Research findings on college instruction and basic skills deficiencies are discussed in 12 papers from the first Regional Conference on University Teaching. Titles and authors are as follows: "Basic Skills: Dealing with Deficiencies" (Susanne D. Roueche, with responses by Gary B. Donart, Betty Harris, and James Nordyke); "Is Higher Education an…

Noting recent state legislation (HB 1706) in Oklahoma that is focused on the improvement of teacher preparation programs at the university level, this paper details the implementation of such improvements at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. The first section of the paper considers requirements for improved classroom preparation in both…

Performance-based teacher certification in Georgia is centered on: criterion-referenced tests, and on-the-job assessment procedures for student teachers and beginning teachers. A state-funded contract was awarded to develop teacher certification tests, resulting in a 250-item pool and 15 criterion-referenced tests for 32 teaching fields. Cutting…

This fastback explains that better teaching is the key to higher student achievement, and improving the quality of both teachers and their teaching is an important challenge for departments of education and schools nationwide. The fastback focuses on: "Enhancing Teacher Quality" (content knowledge, licensure and certification, and…

This brief addresses four areas of opportunity to influence teacher quality. These areas of opportunity are used to create a framework to help state and district policymakers comprehensively address teacher quality. There are a number of policy levers or strategies that can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to improving teacher quality.…

Two portfolio projects were initiated at Montana State University to address the need for increasing teacher development opportunities in rural areas. Projects involved the use of portfolios to document and reflect on the teaching experiences of preservice special educators and general educators working towards special education certification.…

The recently mandated, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) electronic submission format poses a significant challenge to teacher educators charged with compiling a program report for the purpose of securing national recognition from NCATE. The program report guidelines stipulate that compilers may use a maximum of only…

This document describes "Teach for America," a program which recruits outstanding college students who may not otherwise have considered teaching, provides them with an intensive training program, and places them for 2 years of teaching in inner-city and rural school districts with persistent teacher shortages. The report addresses: (1)…

This monograph presents a report on the second PROTEACH Conference, held at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in October 1980. One purpose of the conference was to hear from the task force that prepared a report on the nature of knowledge appropriate to teacher education. Another purpose was to identify generic domains of performance of…

Stories of students in need, or of teachers who are struggling, draw readers into the process of solving classroom problems in a manner that traditional textbook formats are unable to match. Presented in an engaging and stimulating manner, this book provides beginning teachers a variety of typical classroom problems to analyze and solve. Solving…

This brief examines the impact of teaching on student achievement, necessary steps for ensuring teacher quality, and policies needed to support that effort. Research has identified the strong connection between student achievement and teacher preparation and skills. Efforts to generate consistently high teaching levels across all classrooms must…

Students in early childhood teacher education programs are expected to know, plan curriculum, and teach within several sets of content area, national, state, and local, learning standards. Understanding where these standards originated and why they are important within the context of classroom practice will help new teachers begin their careers…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) attempts to ensure educational equity for all K-12 students. However, for the conceptual goals of NCLB to become reality, pre-service teacher training models must be modified to include a deeper understanding of individual differences and how these play out in classroom dynamics. The "Three Literacy…

The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) Alliance for Tomorrow's Teachers is a collaborative effort among the University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, the Clay and Duval County (Florida) school systems, and the Clay and Duval County teachers' unions. The goals of the program are to: (1) restructure the…

This paper describes the teacher certification program offered at the Fryeburg site of the University of Southern Maine's Extended Teacher Education Program and how the spirit of inquiry that is fostered through a project approach affects the interns and the practicing teachers with whom they work. The program uses a project approach to organize…