The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established in 1987 and charged with the mission of improving the quality of teaching and public education. The National Board certification system involves three critical elements: (1) standards setting; (2) assessment instruments; and (3) professional development. This Digest…

This document is a guide to the use of alternative assessments (surveys, interviews, observation measures, and performance samples) in a family literacy project. This resource guide focuses on using alternative approaches to identify learners' needs, determine learners' ongoing progress in meeting project objectives, ascertain overall success of…

In January 1992, the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST) issued a report "Raising Standards for American Education," which called for the establishment of a national system of educational standards and assessments as a basis for comprehensive reform of U.S. education. This statement is a facsimile of the written…

A study identified the environmental and personal factors that promote or hinder the development of entrepreneurship in the informal sector in South Africa. A developmental perspective of informal businesses set forth in the literature supported the global approach chosen for the research. Information was acquired through indepth interviews with…

This document records the oral testimony and written reports of witnesses who testified at a Congressional hearing on education for entry-level workers who are needed by small businesses. Those who offered oral or written testimony included representatives of the following: National Alliance of Business, the American Society for Training and…

Twenty-five undergraduate preservice teachers in the literacy block (a six credit hour block of reading and language arts methods courses) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln wrote their literacy autobiographies to fulfill one of the course requirements. These autobiographies help students' develop insights into their literacy past and present.…

A portfolio assessment process was implemented in the Special Education Division of Central Washington University's teacher education program. The portfolio assessment was designed as an "end of major" assessment with three goals: provide a continuous assessment of the program of studies, determine the quality of program graduates, and…

This book brings together a number of perspectives on building a multicultural dimension into science teaching in the United Kingdom. Part 1 gives a variety of practical ideas for use in multi-ethnic and all-white classrooms, heeding the constraints of the National Curriculum. Part 2 examines the underlying rationale for a multicultural approach…

The Dispersed Heterogeneous Placement (DHP) supported employment project involved dispersal of three to five consumers across several departments/areas in a larger business or across several businesses in close proximity. The individuals placed had a wide range of talents and disability severity levels. Typically, a four-person site might have one…

This paper discusses the development and theoretical premises of the Expert Science Teaching Evaluation Model (ESTEEM) as well as research into this model from 1990 through 1993. ESTEEM was developed under the aegis of the Center for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation (CREATE) with major goals of defining expert science…

As dropout rates, drug addiction, and other problems continue to increase among youth, there arises a need for more effective approaches in dealing with problematic students. This book offers therapists and other helping professionals some practice-based solutions for fostering the healthy development of children and presents a model of…

This book provides early childhood educators with perspectives and tools that will enable them to strengthen parents and families during the child's earliest year of development. The 25 chapters are divided into 6 parts or themes. Part one focuses on understanding families as learners from an ecological and empathetic perspective, with the premise…

This report provides policymakers in both the public and private sectors with a broad base of quantitative information about U.S. science and engineering (S&E) research and education and U.S. technology in a global context. Chapter 1, "Elementary and Secondary Science and Mathematics Education," discusses the student's achievement,…

This study examined ways in which teachers use their own experiences and those of their colleagues to become better teachers, based on case studies of a group of eight physics teachers engaged in collaborative action research. Two perspectives on teaching that have framed other inquiries are first discussed: the teacher knowledge perspective,…

This report recounts the establishment of the Utah Career Ladder Program, reviews findings from prior evaluations of the program, and describes in detail the 1993 evaluation authorized by the Utah State Legislature. The report also covers questions about the impact of the program in general. Chapter 1 provides a history of the Utah Career Ladder…