State policymakers are in a unique position to enable the innovations in education necessary to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Working with 8,000 educators nationwide, the Aurora Institute identified the top 10 issues to address in state policy for transforming the K-12 education system: (1) Profile of a Graduate; (2) Innovation…

A study was conducted to identify and validate communication technology competencies needed by industrial arts teachers in Virginia. Seventy-two tasks were identified as vital for teacher education programs in communication. (LRA)

Professionals in the field of special education are constantly being asked about efficacy and outcome-based practice. The tragic event that took place at Virginia Tech shocked the world. This article uses the Virginia Tech tragedy as a base to discuss the need for all professionals to develop cultural competence. Furthermore, it discusses the…

The study examined teacher evaluation practices that are currently being used with early childhood special educators in public school preschool handicapped programs in Virginia. Discrepancies are identified between teachers' rankings of teacher competencies and specific content areas required for teacher endorsement and those found on standard…

Designed to provide direction for those who contemplate establishing a competency-based program for vocational teachers, this monograph contains major papers developed for the Institute on Competency-Based Teacher Education for Virginia Vocational and Technical Teacher Educators held in Blacksburg, November 23-26, 1975. Also included are two…

Described are two alternative training programs designed to quickly prepare competent personnel to serve children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) through cooperation of teacher training institutions and local school districts. The program, involving the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Roanoke County Public Schools, is described as…

This guide presents a systematic approach to developing competencies that will enable teacher-coordinators to meet effectively the occupational needs of students and to provide a source of well-trained individuals for business and office occupations. The guide consists of ten competency-based instructional modules which outline procedures for…

This description of the INDEPTH program (Inservice Distributive Education Program of Teaching Help) in Virginia includes a discussion of the program's background, salient features, and its six 15-hour modules. (The program was developed by distributive education personnel in three Virginia universities, the Virginia Department of Education, and…

A study was conducted to accomplish three objectives: (1) identify and validate the tasks performed by distributive education teacher coordinators in the role of Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter advisors; (2) identify competencies needed by teacher-coordinators to perform these tasks; and (3) develop instructional modules for…

The final report of Project TRAIN describes a 3-year collaborative project of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia State Department of Education to provide special education inservice training for regular classroom teachers serving secondary level mildly handicapped youth. The project: (1) developed adaptive instructional training…