The Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program is a national system to improve the professional competence of early childhood teaching staff. This report presents the findings of the 1999 national survey to assess the impact of credentialing on individuals' careers and professional development. A sample of 4,993 CDAs was…

With the great number of candidates in the job market today, the necessity for school officials to work through placement offices when recruiting, evaluating, and selecting teachers is emphasized. Credentials play a large part in the evaluation and selection and must be kept up to date. (Author)

Surveyed college admissions offices (N=236) to determine the current status and perceived usefulness of letters of recommendation. Results show 87% of respondents required or considered letters of recommendation. They were considered useful in revealing personal qualities, particularly of handicapped and minority applicants, which could offset…

Reports results of a national survey designed to investigate the preferences of counseling center directors for various training backgrounds. Reports selected characteristics of recently employed counseling center staff. Directors expressed preferences for employees with PhD degrees and applicants with backgrounds in counseling psychology. (Author)

Professional preparation institutions are attempting to legislate greater control over the credentialing process. The credentialing system functions most efficiently under a partnership structure in which input is provided by the professional preparation institutions, the organized profession representatives of the market, and the government. (JN)

Master's and doctoral level counselors face exclusion from the mental health care system because of the trend toward funding by health insurance. Organized psychology is moving to bar doctoral level counselors and counseling education graduates from licensure. Counselors are losing their jobs to practitioners with insurance-eligible credentials.…

To assure program quality, an institution should choose its priorities--minimum achievements required, learning gains sought, content of learning emphasized, degree of rigor expected--and adopt a strategy for effective coordination of the efforts of the many persons who can contribute to each individual's learning. (Author/MLW)

Administrators in early childhood schools and centers can make a difference in children's lives and learnings. As child advocates, administrators must think through their own theoretical framework on which to base planning for school or center, guidance for teachers, analysis of program effectiveness, parent involvement, and utilization of pupil…

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 was designed to protect the privacy of students. This study found a large proportion of employers of educational personnel prefer confidential materials. Other studies should be conducted to determine if this may also be the preference with other organizations and institutions. (Author)

Examines public relations misperceptions that may affect the future employment of school counselors in one state. Focuses on actions that address negative opinions of school counselors and which might impede their employability. Reports on characteristics of the school district and respondents and gives administrators' perceptions of the…

This article outlines the development of a new California teacher credential in the area of physical and health impairments. The credential development process, identification of adopted standards, and the guiding principles used by the authors, who served as consultants to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, are described.…

Describes training paths for child caregivers, and the incorporation of staff training requirements for facility accreditation by national professional organizations and the development of individual credentials. Describes strategies for improving quality of care, including organizing for higher wages, subsidizing care, and extending free public…

Argues that, despite doubts created by the "dot-com" crash, the field of information technology (IT) is still crucial. Credentialing and certification are in demand by adults in the transitional workforce who require tangible results in a short time frame. Suggests that even non-IT companies are dependent on those in IT to run the nerve-centers of…

Investigates the factors that affect procuring job interviews for new Ph.D. economists. Used a data set from the personal surveys of a cohort of first-time job seekers who attended the 1997 American Economic Association (AEA) meeting in New Orleans (Louisiana). States that estimation results suggest a heterogeneity in the interview decision across…

Urges community colleges to develop health care training programs specific to the employment needs of a community. Examines issues related to health care credentialing and program accreditation. Reviews the wide range of nursing programs that community colleges can provide as continuing education or for college credit. (DMM)