The revision of the University of Maryland Special Education Department 5-year undergraduate teacher preparation program is described. A recent program graduate's reflections on her first year of teaching illuminate key issues addressed in revising the program to focus on multicategorical special education teacher preparation across a more refined…

In the context of the movement in the United Kingdom toward competency-based certification for teachers, it is argued that the qualification of postsecondary teachers be based on an interactive model of competence, and that teacher trainers be involved in development of competency statements that reflect occupational roles without prescribing them…

Fifty-four special education student teachers were evaluated by university supervisors and cooperating teachers on eight variables, during the first and last weeks of their student teaching. Student teachers who had either participated in university-sponsored field-based experience or had obtained such experience independently received…

In 1982, 1988, and 1993, the British government surveyed beginning teachers in schools. This article examines recent studies of beginning teachers, comparing results to the earlier research. Results indicate that primary teachers with undergraduate degrees felt more capable of teaching mathematics than one-year postgraduate trainees. Headteachers…

Examines recent implementation of the controversial Massachusetts Educator Certification Tests and the educational, legal, and public policy issues in the implementation of a teacher testing program. The paper focuses on: the contexts for teacher testing; the tests themselves; the quality of the tests; and legal issues in teacher testing and…

Summarizes findings about the pilot program resulting from an exit evaluation survey of teacher candidates in the restructured preservice program at Queen's University of Kingston. Also documents some insights relating to the evaluation of teacher-education programs that were developed by the researchers during the process of gathering and…

Responds to Goodlad's article on teacher education's journey over the past century and its current malaise, suggesting that the rest of the journey is up to teacher education faculty, their university colleagues, and partners within communities and schools who must work to improve education. Describes Massachusetts' experience in attempting to…

Technologically Enhanced Performance (TEP) is the application of technology to improve the performance of knowledge workers. TEP is both an intellectual and ideological complement to the field of Adult Education. As such, much can be learned about ethical issues associated with implementing TEP from the established research and literature base in…

We position teaching as a complex, creative profession and have an expectation that practicum should support the reflexive, possibility-thinking and risk-taking creative endeavours of the beginning teacher. This paper reports on a series of studies that explored shared understandings and effectiveness of relationships and roles of practicum…

There are a number of factors that can undermine a teacher's ability to respond successfully to behavior problems in schools. They include: (1) difficulty relating to an increasingly more diverse group of students; (2) lack of skills to adequately assess student behavior and to identify major factors associated with problem behavior; and (3) the…

There is nothing like tracking down 2,000 state policies to reinforce one's understanding that states do not approach problems or policy in the same way. Education policies in California fill 17 volumes. Alaska's consist of one short chapter of a codebook that also covers elections, guardianships, and trusts. States such as Texas select textbooks…

With a focus on both teacher quality and quantity at the national level, this research examined long-term trends in the demand, supply, and shortage of special education teachers for 16 school years, from 1987/1988 through 2002/2003. These trends were based on data published in annual reports to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals…

There is little research on what constitutes success in preparing preservice teachers to cope with the needs of these students. Assessment is particularly challenging for preservice teachers who are beginning to make connections between their understanding of the reading process, and teaching and learning. This qualitative study looks at the…

In the complex environment of 21st-century public education, a consensus has emerged among policymakers, researchers, and educational practitioners that the single most important factor contributing to student learning is the quality of teaching. Calls for evidence of a more effective teacher workforce from policymakers, federal agencies, state…

Occupational socialization in schools is a known factor counteracting attempts at educating innovative teachers. In this study, findings are reported from a longitudinal study conducted among 357 students, 128 cooperating teachers, and 31 university supervisors from 24 graduate teacher education programs. Quantitative survey data as well as…