Respondents to this survey of critical issues in teacher education were primarily university faculty and administrators, although the population included a representation of educators in precollegiate schools. The five highest rated issues were: (1) teacher education programs must include mentoring beginners during their first year of practice;…

The "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" (1985) and the "Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures" (1978) provide no clear guidance on choosing methods for setting standards on teacher certification tests, although they require that practices be well-documented and produce reasonable results, and…

The purpose of this study was to examine certification requirements for trade and industrial (T&I) education teachers across the United States. Data were collected through mailed surveys to state supervisors for T&I education. After two follow-up mailings, responses were received from all states except California and the District of Columbia.…

The study compares three methods for establishing cut-off scores that effect a compromise between absolute cut-offs based on item difficulty and relative cut-offs based on expected passing rates. Each method coordinates these two types of information differently. The Beuk method obtains judges' estimates of an absolute cut-off and an expected…

This reference guide contains laws, rules, and regulations of the State Education Department that govern social work practice in the state of New York. It highlights requirements and procedures for obtaining licensure and first registration as a social worker, and authorization of licensees for insurance reimbursement. Included are sections on:…

The handbook is intended to serve as a basic guide to California practices in the use of contracted nonpublic school (NPS) or agency (NPA) services to provide a free appropriate public education to eligible handicapped children. The handbook covers: an overview of requirements for nonpublic, nonsectarian special education school and agency…

This report was prepared in response to a mandate by the Texas legislature to study issues relating to the nursing shortage in Texas, career mobility among the various nursing programs, and collaboration among schools in geographic proximity. The data from the study were drawn from five public hearings, a survey of 60 nursing program directors,…

The purpose of this two-phase study, guided by the theory and method of interpretive interactionism, is to describe how family day care providers perceive and implement their caregiving intentions and practices. In phase 1 of the study, data were obtained from interviews with 31 providers and in phase 2, observations of 6 providers over a 10-month…

The Teacher Assessment Program (TAP) presents alternative modes of teacher evaluation to inform the deliberations of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Three experimental methods of assessment--simulation exercise, portfolios, and simulation-based portfolios--were implemented by various groups of teachers. Practical…

This document is intended to provide Maryland's public schools with the information needed to initiate and pursue Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) certification of their prekindergarten programs. After a brief introduction in section I, section II addresses the certification process in terms of definition, overview, and steps in…

Based on 18 months of extensive research and study, the New Mexico State Department of Education developed the Staff Accountability Plan to address the issue of teacher accountability and certification. This plan, which consists of three provisions, came into existence as a result of concern expressed by the general public, legislators, and…

This monograph, written for beginning teachers, is organized around the list of competencies upon which the assessment phase of the Virginia Beginning Teacher Assistance Program is based. Each chapter contains information about a competency required for certification in Virginia. The chapters follow the same general format. First, the definition…

The Office of United States Senator Daniel Inouye requested information on state minimum licensing and certification requirements for physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses who work directly with patients in state mental hospitals. To obtain this information, the General Accounting Office called the offices of the…

Outcomes of three teacher preparation programs for individuals seeking certification in secondary teaching areas at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were compared. The first is the traditional four-year undergraduate program culminating in a BS/BA degree and teacher certification. A second group of students are postbaccalaureates who have…

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…