This document describes the minimum standards that must be met and maintained by day care centers in the state of Texas. These standards were drawn up by the State Department of Public Welfare and are applicable to both non-profit and proprietary day care centers. The areas covered by the standards include: (1) organization and general…

In response to increasing concerns about preparing young children to succeed in the primary grades, many states have increased their investment in prekindergarten programs over the past decade. Noting that increased demand for prekindergarten education coincides with a staffing shortage in the early care and education, this study documented the…

Addressing educational accountability concerns requires a new level of collaborative activity among state government, universities, local school districts, education service centers, professional associations, and the business community. Collaborative efforts can obtain greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness by using stakeholders' strengths to…

Development and validation of the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT) is described. The TOPT, a simulated oral proficiency interview, was developed in French and Spanish as a test of speech skills to be used by the state as part of its certification testing program for French, Spanish, and bilingual education teachers. An introductory chapter…

A study examined the skills required of human resource development (HRD) specialists in western Texas. To gather data for the study, the researcher administered a survey instrument to 66 employers from the western Texas region who were identified as employing 200 or more persons. Of these individuals, 28 returned usable responses. Based on the…

Online learning holds promise for providing new educational opportunities to a wide range of students across the country. The rapid expansion of K-12 online learning, however, threatens to outpace the development of appropriate state-level policies that serve to fulfill the promise. As the National Association of State Boards of Education warned…

This study compared elementary teachers' perceptions of their teaching assignments and preparation for teaching with student teachers' responses. Teachers were less enthusiastic, appreciated academic courses more, rated the impact of preparation programs higher, and cited inadequate preparation in handling classroom management and behavior…

These student materials are designed to accompany the Self-Appraisal Instructional Guide. Page numbers are consistent with the numbering in that guide, and the materials are organized according to the guide's seven units, which cover the following topics: (1) understanding yourself (getting to know yourself, the importance of work); (2) attitudes;…

This document is the Spanish language version of the student materials component designed to accompany the Self-Appraisal Instructional Guide. Page numbers are consistent with the numbering in that guide. The materials are organized according to the guide's seven units, which cover the following topics: (1) understanding yourself (getting to know…

The benefits of outdoor camping for disturbed boys whose difficulties require treatment outside the home are described. The variety of emotional handicaps handled by group technique and direct experience with natural surroundings at Camp Woodland Springs outside of Dallas, Texas, and the reactions of the boys participating in this residential…

Texas has made good progress in education since the school reform movement began in earnest 15 years ago. State test scores are up for all groups of students in all grades in all subjects. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Texas is close to the top in student performance in math, and has finally begun to make real progress in…

Three articles describe the lifestyle of the children of migrant agricultural workers. First, Jose A. Cardenas provides an overview of education for migrant children. He notes academic performance deviations and underachievement resulting from their educational programs. Cardenas describes poor staffing, frequent segregation, curricula…

The Tex-SIS Follow-up system Employer Follow-up Survey involved four Texas community colleges, providing a statewide composite of employer data on the competency of occupational/technical graduates. The mailing list for prospective survey participants was derived from occupational/technical graduates' responses to a survey conducted in 1975-76. A…

This issue focuses on what recent research from Tennessee, Texas, Massachusetts, and Alabama says about the most significant factor that impacts student achievement: the teacher. After presenting teacher effectiveness data from the four states, it discusses what makes an effective teacher, focusing on the need for strong verbal and math skills,…

A project was conducted to evaluate a proposed interior design program in order to determine the marketability (job availability in the field of interior design and home furnishings merchandising) and the feasibility (educational requirements for entrance into the interior design and home furnishings merchandising job market) of the program. To…