The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), a private, nonprofit body, was established in 1987 to address the need for uniform teaching criteria and improved methods for gauging how well such standards are met. The NBPTS is comprised of 63 members who are teachers (the majority), school administrators, local board members,…

Many of the characteristics typically associated with an occupation that is considered a profession are not commonly associated with teaching. These characteristics include: a clearly defined, codified, and accessible knowledge base; a structured, coherent induction experience monitored by oustanding practitioners; control of training,…

Interfering with the ability of community colleges to face the challenges involved in fulfilling their multiple missions is the fact that the colleges are often regarded as "inferior" when compared to four-year baccalaureate institutions. Ironically, many of the concessions that community colleges have made to gain stature have hurt,…

This digest examines the knowledge base for teaching, noting that many critical decisions about educational structure, policy, and assessment rely on it. The professionalization of teaching depends on showing that teaching requires mastery of a specialized body of knowledge that is applied ethically. Serious deliberation is needed in the…

Teachers are primarily motivated by intrinsic rewards such as self-respect, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. Administrators can therefore boost morale and motivate teachers to excel through participatory governance, inservice education, and systematic, supportive evaluation. (TE)

This digest discusses the scope of practice of the secondary school counselor in today's school, citing Norman Gysbers' Comprehensive Guidance Program Model as an approach to developmental counseling which empowers counselors to define their own scope of practice, and thereby effectively address the needs of their students. (TE)

This digest describes three complementary approaches to integrating guidance into education: (1) the Comprehensive Guidance Program Model, developed by Norman C. Gysbers; (2) the Teacher Advisor Program (TAP), developed by Robert D. Myrick; and (3) the Invitational Learning paradigm, developed by William W. Purkey. Four references are included.…