A specific application of test equating is described, namely that of credentialing examination programs in the health professions. Considered are: (1) the role of test equating in the credentialing process; and (2) the issues that must be considered when implementing test equating in a credentialing examination program. (Author/LMO)

Describes New York City's Substitute Vocational Assistant Program, a paid internship program that exposes selected vocational high school students to a combination of industrial work, college coursework and on-the-job teacher training. Students who complete the five-year program are qualified to take the regular examination for entry into the…

Urges creation of national certification boards in several educational fields to justify highly qualified elementary and secondary teachers who could then be eligible for higher pay. Cites arguments against merit pay, explains how certification boards would defuse union opposition, and examines drawbacks in recent federal efforts to encourage…

Discusses a colloquium of Harvard University faculty, staff, alumni, and graduate students on the reports and studies published recently on the shortcomings of American education. The panelists identified questions that need to be asked, pinpointed what was missing from the reports, and responded from their particular perspective. (JOW)

Discusses (1) a Michigan court decision concerning reverse discrimination and voluntary affirmative action policies; (2) the Massachusetts Supreme Court's rejection of the work-to-rule strategy; and (3) an Arkansas law that will allow teachers failing a basic skills and literacy test to be fired only when their state certification expires. (MLF)

Relates how inadequate teacher certification requirements and teacher education programs have been detrimental to quality public school math and science programs. (HOD)

In a national survey, teachers and principals approved of career ladders for teachers and agreed teachers should pass subject area and teaching methods examinations before certification. Principals supported merit pay and competency testing for teachers, while teachers were split. Neither group supported higher salaries for teachers in critical…

Discusses the assessment center approach to employee selection and describes its background, history and use, methodology (including simulation and observation), and possible applications, including its use in a professional certification program for instructional/training designers. (MBR)

Across the country, increasing numbers of high school students are getting a head start on college by completing some college-level work in high school. Opportunities such as Advanced Placement courses and dual enrollment not only boost college-going rates but also save money for families and, potentially, for taxpayers and states. In particular,…

All community colleges, four year institutions, and districts are invited by the Board of Regents (BoR), Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to form partnerships to design Associate of Science in Teaching Degree Programs for paraprofessionals and other educators…

This study investigates where certificate I and II qualifications lead young people aged 15-24 years in terms of employment and further study. A prime motivation for young people undertaking these qualifications is to facilitate transition into the labour market. These qualifications are aimed at developing basic vocational skills or preparatory…

This book makes a case for the value of National Board Certification (NBC), describing the components of the process. It emphasizes the importance of working in groups so that group members can provide multiple interpretations of student work or videos in ways that enrich a candidate's analysis as well as the group's learning. It also suggests…

This paper describes one aspect of a project that resulted in a required, common teacher candidate pedagogy assessment instrument for use by all teacher preparation programs in Washington State. It examines multicultural components embedded in the conceptual framework and instrument and the process leading to this product. It also describes a…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 5-year project at the University of San Francisco (California) to recruit and train minority and bilingual paraeducators (instructional assistants and teacher aides) and noncertified substitute teachers to receive a special education (mild-moderate) credential and master's degree with…

How can we fix America's floundering public schools? The conventional wisdom says that schools need a lot more money, that poor and immigrant children cannot do as well as most American kids, that high-stakes tests just produce teaching to the test, and that vouchers do little to help students while undermining our democracy. But what if the…