For well over a decade, teachers have been recognized as the single most important school-level factor influencing student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; McCaffrey, Lockwood, Koretz, & Hamilton, 2003; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2000; Rowan, Correnti & Miller, 2002; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). Tremendous public resources…

In the report "From Good to Great: Exemplary Teachers Share Perspectives on Increasing Teacher Effectiveness across the Career Continuum," (See full report in ERIC at ED555657) National and State Teachers of the Year shared their views on what helped them become great teachers. This accompanying "Discussion Starter Tool" builds…

The authors' recent research has revealed that most afterschool programs in Milwaukee County have received relatively low ratings, and that their biggest hurdle to improving their scores often involved the educational qualifications of program staff. In light of the potential consequences of that finding--which include the possibility that the…

This policy analysis examines recent debates on teacher quality in light of the "Renee v. Duncan" (2010) decision, the Congressional response to the ruling through the Continuing Resolution bill, H.R. 3082 §163, and President Obama's "Blueprint for Reform." Using equity as a framework for the teacher quality debate, the authors…

This report addresses the reporting requirements of Public Law 26-26 and the provisions of "No Child Left Behind" ("NCLB") as described in the Guam Department of Education Board adopted "District Action Plan" ("DAP"). Public Law 26-26, Section 3106 states that "No later than thirty (30) days following…

The author reports the finding of a study released by the National Research Council, which is an arm of the National Academies, a scientific body created to advise the federal government on scientific matters. After six years of study, a national panel of prominent scholars has concluded that teachers from alternative programs appear no worse--or…

This paper is the second of a two part study comparing The Sixth Edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act as prepared and adopted by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)with the actual regulatory practice of the various jurisdictional boards of accountancy in place just prior to the release of the most recent NASBA…

Randomized trials are a common way to provide rigorous evidence on the impacts of education programs. This article discusses the trade-offs associated with study designs that involve random assignment of students within schools and describes the experience from one such study of Teach for America (TFA). The TFA experiment faced challenges with…

In this paper the authors suggest that teacher educators in higher education institutions (HEIs) in England are not fully convinced that teaching should be a Masters profession. The original engagement with Masters-level provision for student-teachers in England seems to have been founded on a technicality rather than a committed philosophical…

Unemployment rates remain high as a result of U.S. economic conditions, exacerbated by the loss of jobs to globalization and increased use of technology to produce goods and deliver services. Individuals who lose their jobs are having a much harder time finding new work than in the past, and there are many workers who are forced to work only part…

This article explores how the FETAC standards and processes at Levels 1 and 2 can be used to recognise literacy as a social practice. A summary review of the development of the National Framework of Qualifications is provided. Levels 1 to 4 in Ireland are compared with three key international frameworks, including OECD levels and those in Northern…

In Canada, the qualification of physicians is the jurisdiction of the College of Family Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Colleges have promoted the training of "generalists" in family medicine and "sophisticated generalists" among the traditional specialties, and the development of subspecialties…

A traditional, full-time job isn't the only way to work. And opting for an alternative often yields benefits beyond work experience. Numerous organizations promote personal and professional development through service. These organizations train participants to address the needs of a community, either in the United States or abroad. By overcoming…

This article describes a study conducted by Judith A. Hale and Debbie L. Page to identify the domains required for sustainable school improvement efforts. The results were used to develop a proficiency-based certification for school improvement specialists offered by the International Society for Performance Improvement. They were also used to…

Increasing numbers of special education teachers enter the profession via widely varying preparation programs, also known as alternative certification programs. This article describes a survey of 54 novice special education teachers from alternative certification (AC) programs. In this paper, the authors discuss both challenges and support needs…