Census-based estimates suggest that at least 3.5 million children in the United States are limited-English-proficient or non-English-speaking. Half of all U.S. teachers have one or more of these children in their classes, but only one in 17 has any specific training to teaching English as a second language (ESL). Of those actually teaching ESL…

The need for partnerships among deliverers of training in the public and private sectors has reached a critical point if U.S. businesses are to remain competitive. The work force and workplace are being transformed by demographic trends, economic and employment trends, a growing skills mismatch, and concerns over educational effectiveness. Two…

This collection of five articles presents the viewpoints of experts on various aspects of the field of instructional technology (IT). Wesley C. Meierhenry traces the history of IT from its original emphasis on audiovisual media to its current concern with instructional design and the use of systems and systematic approaches. Henry T. Ingle…

The numbers of women with low literacy levels, the increased labor force participation of women, and increasing literacy requirements on the job make the case for the inclusion of a literacy component in employment programs for women. Such programs should strive to be comprehensive, learner-centered, flexible, standards-based, and linked to…

This final report of the National Day Care Study (NDCS), Volume IV-A, contains three papers that help to set a context for interpreting overall study results. "Research Issues in Day Care, A Focused Review of the Literature" focuses on effects of group care and regulatable characteristics of the day care environment. The second paper,…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) amends and changes programs from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Although the main component of this bill is Title I, it also highlights teacher education quality. NCLB was accompanied, for fiscal year 2002, by the largest increase ever in federal education aid, targeting federal resources to support…

The population of school-aged English language learners (ELLs) has consistently and significantly increased over the past decade, transforming U.S. public schools, instruction, and teacher preparation. This digest discusses the need for increased numbers of teachers of ELLs and the particular linguistic and academic characteristics of ELLs. It…

The typical route to certification for beginning foreign language teachers requires the candidate to complete an approved program of teacher education in a four-year institution, have a certain minimum grade point average, and have completed a specified number of foreign language credit hours. Notable trends in foreign language teacher…

While the shortage of qualified administrators is not as serious as the shortage of qualified teachers, some schools continue to fail to attract qualified leaders. Referred to as "hard-to-staff" schools, they are often characterized by high-poverty students, low test scores, high staff turnover, and under qualified teachers. This ERIC…

This volume of essays responds to What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future, a 1996 report of the National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (NCTAF). The report says that every child has the right to a caring, competent, and qualified teacher. As a result, politicians and educators strove to implement its recommendations in…

The fact that environmental occupations cannot be easily categorized reflects the extent to which many occupations and industries are increasing their focus on the environment. Heightened public awareness of the environment and increased regulation through government pollution control and clean-up laws are influencing the trend toward an increased…

This monograph reviews literature on, and presents recommendations for, recruiting and selecting students who will train to become teachers for urban schools. Studies show that urban patterns of poverty, early parenthood, and other social ills make urban school children at high risk for academic failure. There is a critical shortage of teachers in…

Chapter 1 of a volume on school leadership, this chapter looks at research findings concerning the characteristics of leaders. The author begins by looking at those characteristics resulting from accidents of birth or early environmental influences and concludes that leaders are usually more intelligent than nonleaders, not firstborn, used to…

Perhaps the most enduring belief about vocational education (VE) is that it is only for the noncollege bound, potential dropouts, or other special needs students. In reality, 80% of high school students take at least one occupationally specific vocational course, and one in eight academic students actually takes more vocational courses than…

The recruitment, selection, induction, and retention of capable teachers are interrelated processes involving schools' personnel, policies, and organization. This report explores issues surrounding these processes and discusses methods to improve districts' programs. Part I, "Recruiting Teachers," describes the competition for capable…