This report documents a consultation held by BellSouth Foundation that examined new routes to the teaching profession, and the changing and emerging philanthropic role in stimulating potential teachers to embark upon nontraditional paths to the profession. Participants included state education officials, foundation officers, public school teachers…

This handbook provides information and offers guidance and resources to help those who have expressed an interest in the teaching profession. The publication is organized into six chapters as follows: (1) "A Snapshot of the Profession" (why people choose to teach, the need for teachers, school reform and the nation's future, and what…

The state of Washington requires a master's degree for new teachers to receive continuing education certification and allocates substantial salary incentives for experienced teachers to complete master's degrees. This document reports on a study that focused on supply and demand issues related to graduate education for teachers in the state of…

This publication is a guide to assessing the subject-matter competence of prospective physical education teachers in California. The guide was developed as part of a statewide response to legislated entry and exit standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. An introduction describes the regulations and executive order, which are…

The level of agreement among principals and teachers concerning the certification competencies needed by beginning teachers was studied, and an effort was made to determine the level of preparation or experience at which the competencies are mastered. Twenty-seven principals, 27 elementary school teachers, and 5 secondary school teachers from…

This Digest discusses the conversion of military personnel to school employees and describes a U.S. Department of Defense program called "Troops to Teachers" that helps military personnel affected by defense cut-backs pursue new careers as teachers and teachers' aides. Created by Congress in 1992 through the National Defense…

A Pennsylvania project to improve the reading skills of commercial drivers and to help them pass the required federal Commercial Driver's License (CDL) written examination was evaluated at five pilot sites. The project used ROAD (Real Opportunities for Advancement and Development) to Success, a basic skills course of interactive computer…

This guide is a developmental document that contains working definitions of terms and commentaries on them. Intended for those working or interested in vocational education and training (VET) at any level, the guide introduces the concepts and terminology associated with work-based learning in VET, offers assistance to readers trying to understand…

This report suggests how West Virginians might improve public policy in ways that positively affect all classrooms in the state and describes an approach to improve teacher education. Ten areas of responsibility are discussed: (1) upgrading teacher education programs to make the academic area of study more rigorous and effective; (2) streamlining…

This paper summarizes major research and development activities and reports the results of the development and validation of a comprehensive on-the-job statewide teacher assessment system designed to make inferences about enhancing student learning through classroom observation data--the System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review…

This paper traces the reorganization of Japanese colleges and faculties of education in response to the educational reform movement. This response includes establishment of graduate programs of teacher education and curricular changes to improve teacher competence. The first section of the paper outlines the evolution of public policy aimed at…

Teacher supply and demand in the public schools of Ohio depend on such factors as enrollment trends, subject-election patterns, staffing ratios, employment practices, turnover rates, and the number of graduates from teachers' colleges. Data contained in this report have been collected and maintained by the Ohio State Department of Education since…

This guide highlights the many forces driving professionals to seek continuing education: rapidly changing information; new technological developments; mandated credit to maintain licenses and professional certification; emerging professions struggling to define their competencies; and development changes in adults that affect career practices. In…

This chapter covers the nearly 220 cases reported in 1989 involving precollegiate, public-sector employees. Those cases where purely procedural issues are involved are omitted, and procedural issues in the remaining cases are deemphasized. As in previous years, the section on dismissal, nonrenewal, demotion, and discipline has the greatest…

Four annual surveys of the 50 states provide data for analyzing nation-wide trends in competency assessment of teachers. Most state plans for teacher competency assessment include testing one or more areas of basic skills, professional or pedagogical skills, and academic knowledge. The testing occurs at the entry level--admission to the teacher…