Questions how England's Secretary of State for Education uses the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to define and control inservice teacher competency requirements, suggesting that this leads to teacher deprofessionalization. Recommends identifying threats to professional autonomy and preventing the TTA from moving to the next phase of regulation. (SM)

Asserts that monetary incentives will not induce teachers to take on difficult jobs in impoverished urban schools. New York City's Extended Time Schools have an extra 40 minutes each school day to be used for small group instruction and professional development. This initiative is turning around the toughest schools with the most challenging…

This study analyzed data from teachers (personal characteristics, basic skills, concerns, locus of control, and academic achievement) from the beginning of preservice preparation through the fifth teaching year. Results found developmental changes in concerns about teaching over time, indicating relationships between changes in teaching concerns…

Focuses on identifying ways in which policy has affected arts education, specifically those that have evolved outside of arts education instead of within. Explores topics such as: the influence of national and state standards, the impact of testing, and the absence of teachers competent to teach the arts. (CMK)

Developed an instrument to assess preservice and beginning teachers' self-perceived knowledge and abilities corresponding to INTASC principles. It initially addressed competencies in light of opportunities to learn, practice, and demonstrate. Initial instruments were cumbersome and unproductive. A simplified version requested respondents'…

Evaluates the Scottish Education Department's Competence Guidelines for Initial Teacher Training from two perspectives: guidelines as coercive mechanism of state regulation or as compromise among various conceptualizations of teaching. Research concerning the school-based experiences of beginning teachers finds that the competencies and some of…

Examined computer attitudes of elementary education students over a 10-year period. Found that the more recent elementary education majors had more prior computer experience and lower computer anxiety than those entering a program earlier in the 10-year period; and that male elementary education majors had higher computer anxiety than female ones.…

Eighty-nine experienced teachers of reading, language arts, and special education were found to understand too little about language structure to be able to provide sufficient instruction. The teachers subsequently took a course focusing on phonemic awareness, spoken-written language relationships, and spelling and reading behavior, and judged…

Presents the results of a study that surveyed 350 Australian secondary teachers concerning their experiences and attitudes about computers. As hypothesized, computer anxieties were inversely related to the quality of prior computer learning experiences. Recommends approaches for the reduction of computer anxiety among teachers. (MJP)

Focuses on considerations that may be used to guide the development of functional-assessment training programs for preservice and inservice educators. Functional-assessment training domains are outlined and include content knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, supports and barriers, training needs and issues, and maintenance and generalization. (CR)

In 1998, the first administration of the Massachusetts Educator Certification Test caused a furor. The initial decision to go forward with a statewide test, choice of vendor, decision surrounding the test's development, and the consequences of test administration are described. The Massachusetts experience teaches some important lessons that may…

There is movement in Australia towards requiring an initial degree for entry into teacher education programs in hopes of improving science teaching in primary schools. Upon entry into preservice education degree programs, Australian and Canadian student teachers were interviewed to determine whether first degrees influenced perceptions about…

Summarizes data that reflects the extent to which graduate students in psychology perceive themselves as prepared for different activities they have to undertake as faculty. Reveals a significant gap between the perceived importance and the level of training received in research training, class management, and academic life. MJP)

Media literacy helps teachers relate to today's students, prompts new approaches to curriculum, and encourages teachers' professional growth. This paper explains what media literacy is; the benefits of media literacy to both teachers and students; student needs related to telecommunications; curriculum applications of media literacy; and teacher…

The collaborative campus-school district special education teacher preparation model at Arizona State University-West integrated the self-determination literature with the student-led Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and competency-based teacher education. Preservice teachers (n=29) increased their competence and confidence in…