Areas of our country are headed toward significant social and political unrest if education ignores the demographic trends reshaping our schools. This article describes how one teacher training program in South Carolina examined its cultural context, accreditation standards, and course offerings to restructure its curriculum to address cultural…

A discussion is presented of the component in the Educator Improvement Act (mandated by the state of South Carolina) which provides an evaluation procedure for prospective teachers beginning in the freshman year in college and ending during the first year of teaching. A description of the basic skills Educational Entrance Examination includes…

Some insights into the development of an eleventh grade test of "adult functional competency" are provided. The evolution of the test from its first mention to its translation into a test item pool is traced. An attempt is made to identify some of the instructional, measurement, and legal implications inherent in various decisions which…

While southern States are attempting to provide academic and job training for high school dropouts whose earnings are below poverty level, a more effective solution would be to encourage high school completion and to assure the mastery of skills. Educational efforts are, therefore, now being focused on programs in elementary schools with the hope…

This paper explains some of the policies, procedures, and standards now in effect as a result of educational reform efforts within the State of South Carolina. Approval of a teacher education program is based on a comprehensive evaluation incorporating the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC). An…

In 1979, Act 187, known now as the Educator Improvement Act, was mandated by the legislature of the State of South Carolina. One tenet of Act 187 was the establishment of an Educator Improvement Task Force to develop an instrument which could effectively measure minimal teaching competencies. To help in the content and design of the instrument,…

The aim of the South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program was to meet legislative requirements, to improve instruction and to integrate instructional sensitivity into the state's educational programs for grades K-12 in the basic skill areas of reading, writing and mathematics. In their task of identifying, compiling and revising educational…