Findings of a study that examined the attitudes of middle level teachers and principals toward middle-school certification are presented in this paper. Questionnaires were sent to 82 teachers and principals of all 46 public schools serving sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in Kern County, California. Twenty-four principals and 48…

The procedures currently used in the 12 European Community (EC) member countries for certifying the employment qualifications of graduates of full-time vocational education and training programs and/or apprenticeship programs were compared. The comparison, which was based on information obtained from 12 national studies of EC members' education…

A series of professional development workshops for the faculty of personnel certification programs was prepared at the request of the Massachusetts Department of Education. The new equity standards in teacher and administrator certification in Massachusetts call for instruction in gay and lesbian issues. This resource manual presents materials to…

This study focused on the extent to which teacher certifications influence student achievement in the elementary music curriculum. It examined the roles of music specialists, classroom teachers, and visiting artists in the instruction of elementary school music, hypothesizing that students taught by a music specialist will attain higher…

Often, educational and psychological measurement instruments must be translated from one language to another when they are administered to different cultural groups. The translation process often necessarily introduces measurement inequivalence. Therefore, an examination may be said to exhibit differential functioning if the test provides a…

In this paper, old and new ways of thinking about day care are described as "oldthink" and "newthink." Major points of oldthink are that: (1) day care is a social service; (2) day care users are recipients, or at best, clients; (3) day care must be limited to low-income families; (4) licensing should protect children in day…

This paper examines four issues relevant to planning the use of funding resources for installing a career development system for practitioners in the early childhood education field. The first issue concerns the need for a career development system. Arguments for the importance of such a system are based on the need for a dynamic career ladder and…

The guide provides information on 28 public foreign language examinations offered by 14 organizations in the United Kingdom. The information is intended for use in selecting examinations for certifying language skills for employment purposes. Each listing notes the language exams offered, the aims of the test, levels of difficulty, intended age…

This digest reviews alternative certification on the basis of educational quality and the need to fill teacher shortages. Following a definition of traditional certification, the alternative certification route is described as a process designed to certify candidates who have subject-matter competencies, without going through formal teacher…

During the past 20 years, alternative professional preparation and certification programs have expanded within the field of physical education. Societal trends, the media, and demographics have dictated these changes. This digest examines factors leading to an increase in the scope of career opportunities for physical education professionals and…

A comparative study was conducted to determine the implications of the status and anticipated development of technology teacher programs in the United States for reconstructing technology teacher education programs in Taiwan. Data were gathered through a nationwide survey of the departments of education of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and…

This document describes the legal requirements for certificate suspension and revocation of North Carolina public-school teachers. Associated with its ability to administer teacher certification in the state, the State Board of Education also has the authority to suspend or revoke certificates. A question-and-answer section addresses issues of…

This booklet presents the concepts of essential and generic skills and issues raised by their incorporation in New Zealand's National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The first section discusses the concepts of essential and generic skills. The second section addresses three major reasons for wider understanding and discussion of these concepts:…

This study was conducted to examine changes in reflective thinking in preservice teachers in relation to length of time in the teacher education program, teaching certification type, and field placement. Information was collected from student teachers (N=13) through both completion of a questionnaire and through analysis of weekly journals using…

Since 1983, the North Dakota Statewide Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Faculty Staff Training Program has used a career ladder approach to provide training to over 10,000 staff, primarily in scattered rural developmental-disability facilities. Cooperative relationships among the Department of Human Services, Minot State University, and…