State board of education members across the country cite four essential tasks of state boards in improving school quality: (1) improving teacher quality, (2) raising academic standards, (3) improving school leadership and management, and (4) promoting effective use of school time. To combat the drain of talent from the teaching profession and to…

Developed over a 2-year period, this manual is a guide for school district officials in developing fair and consistent hiring procedures. Section 1 is a brief compilation of the federal laws and regulations governing hiring practices in the public elementary and secondary schools. It includes legislation relating to civil rights, fair employment…

This document presents national voluntary skill standards for direct service practitioners working with individuals with and without disabilities, called Community Support Human Service Practitioners (CSHSP). A rationale for such standards is presented. The skill standards are then presented, organized around 12 broad, functional themes of human…

The Louisiana Leadership in Educational Administration Development (LEAD) program is a technical assistance network designed to help newly appointed administrators improve their instructional leadership skills. LEAD began in 1987 as a 3-year federal grant and was adopted by the Louisiana State Board of Education in 1989 as a certification…

In North Carolina, businesspeople and legislators are concerned that students are inadequately informed about the free enterprise system. State law requires instruction in economics and businesses have provided educational support, but teachers and superintendents must become convinced that economics education is important before a comprehensive…

This report critically analyzes research on teacher preparation, licensure, and recruitment, questioning the effectiveness of today's teacher education, showing how existing approaches to identifying qualified teachers are lax, and suggesting that district authorities do not always discriminate well between qualified and unqualified teacher…

This article presents proposed guidelines for training of teachers of the gifted developed by the Association for the Gifted of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The 12 guidelines cover knowledge of educational principles, ability to plan appropriate programs, and mastery of…

Brian Jacob examines challenges faced by urban districts in staffing their schools with effective teachers. He emphasizes that the problem is far from uniform. Teacher shortages are more severe in certain subjects and grades than others, and differ dramatically from one school to another. The Chicago public schools, for example, regularly receive…

This study evaluates the assessment center approach applied in an educational setting to the selection of secondary and elementary school administrators. The performance criteria used included performance ratings by three different groups (supervisors, teachers, and support staff) and school climate ratings from three different groups (teachers,…

Academic librarians who have faculty status must meet the same criteria for promotion and tenure as other faculty members, including doing research. However, library schools may not be training librarians adequately in the research skills required for entry level academic positions. In order to determine whether library schools in the United…

A survey was conducted to assess foreign language programs in Alaska. Questionnaires were completed by 39 of the 52 public school districts in Alaska, as well as by individual schools and postsecondary institutions within the larger districts and numerous private and denominational schools. Data were collected on the distribution of foreign…

Describes the reduced employment opportunities for library and information science professionals in the United Kingdom as a result of financial constraints and restructuring in the public and private sectors. The need to train students in skills required by employers to meet employment demands is discussed. (40 references) (CLB)

Reviews status of United Kingdom's non-school of librarianship and information (SLIS) information-based education programs and outlines four non-SLIS types of programs: information technology (IT), computer studies, information programs based on and related to IT, subject programs with information components. Need for emphasis on information…

To help close gaps between employee skills and employer needs, both federal- and state-funded programs are providing training and helping employers find qualified employees. In 2002, states raised revenues from taxes levied on employers to fund their own programs. This study examined how many states used employer taxes to fund their own employment…

Describes assessment for vocational education within the European Community. Discusses the problems of increasing participation in postcompulsory education, decreasing demand for unskilled labor, and the need to specialize. Includes assessment as a vehicle of change in the attempt to form a unified European Community. Concludes that achieving…