The paper traces the evolution of career guidance from 1909 to the present. The predominant views before 1950 were almost entirely nondevelopmental, but in response to questions raised at a series of major national conferences in the 1960's and the national impact of the career education concept, the 1970's have seen a flurry of writings and…

This symposium of the ad hoc committee on integration of the Ontario (Canada) Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) reports educators' concerns with providing adequate support for immigrant and refugee students, maintaining the integrity, voice, and visibility of ESL education in school boards, and advocating and providing guidelines for…

A literature review examined the potential impact of a multicultural applicant's nonverbal behavior (specifically, proxemics and kinesics) in a selection interview. Proxemics refers to the perception and use of personal and interpersonal space, which varies from culture to culture. The review indicated that in an interview situation, the chairs…

Under-representation of minority students in science, mathematics, and related scholarly pursuits results in a significant portion of minority students unprepared to participate in science-related careers in adult life. Multicultural infusion offers an opportunity for science teacher educators to prepare a new generation of science teachers…

Following a workshop on "Innovations in Employment Testing that Improve Validity and Reduce Adverse Impact," the City of Louisville (Kentucky) implemented a strategy to develop a comprehensive testing and recruiting program for police recruits. To improve candidate expectations and preparation, the following activities were undertaken:…

Changing demographic patterns present teachers with students of diverse ethnic backgrounds, learning abilities, family structures, and linguistic traditions. This study assessed the impact of classroom diversity on Israeli teachers' perspectives of the their workplace. Generally favorable perceptions of multiculturalism in the abstract conflict…

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of teacher selection practices with reference to literature sources and recommends experimentation with a structured interview approach based on life style themes. The first variable in selection involves identification of characteristics of effective teachers. Some agreement concerning particular teaching…

Wisconsin was one of the first states to establish statutory requirements for teaching about natural resources and conservation. This paper describes some recent developments and initiatives that have been undertaken in Wisconsin since 1980. A new teacher certification rule was officially promulgated in October 1983, and went into effect on July…

This paper assesses the credibility of a single total instrument score and various logical sub-scores derived from a series of summative judgments about the quality of teaching performance. The objectives were to compare the generalizability of alternative Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument (TPAI) scores, to compare the dependability of…

The first of several on-going tests was conducted of the Behavior Descriptor Index (BDI) which is a new behaviorally oriented job performance appraisal and training evaluation instrument developed for five large Canadian chartered banks. The new instrument was shown to be valid across organizations. Twenty-five assistant bank managers in these…

Students of foreign languages insist on seeing the evidence that foreign language skills have something to do with getting jobs in the "real world." Evidence is being ammassed which does show this to be true. Several studies have revealed that American firms are looking for qualified personnel who possess language skills. A survey was initiated at…

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…

As part of the Austin Independent School District's revision of its Professional Personnel Evaluation System, a study was conducted to determine the components of a teacher competency-based evaluation instrument. The procedure was comprised of: (1) identification of resources for compiling essential teacher skills--such as literature reviews,…

The extent to which vocational schools are promoting the new job skills being demanded by employers was examined in complementary studies conducted Portugal and Greece. First, data were collected from questionnaires administered to 22 Portuguese students in initial training in a transports course and 47 Greek students in an electrical course (19…

This paper discusses a study that investigated whether competencies identified by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) could be used to document job skills of students with mild disabilities. Participants in the study were 17 teachers, job coaches, and parents associated with a high school special education department…