The purpose of this study was to describe how states in the REL Central Region (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) evaluate teacher preparation programs and planned changes for evaluation. Publicly available documents were reviewed and interviews were conducted with state education agency representatives…

Much of the literature criticizing university-based school leadership preparation programs concludes that programs are, at best, reluctant to change, a conclusion often based more on anecdotal stories than a more systematic inquiry. This article provides evidence on the extent of change in programs since passage of the "Standards for Advanced…

With research indicating substantial differences among teachers in terms of their effectiveness (Nye, Konstantopoulous, & Hedges, 2004), a major focus of recent research in education has been on improving teacher quality through professional development (Desimone, 2009; Institute of Educations Sciences [IES], 2012; Measures of Effective…

This paper presents a four-year longitudinal study of student teachers' beliefs about language learning and teaching over the course of an English teacher education (ELT) program. The study attempts to track possible changes in the beliefs and to analyze the impact of an ELT pre-service program by taking the program itself as a dynamic variable.…

Pedagogues and practitioners alike accept the vital importance of an effective professional induction for new teachers. This paper examines the evolution of such a policy in Ontario, from a mandatory pencil-and-paper qualifying test for graduating teacher candidates, to a modest province-wide induction program for newly-hired teachers. It assesses…

The Quality Assurance Teacher Education Program has been designed to provide students, graduates, and employers with assurance of program quality and effectiveness. Elements of the program are discussed. (DF)

Presents the statement of philosophy and purposes for the Agricultural Education Program Area at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University that serves as a framework for planning, organizing, and conducting a quality program. The need for the statement and the process of creating it are examined. (CT)

A practicum course for prospective teachers of the gifted was designed, implemented, and evaluated. The 209 teachers found the practicum teaching, observations of their teaching, and papers they wrote to be effective learning experiences. Observers' ratings of the teachers indicated that a majority performed well in the practicum. (Author/JDD)

This speech presents a brief history of the development of basic principles of IGE (Individually Guided Education) and IGE schools; a description of IGE programs as they exist today follows. Among the many aspects of IGE noted in this speech, two are highlighted: a) the program assists teachers in varying instructional settings to meet different…

Two State Urban Education Quality Incentive projects were implemented and coordinated within the administrative component in District 19, New York City Board of Education. One of the projects, STINT, provided 18 teacher trainers to give necessary support to 160 beginning and inexperienced teachers and to increase the academic achievement of their…

This publication presents an overview of all educational programs approved for national dissemination by the Department of Education. The projects are divided into the following sections: (1) adult education; (2) administration/organizational arrangements; (3) alternative schools/programs/bilingual/migrant programs; (4) basic skills--language…

As concern about the role and performance of teaching assistants grows, universities find themselves initiating training programs. Issues to be considered include: who should provide training, relationships between the different providers, program requirements and curricula, length of the program, follow-up activities, preparation for…

MENTOR in Education, a school-university partnership based in New York City and designed to acquaint talented minority high school students with careers in teaching, is described. Two innovative school models and their effects on participating students' educational aspirations and career choices are discussed. (MSE)

Describes the design and implementation of the microcomputer network that will soon link every vocational center and comprehensive high school in West Virginia. The author discusses the advantages of networking, what equipment is used, instructional emphases, how various programs use the network, teacher training, and learner outcomes. (CT)

Describes a microcomputer-based simulation developed to provide elementary teachers-in-training with experiences in realistic instructional interactions with computer-defined students prior to actual classroom encounters. The system's hardware and functional operation are discussed; components of the program's interactional cycles are described;…