This report presents the findings of the review of the evidence base on comparative practices of teacher selection and recruitment, specifically on the different mechanisms countries use to assess teacher readiness to take up teaching posts, with particular emphasis on testing or examinations. It is intended that the report will be helpful to…

As part of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are "required to ensure that highly qualified personnel are recruited, hired, trained and retained to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities" [Section 612(a)(14)(D)]. The purpose of this document…

Family members are a child's first and most important teachers. A growing body of research demonstrates that when families are actively engaged in their child's learning, children are better prepared for school and achieve at higher levels. Increased participation by families in pre-kindergarten programs has also been linked to greater academic…

This survey of 37 state special education administrators found that 78 percent have implemented emergency certification procedures designed to address critical staff shortages in special education. Over three-quarters of the states with emergency certification procedures issue such certificates for only 1 year, and renewal is contingent upon…

This paper discusses the Psychological Licensing Act in Florida as it relates to doctoral level counselors with degrees of a "psychological nature," as opposed to degrees with a "major in psychology." By implication, it addresses problems of licensure of professionals in many states who identify themselves as counseling…

This material, developed from current State Department of Education Certification Bulletins, is presented in a manner which makes it possible to gain significant information concerning certification requiremtnts for guidance counselors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The format of the tables provides both general information as well…

The article reports current status of certification for family life educators at the State Department of Public Instruction level. The authors review accomplishments made during the past decade toward the establishment of criteria for preparation of family life educators and make suggestions for further development of guidelines and training…

The author discusses the government's role in counselor licensing and then presents alternative ways to license counselors. One alternative would be to have licensing tests. A second would be to abolish licensing and concentrate on improving training programs. (EJT)

Lengthy and complex argument in support of "A Nation at Risk" report's recommendations on improving teacher quality that largely centers on considering more flexible, market-driven teacher recruitment, training, and compensation alternatives to the regulation-bound, establishment-controlled teacher professionalism movement. (PKP)

Examines the roles of junior and community colleges in the preparation of teachers, with emphasis on the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Compares today's interest in alternative teacher certification at community colleges with the educational challenges of the past. (Contains 40 references.) (AUTH)

Describes problems encountered by a British basic skills accreditation initiative and teacher certification program, both of which used competency-based assessment. (SK)

Argues that conventional approaches to teacher training and certification deter interested and talented people from entering the teaching profession. Suggests combination of alternative certification programs and school-level accountability may help to increase the supply of quality teachers. (PKP)

"The Condition of Education 2018" is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing the latest data on education in the United States. This report is designed to help policymakers and the public monitor educational progress. This report contains indicators on the state of education in the United States, from prekindergarten through…

This study, based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, explored the two dimensions of teacher efficacy among reading program types (Harcourt; Houghton Mifflin; MacMillan McGraw Hill; Pearson Scott Foresman; and, Other) and selected demographic factors (school enrollment size; student ethnicity; school district of urban, rural, and suburban;…

This study examined whether having a teacher with National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification improves student achievement. The study analyzed data on about 3,800 second through fifth grade students taught by 198 teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Study data were from 2003-04 and 2004-05. The authors…