This document describes, in question and answer format, the Credential Award System through which the Child Development Associate (CDA) Consortium regulates assessment of child care personnel who apply for the CDA credential. A private, non-profit organization of national professional associations, the CDA Consortium was founded in 1972 with the…

The competencies needed for leadership personnel in the field of postsecondary learning disability programs are delineated. The preservice doctoral training in the University of Connecticut's learning disability college program and the inservice program at Connecticut's Learning Disability College Consortium are described. (Author/JDD)

A list of microcomputing competencies associated with functions that special education professors typically perform was assessed by 148 special education faculty who use microcomputers. Word processing was rated as the single most useful competency, along with the category of providing instruction about microcomputer applications in special…

This document presents a draft of model standards for licensing teachers, both general and special education, of students with disabilities and is intended to elicit discussion and feedback from states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs. The standards are based on 10 core principles for beginning teacher licensing and…

A study investigated the process used in evaluating student teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) during the practicum period, in an effort to assess and improve the supervision process. Subjects were 34 student teachers from Kuwait University practice-teaching in intermediate and secondary schools. The students' evaluation was…

A review of educational literature indicates that the term "student teaching" mistakenly has been applied to all professional laboratory experiences for preservice teachers. As a result, these activities have concentrated on the development of practical teaching skills whereas clinical laboratory experiences should encourage inquiry and…

This article explores the idea of teacher-training institutions providing a warranty to school districts for each new teacher graduated from the institution and hired by the school district. Implications of such a program, including performance criteria to be established for teachers and ways to remedy a graduate's inadequate performance, are…

Analyzes current teacher education practices, and groups them under the labels of "preparation approach,""imitation approach," and "clinical approach." Describes a "reflective approach" of teacher preparation as being consistent with John Dewey's views toward education and presents quotations taken directly…

Japan's Teacher Certification Law and subsequent Ministry of Education regulations required more specific content for teacher training courses. Outlines three goals for an educational methodology and technology course and proposes its curricular framework: practical instructional competences, characteristics of instructional media, management and…

This article describes the Council for Exceptional Children's professional standards for special education teachers, including the content standards and the knowledge and skill standards. Information is provided on how to use the standards to structure a professional development plan, maintain expertise and evaluate competency. Self-evaluation…

Describes an inservice teacher course incorporating 34 competencies identified as important for behavior disorder teachers in rural West Virginia, and featuring 15 seminars tailored to participants' needs, videotaped practicum experience, and use of portable computers to record and analyze student behaviors. Contains 28 references. (SV)

Discusses teachers' responses to a survey on teacher competency testing. Describes Georgia's competency test and its results. Investigates the use of classroom performance as a test factor. Presents Georgia's test development process. (MLV)

A Northern Kentucky University professor questions the relevance and effectiveness of a required fundamentals of secondary education methods course, and discusses his counteroffensive, which combines lecture, field experience, and post-experience reflection on methods to meet state certification standards. (CB)

This article discusses the British move towards a skills-based model in special education teacher education. Focusing on the special case of students with autism, the article offers a perspective which stresses the importance of theory, practice, specialized knowledge, and reflective teaching. (DB)

Final year preservice teachers' perceptions of their mentoring in primary science teaching were gathered through surveys from three separate studies. The three studies (n = 59, n = 331, n = 60) provided an indication of the degree of mentoring preservice teachers perceived they received with mentoring practices linked to "Pedagogical Knowledge."…