Education policymakers have long sought to establish teaching standards that will measure new or continuing teachers against these standards. The problem is, existing methods for certifying teachers have been criticized for being either so onerous as to deter good candidates or so lax as to keep weak teachers in the profession. To provide another…

This non-regulatory guidance updates and expands upon the "LEA and School Improvement Non-Regulatory Guidance" issued on January 7, 2004. The revised guidance addresses new issues raised by State and local officials in light of their experiences in administering and carrying out the "School Restructuring" provisions authorized…

Background: Teacher education programs in the State of California are increasingly held accountable for the assessment of teacher candidates' competencies and performance. One salient assessment tool is the utilization of portfolios in teacher education programs (Wolf, 1989; 1991). Among the newest and most innovative templates of portfolios in…

This report presents a blueprint for attracting, developing, and retaining skilled and diverse teachers who effectively increase the achievement of all of Virginia's students. The five recommendations are to: (1) develop a comprehensive database to support Virginia's commitment to teacher quality; (2) expand recruitment initiatives to attract…

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible changes in the dispositions of preservice educators toward the inclusion of students with disabilities after participation in a required introductory inclusion class. The sample included 479 students (207 secondary/content specialists; 272 elementary/generalists: early childhood educators,…

This document is a summary of the findings of an extensive review by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) of empirical research on the effectiveness of current approaches to licensing and certifying teachers. The research review focused on eight questions (and several subquestions) that are of particular interest and concern to policy and…

This second annual report details North Carolina's performance and progress since 2000 in the five goal areas: high student performance; every child ready to learn; safe, orderly, and caring schools; quality teachers and administrators; and strong family, business, and community support. Over the years, North Carolina's education system has…

This paper explains that 6 million U.S. middle and high school students are in serious danger of being left behind as the nation begins to implement the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act legislation. While great attention has been paid to increasing early childhood education opportunities and ensuring that every child can read by third grade, little…

This paper explores what is moving the preservice teacher education field to a higher professional and ethical standard, examining: how the field of education has addressed the need for improved performance in serving students with disabilities over the past 20 years; what level of innovation is needed to sustain change for a single service…

This guide is designed to help mentor teachers develop effective mentoring strategies, discussing how to provide direct assistance, demonstration teaching, observation, and feedback, informal contact, and role modeling. It offers monthly listings of activities designed to promote interaction between mentors and proteges that correspond to…

This report, the second in a series published by the National Council on Teacher Quality, examines states' progress in meeting the new federal requirement that by the end of the 2005-2006 school year there will be a "highly qualified teacher" in every classroom in the nation. This new requirement has led to some discomfort in more than a…

This exploratory study compares key features of the Singapore and U.S. mathematics systems in the primary grades, when students need to build a strong mathematics foundation. It identifies major differences between the mathematics frameworks, textbooks, assessments, and teachers in Singapore and the United States. It also presents initial results…

In exploring the need for and the obstacles to creating more democratic classrooms this paper maintains that the goal of national and state accrediting agencies and schools of education is to produce good teachers who would perpetuate the current teacher-dominated system. The heavy emphasis on developing competencies and methodologies ignores the…

Changing views about learning and schooling affect teacher preparation programs. The paper examines how Kentucky's standards for new teachers relate to addressing learner diversity, explaining how the Kentucky Education Reform Act is a model for affecting statewide change, particularly regarding methods of assessment and examination of learner…

This study measured the level of implementation of computers and other technologies within teacher education method courses and noted how much computers were being utilized for developing problem solving abilities that could be used in the K-12 classroom curriculum. Surveys of Arkansas teacher educators from colleges affiliated with the National…