This is a report on the work of the California Commission for Teacher Preparation on the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES), to determine which skills and qualities are necessary for the beginning teacher to impart learning effectively in the classroom. (JD)

Describes the political processes involved in obtaining mandatory preservice teacher training in environmental education for Wisconsin's science and social studies teachers. Outlines the procedures employed by support and state committees in proposal development, review, and implementation. Lists the preservice requirements and teacher…

Looks at the ways in which health professions test for competence and improve training and testing programs. Discusses the controversy concerning medical licensing, criterion-referenced exams for nurses, and continuing education evaluations. Finally, testing in the teaching professions is examined, including competency-based and continuing teacher…

Four possibilities are proposed for assessing the technical competence possessed by prospective teachers that build on and further extend the "credit hours earned" and "years of occupational experience" criteria. (HD)

In the United Kingdom, outdoor educators have varied backgrounds in terms of academic versus professional outdoor training, and the profession has not agreed upon required qualifications. Multiple influences in the historical development of outdoor education have contributed to this situation. Since the 1970s, several U.K. colleges and…

Discusses ideas, pro and con, about performance-based teacher education and certification and the procedures used in New Jersey to develop teacher performance criteria. Indicates that the involvement of the teaching profession is desirable in the teacher preparation and certification process. (CC)

Teachers of hearing impaired children, 0 to 3 years of age, in 170 early intervention programs and 12 experts rate 77 competencies in five areas of professional responsibility according to value for effective job performance and self proficiency on 1- to 6-point scale. (MC)

Describes the basic spirit and details of a one-semester lab-oriented chemistry course designed within a flexible, self-paced format for elementary education majors. Included are a syllabus and a competency measure. (CC)

A "personalized" staff development project conducted by the University of Georgia's Department of Professional Laboratory Experiences and local schools used the Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI) to assess beginning teachers' latent competencies and indicate potential areas of improvement. Both the TPAI and the staff…

Project AIM/LOFT (Accommodative Instructional Management/Learning Opportunities for Teachers) is a staff development training program that uses special instructional materials. The five-part staff development project includes: (1) intensive competency-based training; (2) in-class follow-up training; (3) action labs; (4) training in team dynamics;…

An evaluation of student teacher competency through the use of measure of learner cognitive attainment reveals that teacher expectations do not influence achievement. The amount of experience, degree of effectiveness as perceived by the university supervisor, and time provided for students to learn by student teachers do influence learner…

Reports on research that confounds normal expectations concerning the teacher behavior that encourages student achievement and self-concept development. For instance, using praise or rewards and pausing, eliciting, and responding to student questions were negatively correlated to student achievement gains. (IRT)

Although there appears to be considerable agreement concerning the criteria to be evaluated in field experience programs for preservice teachers, the relative importance attached to each item varies markedly from one program to another. (JD)

Discusses case studies that assessed the effectiveness of a performance-based teacher education curriculum on vocational teacher education programs. (WD)