This report presents the West Virginia edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook." The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…

This 2008 edition of the "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provides an in-depth analysis of a critical piece of the teacher quality puzzle: the retention of effective new teachers. Unlike the comprehensive analysis of all aspects of states' teacher policies provided in the 2007 "Yearbook", this year's edition focuses on a…

This report presents findings from a 2006 national survey of all Title IV degree-granting 4- year postsecondary institutions on how teacher candidates within teacher education programs for initial licensure are being prepared to use educational technology once they enter the field. The "Educational Technology in Teacher Education Programs…

Recent research demonstrates that teacher quality has a greater impact on student achievement than any other educational factor. Yet there is concern that overall teacher quality is variable, and hard-to-staff schools (i.e., high poverty and minority schools) have an even more difficult time recruiting and retaining quality teachers. The No Child…

Higher Education is a vibrant, changing field of study. With roots in multiple disciplines, these degree programs prepare the administrators, faculty, and policy makers who direct the current and future higher education enterprise. At a time when higher education is changing rapidly, these programs are poised to frame the future of an educated…

This study is aimed at assessing the state of Philippine secondary school physics education using data from a nationwide survey of 464 schools and 767 physics teachers and at identifying challenges for substantive improvements. Teacher-related indicators revealed academic qualification deficiency, low continuing professional involvements,…

Introduction: The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recognized that certification and recertification must be based on an assessment of performance in practice as well as an examination of medical knowledge. Physician self-assessment of practice performance is proposed as one method that certification boards may use to evaluate competence…

With a focus on both teacher quality and quantity at the national level, this research examined long-term trends in the demand, supply, and shortage of special education teachers for 16 school years, from 1987/1988 through 2002/2003. These trends were based on data published in annual reports to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals…

Early murmurs concerning teacher attrition in the United States have risen to an alarming level since the 1990s. Given that half of the 1990s teaching force were/are expected to retire between 2000 and 2010, the cry has been heard loud and clearly throughout the nation. Furthermore, today's fledgling teachers are fleeing at astronomical rates,…

For several decades, the Maltese educational system was almost entirely reliant on English examination boards for certification in secondary and post-secondary education. In the 1990s, Maltese policy-makers decided to establish an affordable local examination system aimed at a wide range of students. This paper focuses on the review of the…

As interest in green building grows, much discussion has focused on aligning a project with the principles of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification: (1) cost savings through energy and water conservation; (2) improved worker productivity; (3) health, insurance and risk-management benefits; and (4) enhanced building…

This paper describes performance-based assessment of beginning science teachers who are seeking provisional teaching certificates in Connecticut. The assessment is part of the Science Education Support and Assessment Program (SESAP). The project attempts to turn a summative licensing assessment into a formative instrument to improve science…

The Educational Testing Service is currently engaged in a large-scale development project related to teacher licensure. This project will develop a new generation of assessments for licensing beginning teachers, based on two research projects. One is Project CHART, an effort to identify state requirements for licensure in all subject areas…

A study sought to describe the professional activities and background characteristics of occupational education teachers in Nevada and their concerns about issues facing occupational education. Data were obtained through a written questionnaire sent to all 519 occupational education teachers in the state (386 were completed for a 74 percent…

A study examined British employers' adoption of National Vocational Qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQ/SVQs) and the occupational standards underpinning them. Data regarding current/projected use of the NVQ/SVQs and their perceived costs, benefits, and difficulties of implementation were collected from the following:…