Defends the significant increases seen in Texas student achievement during the 1990s, addressing attacks on the validity of these improvements. Supports the governor's emphasis on accountability testing because of its positive results, concluding that the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills holds students and schools accountable and provides…

Notes the growing interest in analyzing academic expertise in British higher education, defining key terms; discussing purposes and approaches (central government, universities, academic staff, and external influences); examining difficulties in undertaking analysis (e.g., diversity and being definitive about academic activity); and discussing the…

Presents a framework for supporting new graduate teaching assistants based on a model of how higher education teachers develop and theories of how professionals learn. The framework accounts for wide variation in graduate teaching assistants' roles and responsibilities and increasing acceptance and importance of gaining accreditation. It is…

Outlines the purposes of three predominant kinds of master's degree programs for teachers in the United States: the Master of Arts in Teaching, traditional master's programs, and practitioners' master's programs that are designed to meet the professional development needs of experienced, committed classroom teachers. The paper discusses issues…

Discusses how in 1999, the authors interviewed faculty, administrators, and students involved in teacher education to learn how the Massachusetts teacher test was affecting the business of teacher education. Argues that the most significant effect of the teacher test has been on admissions, as teacher education programs have begun linking…

This paper provides information on: (1) nationally recognized masters programs to prepare teachers with expertise in severe disabilities and (2) areas of expertise considered essential for teachers who work with these students. Results are discussed according to the population of students, content courses, field experiences, credit hours, and…

Examines the use of teaching portfolios in preservice teacher education programs, analyzing the various ways in which portfolios have been conceptualized and implemented. The paper proposes a conceptual framework to enable researchers to describe the conditions of portfolio use and discusses key issues that have emerged in the use of teaching…

Discusses the importance of interaction between students and between teachers and their students in distance education in higher education. Reviews interactivity research studies, outlines vital online teacher competencies, and recommends the need for further research, including determining the best professional development programs. (Author/LRW)

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)Standards for teacher professional development include five propositions of accomplished learning (e.g., teacher commitment to students and learning, teachers knowing the subjects they teach and how to teach them, and teachers as members of learning communities). Early research shows…

This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo-liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under-researched and over-market-tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has…

"Tell me how you used your sense of humor to defuse a difficult situation or teach an important lesson." Queries of this sort can be used in an interview to increase the likelihood of hiring high-quality teachers and administrators. Spending time and effort to ensure only people-centered educators are hired who, in addition to possessing…

The history of ICT education in Hungarian public education dates back to the 1970s. In Hungary, as well as in most countries that introduced computing as a compulsory school discipline, a shift is observable from a technology-centred towards a teaching-learning centred approach. In the late 1970s, teacher training programmes and in-service…

Based on the policies and goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), this study reviews how educators in the state of Alabama have addressed the many critical issues posed by this Presidential directive. Challenges such as certification, competency, quality of instruction, teacher training, and funding are discussed. Several state legislative…

Alternative certification teacher programs have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Yet the efficacy of such programs remains in question and empirical data on such programs are urgently needed. The current study compared confidence in instructional skills designated in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices in a sample of alternative…

This article describes the evolvement of standards-based reform in teacher education, to highlight the debate concerning this reform and to present the critique leveled, first against the notion of teaching standards, and second against the validity of teacher tests. Part of this critique deals with some negative consequences of standards-based…