This report presents the results of three studies on beginning teacher needs and support. The first study investigated what one beginning teacher and her mentor talked about in scheduled talk sessions. Audiotapes of the talk sessions and interviews with the teacher and her mentor uncovered how the beginning teacher perceived teaching and herself…

This publication is one of a series designed as a companion to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)'s fact book, "Policy Indicators for Higher Education: WICHE States." The title article maintains that the growth of distance learning programs has heightened existing concerns about their quality. Institutions can…

For 3 years, the State Teacher Education Council (STEC) has studied Maryland's Professional Development Schools (PDSs) movement, first from a theoretical framework and then from an operational perspective, through a series of site visits. This report includes information from the study. Section 1, "Overview of the Collaborations,"…

This document presents an outline of competencies for early childhood directors. The outline consists of a list of seven required abilities, or goals that is divided into sublists of actions the director should perform to meet the competency goals. Directors are expected to possess the ability to: develop and maintain an effective organization;…

This briefing paper examines Hawaii's collaboration between the Department of Education (ED) and teacher education institutions, explaining that for over 60 years, this relationship has been highly beneficial. The law that began this collaboration mandated the formation of an advisory group, the Teacher Education Coordinating Committee (TECC). The…

Citing issues of professional qualifications and reward systems that the field of early childhood education must resolve as preschool programs become part of the public schools, this paper argues for adopting a dynamic career ladder model of program staffing. The dynamic model assumes a mix of staffing in early childhood programs wherever they are…

In 1987 the Ohio State Board of Education adopted new requirements for teacher education and teacher certification. This included the implementation of competency testing in Ohio, using the National Teacher Examination (NTE) as the certification examination. Correlation and regression analyses were performed on data collected between 1982 and 1989…

This paper explores the effect of reviewing items and altering responses on the efficiency of computer adaptive tests (CATs) and the resultant ability measures of examinees. Subjects included 712 medical students: 220 subjects were randomly assigned to the review condition; 492 were randomly assigned to a review control condition (the usual CAT…

These four selected bibliographies list recommended readings concerning: minority personnel in special education (supply and demand), teacher testing and minorities, physical therapy and occupational therapy, and alternative certification. References date from 1984 through 1991 and are listed alphabetically by author within each bibliography. ERIC…

The new age of education shows an increasing focus on human development through family involvement, community learning resources, community social service, staff development, involvement, technology, learning climate, and motivation/reward systems. Integration of these areas calls for skills that are not traditionally taught to school leaders.…

This paper discusses three issues relating to teacher certification in Kentucky. These issues are: (1) certification of teachers who work with children under the age of 6 years; (2) preparation of teachers for primary education; and (3) alternative certification. The first issue raises questions of whether Kentucky should require certification for…

This report concerning the Louisiana social studies program begins with the process of analyzing and evaluating the current state of affairs in social studies education with a view toward reform. After the introduction, general sections follow to define social studies and to provide a historical and philosophical perspective on the social studies.…

Because a cumulative score is not computed for the Urban Teacher Selection Interview, item rankings do not appear to be operationally related to the overall ranking and final categorization of teacher education candidates. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which, during the final selection process, the interviewers ranked…

The Tourism Standards Consortium (TSC) is a partnership of the governments of Canada's western provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia), the provinces' tourism industries, and the Pacific Rim Institute of Tourism in British Columbia. In an effort to increase professionalism in Western Canada's tourism industry, the TSC…

The ninth edition of this directory provides basic information about college and university programs in the United States leading to a degree or certificate in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The directory lists 171 institutions that offer 304 programs leading to a doctorate, 178 to a master's degree, 29 to a…