A Southern Regional Education Board study has revealed widespread lack of proper training and certification for teachers at the middle school level in the South. A major recommendation is that states require teachers of middle-grade students to have special licensure. Some efforts in statewide testing and accreditation are targeting such problems.…

Reviews the teacher shortage in urban schools nationally and describes the paraprofessional/emergency certified teachers provisions of the Pathways to Teaching Careers Program and the sites in which it has been implemented. An evaluation has indicated that paraprofessionals and emergency certified teachers working in urban schools are an excellent…

Surveys examined how teacher-education programs nationwide are preparing future teachers for character education. Results pointed out a significant dichotomy between expectations placed on teachers to be character educators, on one hand, and the education teachers receive, on the other hand. The study notes the need to formalize and prioritize…

A survey of 80 schools for individuals with deafness and 38 mainstream schools with classes for students with hearing impairments indicated that the majority of administrators believe that teachers of students with deafness should have the same subject-matter competency as teachers of hearing students. Recommendations for teacher education are…

Human capital investment, in the form of education and training, is the key to improving labor market outcomes for high school leavers. GED certification provides an opportunity for education and training, but is no substitute for it. The GED credential is only a starting point. GED holders are not equivalent to high school graduates. (MLH)

This article traces a personal and professional journal that paralleled the growth and direction of personnel preparation in early childhood special education. The development of a professional identity is discussed, along with future trends toward generalist certification and funding early intervention services through a fee-for-service…

This article addresses the development of an orientation and mobility (O&M) certification examination by Division Nine of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. It describes the collection of data that establishes the relative importance of the competencies necessary for O&M. (Contains eight…

This introductory article describes key factors in teacher preparation and continuing professional development and efforts promulgated by the Council for Exceptional Children on special educator standards and assessments. The need to align standards for state licensing, program accreditation, and national certification is emphasized. The following…

Created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization, in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO 9000 is attempting to develop a world standard to help companies and other institutions measure and monitor their quality-control efforts. This article describes four school districts' successful efforts to secure ISO 9000 certification. (MLH)

Traces historical, linguistic, and educational contexts for the Oakland School Board resolution. Suggests the resolution is a sensible extension of the linguistic and cultural history of the African-American community, a reasonable implementation of research and theory, and an intrinsic desire of parents to have their children's teachers acquire…

Reports a 2-year study of a preservice program that uses both emergency permit teaching and traditional student teaching as the culminating field experience, investigating traditional and emergency students' perceptions of their methods of professional preparation. Data from student teacher surveys indicated that respondents were largely satisfied…

Examines the characteristics and needs of older student teachers, reviewing research on nontraditional students and prospective teachers; discussing the unique strengths and challenges of nontraditional students; presenting teacher education's responses to this growing population; showing how teacher educators deal programmatically with older…

Investigated the state teacher licensure requirements regarding diversity among the 50 states and District of Columbia. Overall, 67 percent of respondents required some level of diversity preparation in their teacher preparation programs, though specific requirements varied greatly from state to state. Half of the respondents required evidence of…

Using published studies and references, shows why the requirement that a manager of interlibrary loan be a librarian with a master's degree in Library Science may be outmoded in the modern academic library. Discusses the librarian's role, certification and professional elitism, job requirements, and user needs. (AEF)

School districts faced with a teacher shortage should consider joining forces with a nearby college of education in an alternative teacher education program. Alternative programs give people who already hold a college degree the opportunity to earn a teaching certificate. Explains how alternative certification works and offers six questions to…