The increasingly heavy load of detailed extraneous National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Standards has had little effect on improving the quality of teacher preparation programs. In place of the present mass of standards, four standards are proposed. These alternative standards focus on adequate financial support, selective…

The five myths which teacher educators should attempt to deal with involve: (1) claims that all teachers are ineffective; (2) inadequacy of teacher preparation programs; (3) adequacy of subject matter knowledge as the primary criteria for good teaching; (4) inadequacy of knowledge base in teacher education; (5) inferiority of education majors. (JN)

Florida legislation has mandated an upgrading in student academic proficiency through functional literacy testing as a prerequisite to the high school diploma and through testing of other minimum competencies. Emphasis on educational assessment has resulted in a recent focus on teacher competence and more vigorous entrance requirements for…

Calls for dispelling the myth that no valuable art learning can be gained from structured elementary programs and suggests revising teacher education methods courses to train elementary teachers so they can help students develop significant awareness of art qualities, artistic processes, and art history. (JD)

Analyzes multiple selection criteria for teacher preparation programs in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and relates them to institutional factors such as student enrollment and funding sources. Suggests that smaller colleges and universities are more concerned with selection criteria, especially the use of…

A teacher education program evaluation model incorporates six features: program modification; field-based perspective; longitudinal approach; involvement of all related program personnel; reliable and comprehensive data; and examination of importance or values as well as effectiveness. Operation of the model, reaction of participants and…

A health workshop for elementary and secondary school teachers, designed to help a South Carolina health department and district schools cope with health personnel shortages, is described. (JMF)

If schools of education are to expand their programs and take on new roles, a change in funding patterns will be necessary. Fund raising skills will be required of college deans and directors and better use of available funds and resources must be made. (JD)

Results of a national survey of education graduates show that they are involved in a wide variety of settings. Their roles are diverse, including administrative, counseling, teaching, research evaluation, and curriculum development. (Authors/CJ)

As they forge creative relationships with other disciplines, education professionals are rewriting the classic definition of "teacher" to encompass new fields of human services. Teachers are challenged to see themselves not exclusively as academic instructors but in the broadest sense as behavior change agents. (CJ)

Career opportunities for educators are growing in human resource development departments of business and industry. These careers call on the competencies of teachers in their roles as human service specialists and instructional systems designers. A program created to prepare students for such careers at Northeastern Illinois University is…

Due to the intimate contact they have with children, teachers are in a position to intervene when child abuse appears to occur. Preservice teacher education programs should train teachers to recognize abused children and to interact with them and their parents. (Authors/CJ)

Two movements in American education are referred to as competency-based education (CBE). The purpose of the first is to protect traditional symbols of achievement such as high school diplomas and teaching certificates. The second builds on basic concepts of learning theory, emphasizing objectives, performance by practitioners, and learner…

In response to PL 94-142, the College of Education at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has integrated special education concepts into its preservice core courses. The program's training focus, knowledge and attitude objectives are outlined in this article, one of seven describing Dean's Grant programs for PL 94-142 training. (SJL)

The Roosevelt University College of Education conducted two studies to reevaluate its preservice course content and the effectiveness of its program in light of PL 94-142. Results are summarized in this article, one of seven in this issue describing Dean's Grant programs for preservice training in PL 94-142. (SJL)