The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) was developed as the means by which applicants for teaching or service credentials could demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. Demonstration of proficiency in these skills was required for the issuance of a credential starting February 1, 1983. When examinees registered…

Florida's 1983 Legislature directed the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission to conduct a study of colleges of education in Florida. The Commission examined principally those areas relatively untouched by recent or impending changes. Legislation, board of education rules, department of education initiatives and independent actions by…

This workshop guide is a unit of study for teaching dietetic assistants to work with quality control in a nursing home or hospital. The objective of the unit is to enable the students to develop and expand a dietetic services administrative and clinical quality assurance program in his or her own institution. Following the unit objective, the unit…

This article examines issues arising in the design and conduct of a research project spanning seven countries and five national languages. With a shared focus on leadership for learning among the participating twenty four schools and eight university sites, the challenge was to find a common methodology that would allow comparison across cultures…

The Teachers Infusing Technology in Urban Schools project (TITUS) at the University of Illinois at Chicago is developing an approach for addressing the shortage of opportunities for teacher candidates to experience technology being used effectively in high-need urban schools in the course of their field experiences. Beyond recruiting mentor…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of urban students regarding their teachers who were of different races/ethnicities. The participants in this study were twelve students (African-American, Caucasian, and Bi-Racial) in an urban elementary school. The twelve students were in a special education self-contained classroom and…

Does personality impact differently on occupational choice and occupational performance? In a study of established teachers, interests, the Five-Factor Model, and attributions were examined in relation to occupational choice and performance. Attributions were assessed using a new instrument designed for teachers. Choice of teaching specialty was…

A study examined the extent to which perceived teacher status differentials influenced students' perceptions of teacher self-disclosure. This study involved a two-step procedure. Initially 30 students in a basic speech section were asked to recall examples of teacher self-disclosure that had occurred in classes in which they were enrolled. Then 13…

A guide to help instructors improve or review their questioning skills is presented, with a focus on devising appropriate questions and interpersonal skills that maximize student responses. Questions that entail knowledge, comprehension, and simple application levels are distinguished from questions requiring complex application (e.g., analysis…

Standardized tests often produce results that are inaccurate, inconsistent, and biased against minority, female, and low-income students. Such tests shift control and authority into the hands of the unregulated testing industry and can undermine school achievement by narrowing the curriculum, frustrating teachers, and driving students out of…

An overview is presented of the epistemology of the three types of constructivism. Criticized is another interpretation of constructivism; it is stated that this interpretation is trivial, cognitively abridged, and disrespectful of students' capacities, creativity, and imagination. Constructivism has to go beyond saying that knowledge is…

The process developed at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) for evaluating adjunct faculty in the English Department parallels the one developed by full-time faculty for their own evaluation. The process, which is overseen by the Program Head for English Adjunct Faculty (PHEAF), involves student evaluations, grade analyses, classroom…

A study examined whether there were any differences in the performance of apprentices trained in off-the-job, on-the-job, or in-plant training programs. A 1984 apprentice intake sample of over 500 apprentices and information supplied by 16 in-plant training centers and 9 colleges were used to collect data on the job performance of apprentices in…

Relationships between classroom teacher preemployment interview scores and performance during the first 6 months of employment were investigated in an Ohio school district. Permanently employed teachers were the target of the study, which used data from 4 aspects of interview scores and 13 performance criteria to study relationships between 2…

An extensive literature exists on what makes good teachers, focusing on their characteristics, their behaviors in the classroom, and the effects they have on their students. This literature points to three groups as being currently involved in defining good teachers: students, who, as research demonstrates, are reliable observers, fair and…