Extensive education research on the contribution of teachers to student achievement produces two generally accepted results. First, teacher quality varies substantially as measured by the value added to student achievement or future academic attainment or earnings. Second, variables often used to determine entry into the profession and…

Findings of a study that examined the attitudes of middle level teachers and principals toward middle-school certification are presented in this paper. Questionnaires were sent to 82 teachers and principals of all 46 public schools serving sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in Kern County, California. Twenty-four principals and 48…

Increasing demands on educational administrators have made it essential to assess the programs that prepare them for their positions. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has identified essential school administrator skills. A study of California school administrators gauged how well preparation programs readied them for school…

It is widely acknowledged that programs to prepare administrators for their roles are inadequate and are not designed with coming changes in education in mind. States must take responsibility for changing preparation programs to meet these challenges. Much of the discussion about preparation programs centers on the knowledge base administrators…

Findings of a study that identified critical skills for the novice principal are presented in this paper. Two theoretical frameworks are used to view the issue of principal effectiveness--a taxonomy of necessary skills and socialization. Surveys of 1,125 novice principals and 435 superintendents in California produced 450 and 208 responses,…

One provision of the Ryan Act, a legislative move intended to improve teacher training programs in California, was the requirement that all teacher candidates be examined for competence in both speaking and oral reading. To ascertain how shools of higher education across that state were dealing with this provision, a questionnaire was sent to 38…

Undertaken in April and May of 1974, this study utilized a two-page, 52-item questionnaire which was mailed to 300 high school journalism teachers in the state of California. The teachers were selected by random sampling and represent 78 percent of the estimated 382 who teach at schools with enrollments of 1000 or more. One hundred seventy-six…

In response to a legislative mandate, this report presents a set of statewide minimum qualifications to be used by California community college districts as the basis for hiring faculty. Introductory material explains that the new minimum qualifications, which replace the previously required credentials, are discipline based. In one set of…

This case study examined the role of parents as decision-makers in the founding of an elementary (K-1) charter school serving 44 children and their families in a California metropolitan area. The study focused on the working relationship between the parents and the founding director, and the effects of this relationship on the organization's…

Long-term care administration often involves care for older adults. Yet, in California, neither academic training required for licensure in this area, nor continuing education for maintaining licensure, specify any knowledge of geriatrics or gerontology. A formal standardized approach to academic preparation for licensing would help ensure quality…

Results of a national survey of state certification standards for cross-training of regular and special education teachers (n=51, including the District of Columbia) are analyzed relative to implementation of the Regular Education Initiative, a proposal that stresses increased responsibility by regular teachers in the education of handicapped…

This study compares the criteria utilized by private and public school officials in the selection of beginning teachers. A similar study undertaken in Oregon (Webb 1980) was extended by incorporating private schools. Of the 117 California school districts sent questionnaires, 88 responded--a return rate of 75 percent. Twenty-nine of the private…

This paper discusses a study that examined the characteristics of part-time faculty in order to gain a better understanding of their needs so that better decisions might be made in part-time faculty management. Implications for institutional researchers who plan to study part-time faculty were also examined, including the challenges of obtaining…

California, in response to pessimism about the efficacy of public education, adopted the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), a three-part test of reading, writing, and mathematics required of teacher applicants. This paper takes a critical look at the genesis, passage, implementation, and consequences of the CBEST legislation. In…

Alternatives and recommendations to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges are presented for the accreditation of college academic and administrative personnel. The report first describes the present California credentials law, under which the Board of Governors is limited to prescribing professional or vocational experience…