Over 150 teachers and administrators contributed practices and ideas to this first report of the National Council of Teachers of English Committee on Promising Practices in the Teaching of English. From these the committee identifies three national trends: (1) a growing sense of responsibility by the federal government to encourage and implement research in the teaching of English, (2) a reexamination of English curricula by large and small school systems, colleges, and universities, and (3) a new willingness of colleges of education, liberal arts colleges, elementary and secondary schools, and professional organizations to share information and collaborate on research projects. The report then briefly describes new ideas and promising practices in these five areas of concern for the teaching of English; (1) curriculum development activities, including federal programs, (2) methods and approaches to teaching, (3) patterns for educating teachers of English, (4) inservice education programs for teachers, and (5) new publications on the teaching of English. (DL)