In 1989, New Zealand abolished the inspectorate that evaluated beginning teachers and made recommendations for certification. Schools were made responsible for the process of induction and recommendation of teachers for registration as certified teachers. The School of Education of New Zealand's University of Waikato developed a partnership with…

Using guidelines established for alternative certification, Tarleton State University (Texas) has developed an accelerated teacher education program that allows nontraditional students to enter the teaching profession in an expedient and professional manner. The Tarleton Model for Accelerated Teacher Education (TMATE) was initiated and established…

Master teachers can be influential in course revision. The Oklahoma Teacher Education Collaborative (O-TEC) teacher reform effort is a consortium of nine higher education institutions working with the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) reform effort to produce teachers better equipped for teaching science and mathematics. The reform emphasizes…

Thirty-nine rural school districts in Pennsylvania responded to a survey designed to study new teacher induction programs. The total sample population of 392 included mentor/support teachers, inductees, and induction coordinators. Based on the survey data and information from 29 districts' documents, this report gives detailed descriptions of…

A Wisconsin study examined the perceptions of participants in a state-mandated mentoring program for beginning teachers. A researcher obtained names and addresses of beginning teachers, counselors, and librarians as well as personnel serving as mentors to beginners. A total of 14 mentors and 15 beginning teachers, counselors, and librarians agreed…

The Portfolio Process, piloted by the University of West Florida and recently mandated by the Florida State Board of Education as the central element of the Florida Beginning Teacher Program, is a model for professional development of teaching competence. The portfolio is both a product and a process. As a product, the portfolio is a personalized…

This book presents 36 case studies, based on data gathered from first-year teachers throughout the country, that provide direct involvement with some of the most common and important experiences new teachers face. By typing together practice and theory in the study of real problems, prospective teachers will be able to: (1) identify and use major…

Presenters at this conference on teaching at-risk youth focused on the following topics: (1) effective teaching approaches to reach different types of learners; (2) improving the school-as-workplace through collaboration among and support of teachers; (3) successful teaching practice for at-risk students; (4) the cultural orientation of black…

A report is given of a conference which recommended changes in the manner in which new teachers are inducted into the schools in Massachusetts. The focus of the conference was on mentoring programs. The basic philosophy of the conferees was that an effective mentoring program must be a communal enterprise, drawing upon and fostering a collegiality…

The Georgia Teacher Certification Tests were developed and validated to be job-related and to reflect the minimum content knowledge that is necessary to teach in each certification area in Georgia classrooms. Three assessment instruments are used in evaluating the performance of preservice students and beginning teachers. The Teacher Performance…

This report is organized in three sections. The first section discusses the need for induction programs (including impact of the lack of such programs on beginning teachers, as well as on experienced teachers, higher education faculty, researchers, society, and children); barriers to developing such programs; and ways of overcoming those barriers.…

Involving 195 vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) personnel from Wisconsin's 16 VTAE districts, this study was designed to identify the teaching competencies needed by beginning VTAE teachers and to recommend alternative delivery systems for obtaining professional competencies necessary for VTAE certification. With plans to provide a…

In a discussion of revitalizing teacher preparation programs, the questions of what a beginning teacher should know and be able to do in order to function at a fully professional level were considered. A description is presented of Operation PROTEACH activities at the University of Florida in Gainesville. This operation was generated by several…

The theory that there are stages in teachers' professional development suggests that those who aim to stimulate or support that growth must be sensitive to the stage each teacher is in. Three stages of development are described: the survival or beginning teacher stage; the middle stage, characterized by an increasing sense of comfort in the…

Nine discussions identify needs and concerns of beginning teachers and call for a more concerted effort to ensure a smooth transition from preservice teacher to a working professional. An historical perspective on beginning teachers' problems and attempted solutions is provided in the first chapter. An interview with four beginning teachers…