This document reports on the Southwest (Region VI) Child Development Associate (CDA) assessment program during the 1973-74 and 1974-75 school years. Activities conducted through the office of the regional coordinator of CDA assessment are listed. An assessment system was developed and implemented to meet three needs: (1) to screen and rank CDA…

Discusses the professional portfolio as (1) evidence of knowledge and skills gained through prior learning and experience; (2) a placement tool for faculty, and (3) useful in a student's program planning. Describes the concept and development of the portfolio's narrative and documentation sections. Also rates the portfolio's advantages and…

Research was conducted in Europe to determine the following: (1) the current situation in the chemicals industry in regard to transparency, recognition, and transfer of qualifications; (2) the obstacles to transparency and recognition of qualifications in the industry; and (3) the key areas for future action and possible measures to promote…

This document consists of the four 2002 issues of a newsletter that provides current information and research on leadership and administrative issues in early childhood education. The Spring 2002 issue examines Illinois' plan for universal access to preschool by expanding the existing early care and education infrastructure to incorporate Head…

Despite the ready admission of historians of the subject that "education" encompasses far more than schools, families, churches, apprenticeships, and other institutions there is no reliable, general account of why schools, especially "academically" oriented ones, have become so cardinal to the U.S. way of life. This paper…

Describes a survey of knowledge and skills in the health information sciences conducted by the Medical Library Association (MLA) and relates the results to the MLA's educational policy statement. Credentialing for the Academy of Health Information Professionals is described, and ways to acquire medical knowledge and skills are discussed. (Contains…

An analysis of the economic returns of education in Australia finds a rising need for education at a time of diminishing apparent returns. It is proposed that the notions of credentialism and education as a positional good provide a better explanation for this phenomenon than does the human capital approach. (MSE)

This paper argues that evaluation of advanced skills in teaching should be based on pedagogical content knowledge that good teachers should have but nonteachers in the discipline might not. Several schemes used in Victoria (Australia) for appraisal of advanced teaching skills are examined, and an alternative to competency-based approaches is…

States that the U.S. economy exhibits a voracious demand for information technology (IT) certification programs and, it is claimed, the U.S. system of education isn't producing them. Explains that most IT certification providers operate outside the formal postsecondary education system, do not participate in federal student aid and reporting…

Examines whether employers can infer information about workers' precollege abilities from acquired college credentials and value attainment of credentials because they signal these abilities. Analysis of 1993 National Longitudinal Study of Youth data reveals that employers value attainment of a bachelor's degree for these reasons. Academic degrees…

Texas Baptists have long valued education for their pastors. The Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) has over a hundred years of involvement in the support of seminaries for the training of pastoral staff. This long and rich history has led to the establishment and operation of eight regionally accredited affiliate universities offering…

Teachers immigrating to Canada with credentials from non-Canadian jurisdictions are regarded as desirable immigrant professionals because of their high levels of education and yet, nevertheless, are required to redo some or all of their professional training. This research examines sociocultural notions of voice, agency, authorship and identity in…

Maintaining an adequate supply of qualified special education personnel is a major challenge. In particular, serious shortages of teachers of children with emotional disturbance (ED) jeopardize delivery of appropriate special education and services to this population. This article reports data from the national Study of Personnel Needs in Special…

This document focuses on libraries seeking and hiring professionals without the traditional Masters of Library Science (M.L.S.) degree but with specialized training and education in other areas. A survey was conducted in 1994, and 95 (80%) of the 119 ARL members responded. The SPEC flyer is a two-page summary of the survey and its followup…

This document contains three issues of Competence, from April, July, and November 1993, Volume 10, 1-3. This newsletter is published by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, the organization that awards the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential to child caregivers. Each issue focuses on aspects and concerns involving…