Principals and teachers are becoming frustrated with conventional evaluation practices typically used to determine teacher effectiveness and, thus, tenure and promotion. This Digest explains that as new performance standards are being developed, there are reconfigured assessment designs requiring an array of reflective, analytic skills. Creation…

This report describes the nature of the partnership between the George Washington University (GWU) and Fairfax County, Virginia, Public Schools (FCPS) to support the design of GWU's advanced Master's degree program and to support National Board for Professional Teaching Standards candidates as they pursue certification. Section 1 discusses the…

This report presents the findings from a study designed: (1) to determine the current availability and utility of student outcome statistics in the nation; and (2) to examine the feasibility and desirability of nationwide institutional reporting of student outcome data. Following an introductory section on the purposes of the report and the…

The focus of these forum proceedings is education reform and the power that teachers hold to shape lives. Questions addressed by attendees included: Why the simultaneous renewal of schools and schools of education? How do we achieve reform? How do we assure the implementation of John Goodlad's agenda for change outlined in "Teachers for Our…

The purpose of the study described here was to: (1) determine the amount of variance in burnout and job satisfaction in public school teachers and principals which could be accounted for by stress related to the state's performance-based accreditation standards; (2) examine the relationship between stress related to state standards and the age and…

This report reviews the major forces that have shaped the direction of teacher education reform in Oregon since 1983, focusing on Ballot Measure 5 which threatens state level funds for teacher education programs and on the impact of Workforce 2000 goals. Following an introduction, the document is organized into three sections: "Professional…

Supporters of alternative certification (AC) claim these programs can help to recruit minority and male teachers and to attract talented individuals with subject-area expertise in areas such as math, science, and foreign languages. Opponents claim that AC can undermine teacher professionalism and that it does and that it does not provide the…

Certain types of evaluation tools used in continuing education offerings limit the evaluation process and hence the value of the offering. Asking a yes/no question as an exclusive evaluation method for learners' achievement of objectives is inappropriate for certain types of offerings. Provision should be made for assessment of continuing…

This report presents projections of classroom teaching positions in kindergarten through grade 12 for regular public schools in New York State. Two basic assumptions underlying the projections of classroom teachers needed for 1992-93 through 1996-97 were: (1) the numbers of teachers in all subject areas in the base year, 1991-92, were adequate to…

A New York State task force determined that the education system in the state must be changed to prepare youth for the high-performance workplaces of the future. According to the task force, the state must establish globally competitive standards for what youth must know and be able to do as they enter the workplace or postsecondary education.…

Eleven states have established autonomous professional standards boards responsible for teacher licensure. Supporters of these boards feel that they create higher standards than state boards of education do, are better able to address complex issues related to teachers and teaching, and are an important statewide component in the nationwide effort…

The five year teacher education program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville requires students to major in an arts or science field and to minor in either elementary or secondary education. Following the acquisition of a bachelor's degree, students may enroll in fifth-year education courses and a year-long internship. Teaching licenses are…

Military cutbacks by the Department of Defense will cause thousands of enlisted personnel and civilian workers in defense industries to lose their jobs and look toward other employment opportunities. To help ease this conversion for some displaced employees, the Department of Defense is sponsoring a program to help former servicepeople earn…

A distance education program at West Virginia University (WVU) offers graduate level training to prospective and practicing special education teachers in rural areas. This report compares the cost effectiveness of distance education to previous models at WVU during the past 15 years, including campus-based and field-based delivery systems. The…

The 1992 Washington State Legislature gave the State Board of Education (SBE), in conjunction with the Governor's Council on Education Reform and Funding (GCERF), responsibility for completing a review of certification policies to develop an outcome-based certification system for teachers. To accomplish this task, the SBE/GCERF Professional…