This working paper provides background for the U.S. Department of Education's first report to the nation on teacher quality, informing the ongoing work on state policy contexts for the improvement of teaching undertaken by the Center for the Study of Teacher Policy. The main goal is to illustrate the range of state-initiated actions aimed at…

Eleven separate addresses made by the Assistant Secretary of Education for Educational Research and Improvement during the period April-August 1990 comprise this document. Arranged chronologically, it includes two addresses before the American Educational Research Association in April and others as follows: (1) to Javits Grant recipients on May…

This monograph presents eight cases of schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs) in which faculty members are creating experiences in teacher education that are standards-based, elevate the conversation about the profession among teachers, and create more coherent wholeness in which being an educator includes membership in a distinct…

Over the past decade many university-based teacher education programs and school districts have forged partnerships creating restructured, collaborative programs aimed at improving teaching and learning for credential candidates, as well as the children that they serve. According to data from the California Department of Education, progress is…

Since the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, much has been said and written about the law by a variety of education observers, practitioners, and policymakers from both sides of the political aisle. With support from the Ford, Rockefeller, and Z. Smith Reynolds foundations,…

One of the most important provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the requirement that all teachers of core academic subjects be "highly qualified" by the end of school year 2005-2006. Key principles for recruiting and preparing future teachers have been identified as raising academic standards for teachers and lowering…

This document consists of 10 separate speeches, addresses, remarks, or testimony made by the Assistant Secretary of Education for Educational Research and Improvement during the period from October 23 to December 11, 1989. The addresses are arranged chronologically as follows: (1) Testimony, Senate Subcommittee on Governmental Information and…

Through the No Child Left Behind Act and various budget proposals, President Bush is addressing the challenges of teacher quality and teacher training byassisting states and districts as they strive to improve teacher quality, taking specific steps to enhance the teaching profession and work environment, and providing new tools for teachers in…

In a climate of increasing enrollment, reduced funding, and unfunded mandated state and federal programs, urban and rural school districts find it increasingly difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers. This paper offers suggestions to local school boards and district administrators in states with significant numbers of rural schools: (1)…

The alternative teacher certification procedures and professional development opportunities available to secondary academic and career and technical education (CTE) teachers were examined. The main data collection activities were as follows: (1) a literature review; (2) analysis of data on alternative teacher certification procedures in 36 states;…

The licensure requirements for technology teachers vary widely from state to state. The goals of the alternative teacher licensure movement have been to allow more individuals to become certified as teachers more quickly and to attract more people with life experiences into teaching without the necessary completion of traditional undergraduate…

This paper is one of four individual case study reports presenting the qualitative findings from a five-year investigation of the impact of accountability reform on students with disabilities in four states, eight districts, and twenty schools. This case study report presents qualitative data collected over a four-year period--2001-2004--from…

This document is one of four individual case study reports presenting the qualitative findings from a five-year investigation of the impact of accountability reform on students with disabilities in four states, eight districts, and twenty schools. This case study report presents qualitative data, collected over a two-year period--2001 and…