Presents information about the kind of competency testing being done, how educators view the testing movement, and how it is affecting teacher preparation programs. (SRT)

Competence refers to a state of being well qualified to perform an activity, task, or job function. According to the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI), a competency involves a related set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enables a person to effectively perform the activities of a given…

When a variety of groups became concerned with a perceived deficiency in public education in the 1970's, critical attention was successively focused on student accountability, the school curriculum, and teachers. This digest briefly reports on teacher competency testing. The 1980 Gallup Poll showed that 85% of citizens polled said teachers should…

Intended for use by trainers of candidates for the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, this collection consists of resource materials issued by the CDA Resource Center, Univeristy of Illinois, between winter 1978 and winter 1980. Part I, the Introduction, provides background information about CDA objectives, components of the CDA…

An eight-step organizational approach to the problem of identifying, remediating, and, if necessary, dismissing incompetent teachers is described. Addressed to school superintendents, the eight steps are as follows: (1) establish "excellence in teaching" as a high priority for the district, (2) adopt and publish reasonable criteria for evaluating…

The significance of competency assessment for schools of education is explored with emphasis on developments at the state level and in specific teacher education programs. Multidimensional quality indicators of teacher preparation programs are suggested in the first paper. Other papers present an overview of state legislative reactions to…

This monograph relates the evolution, current status, issues, trends, and future perspective of undergraduate physical education teacher education (P.E.T.E.). The first section offers an historical overview of the profession. Preparation programs and curricula are described as they have progressed from the middle of the nineteenth century to the…

Current knowledge and practices in the field of preprimary teacher education are discussed with respect to unique characteristics of the field, general issues in teacher education and preprimary education, and recent developments in inservice education. Unique characteristics of the field of preprimary teacher education include role ambiguity,…