional development to teachers and student teachers so that students will prosper academically and socially. Participants attend 10 weekly interactive seminars per semester. Courses deal with some of the following issues:

• Understanding the community and students' culture.

• Working with neighborhood children and their families.

• Understanding research on effective teaching.

• Improving classroom organization and management.

• Planning lessons that promote higher level thinking.

• Using positive behavior-management techniques.

• Linking students' prior knowledge, culture, and experiences with school lessons.

• Implementing the principles of interactive instruction.

• Improving reading comprehension by using culturally diverse literature.

• Analyzing personal change and setting new goals.

The program is disseminated through LTICS Certified Trainers. During a 12-day training session (or a five-day and a seven-day session), certified trainers train local observers to collect observation data and train local student teachers and teachers to conduct seminars. LTICS trainers are available in 15 states.

LTICS is designed for use with low-income, culturally diverse populations in school districts located near teacher-preparation colleges. The National Diffusion Network has approved the program for dissemination to all inner-city students in grades pre-K through 12. Evaluation studies indicate that 80 percent of student teachers who graduate from the Houston Teaching Academy chose to teach in schools serving diverse populations. Studies also indicate that student teachers demonstrate improved interactive instruction, organization, and behavior management skills. Students served by the Houston Teaching Academy have achieved increasingly higher scores on achievement tests each year. Those interested in adopting the program are required either to hire an LTICS Certified Trainer or send local personnel for training to become a Certified Trainer." (pp. 4-5)

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