This document defines the requirements and program for the American Welding Society to certify expert welders through an evaluation process entailing performance qualification and practical knowledge tests requiring the use of advanced reading, computational, and manual skills. The following items are included: statement of the standard's scope;…

Examinee response times from a computerized adaptive test taken by 204 examinees taking a certification examination were analyzed using a hierarchical linear model. Two equations were posed: a within-person model and a between-person model. Variance within persons was eight times greater than variance between persons. Several variables…

This guide lists the needs of New Mexico schools and agencies in the areas of special education, Indian education, and bilingual and multicultural education. Following the state department of education vision statement and the state board of education policy framework, the guide describes the state's recreational opportunities and colorful…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is an integrated set of surveys concerning elementary and secondary schools and school personnel in the United States. These surveys are designed to collect data on, among other issues, the demographics of the student population, the varying demand for teachers in all regions of the nation, the educational…

This comparative study explores the relationship between teacher attrition and the preservice training programs in which the teachers were enrolled. A comparison is made between campus-based traditional teacher certification programs and field-based certification programs delivered through a professional development school (PDS) model. The results…

Teach for America (TFA) is a national teacher corps of outstanding individuals who commit themselves to teach for 2 years in urban and rural areas that are experiencing persistent teacher shortages. TFA selects corps members through an intensive application process, operates inservice institutes to prepare them to enter the classroom, clusters…

The impact of the introduction of Australia's competency-based Certificates of General Education for Adults (CGEA) in 1994 was examined through a participatory action research-based study. Data were collected from 3 sources: reflective journals kept by 12 practitioners, interviews with 13 practitioners, and related documents. Accreditation of the…

The mental health counseling profession has gained increasing influence in the last 20 years. The purpose of this edited collection of articles is to chart the antecedents to, the present status of, and the future trends for this group of professionals. The book draws together historical tracings, rationales, conceptual models, and other…

An athletic trainer (ATC) who is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) is an allied health professional with specific expertise in prevention, recognition, and care of injuries to athletes. Such individuals are college-degreed specialists in sports medicine who practice under the direction of a physician. ATCs perform six…

Finding ways to improve the assessment of beginning teachers is part of an effort to assure that fully certified teachers possess the professional knowledge and skills necessary for competence in contemporary classrooms. Research done by the California New Teacher Project (CNTP) suggests that some knowledge and skills cannot be fully learned in…

This practicum was designed to set up a training/mentoring program to assist five state-licensed/certified family day care providers to successfully complete the formal application process of the National Association for Family Day Care (NAFDC) and receive NAFDC certification. The major goals of the practicum were: (1) to have five providers…

This publication describes the systems that prepare secondary school teachers in five randomly selected countries: England, Wales, France, Germany, and The Netherlands. The most common theme among these teacher education programs is that the systems are in a constant state of change; the changes come mostly as nations try to adapt the ways they…

Issue papers that focus on improving and expanding quality early childhood services in Louisiana are presented in this report. Each paper includes a description of current practice, several questions and answers concerning the issue, and a list of recommendations and strategies. Following an executive summary and introduction (which includes a…

This monograph contains six papers examining the field of adult education, especially in Finland and England. It explores how the body of knowledge and theory on adult education has developed and suggests where the profession of adult education and its students are headed. Titles and authors are as follows: "Legitimization in Adult Education:…

This book presents seven papers that focus on the design of standards for Professional Development Schools (PDSs), highlighting the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Professional Development School Standards Project. The first paper, "Designing Standards That Work for Professional Development Schools"…