This report focuses on two aspects of teacher supply and quality: (a) the under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities, especially African Americans in the teaching pool, and (b) teacher candidates' performance on licensure assessments, including general skills tests in reading, writing, and mathematics (known as Praxis I[R]) and selected…

This study concerns the "highly qualified teacher" provisions of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" ("ESEA," 2002), as reauthorized, and other policies at the federal, state and local levels, which have aimed to elevate the content knowledge of teachers. This examination of "Praxis II" score trends…

Numerous research studies have shown that science methods courses based on constructivist approaches can enhance teacher knowledge and confidence in ways that foster more positive attitudes to the teaching of science. However, a critical part of reflective practice is the opportunity to observe competent professionals practising their craft.…

Teacher preparation programs have continued to see the ever-increasing control of teacher candidates by policymakers. To control means to regulate. The problem, according to these authors, is that there are currently at least three regulating measurement and assessment obstacles faced by teacher candidates in teacher preparation programs. The…

Reviews problems with Praxis teacher tests in Georgia and the effects of cut-scores on minority and low-income candidates. Examines issues of test bias and makes recommendations for establishing an unbiased screening system for potential teachers. (Contains 35 references.) (SK)

The introduction of the "Praxis" tests to certify preservice teachers has added to the controversy over what content should be taught in educational psychology classes. "Praxis II" tests are essentially exit examinations, usually taken between the junior and senior year to ensure that students know their specialty content areas…

This study investigated the extent to which two quality assurance mechanisms, accreditation and teacher certification, are consistent in assigning high marks for teacher quality to the same teacher education institutions in Georgia. The study sample was teacher candidates in thirteen institutions in Georgia that sought initial…

Discusses the Praxis II exam, "English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge," a two-hour multiple-choice exam with questions on American, British, and world literature, literary terms, grammar and usage, and teaching. Suggests that knowledge of subject matter seems to be related to successful teaching, but whether…

This study investigated whether training cooperating teachers using a Praxis III/Pathwise model to frame discussions on teaching and learning would enhance development of pedagogical skills, examining the effects of mentor training on student teachers' demonstration of 19 target criteria. Student teachers were randomly assigned to field…

The links between the characteristics of teacher education institutions, their programs, and teacher effectiveness as measured by scores on teacher licensure examinations were studied for the Southeast United States. Four sources of data were used: (1) data on 39,140 prospective teachers who took the Praxis II examinations for teacher licensure;…

This paper reports a three-year study of Praxis Inquiry based developments in teacher education undertaken by an international consortium of university colleagues who have worked in Australia, Iceland, Latvia, and the United Kingdom. Our study suggests that the attainment of inclusive community responsive pedagogies--in schools and in teacher…

This monograph describes Ohio University College of Education's Entry Year Pilot Project. The College of Education was awarded grant money to create and implement a mentoring program to help entry-year teachers through their first year and through the Praxis III assessment. The project involved beginning teachers, school-level mentors, and…

This paper describes the professional experiences of teacher education interns at Wright State University in Ohio, who entered the field from prior professions or training. The paper addresses the use of Praxis III/Pathwise in the training and orientation of both Professional Educator Program (PEP) interns and professional clinical faculty…

Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs across the nation wish to comply with the 10 beginning teacher standards established by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 2003). To help further this compliance, this article gives examples of best practices for supervising student teachers using the standards as…

The author posits that testing teacher quality will not improve education unless people realize how current means of teacher testing could eliminate from teacher preparation the utopian elements that foundations courses present through material from authors such as Maxine Greene, Samuel Bowles, and Herbert Gintis. He presents a history of the…