This report focuses on two aspects of teacher supply and quality: (a) the under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities, especially African Americans in the teaching pool, and (b) teacher candidates' performance on licensure assessments, including general skills tests in reading, writing, and mathematics (known as Praxis I[R]) and selected…

A continuing need for comprehensive and timely information about the public school teachers of the United States led the National Education Association (NEA) Research Division in 1956 to develop the first of a series of surveys and subsequent reports covering various aspects of teachers' professional, family, and civic lives. The NEA has conducted…

Validation of assessments intended to improve instruction and learning should include evidence of instructional sensitivity. This study investigated the instructional sensitivity of a standards-based ninth-grade performance assessment that required students to write an essay about conflict in a literary work. Before administering the assessment,…

Pay for Performance (PFP) is once again gaining popularity within education. This study examines teacher attitudes toward PFP policies, and how these views vary by teacher experience, subject area specialization, grade level(s) taught, educational background, risk and time preferences, and feelings of efficacy. Data were collected through a…

This report raises questions about the support given to new teachers who come to teaching through "alternate routes." It focuses on new teachers in high-needs schools, comparing the perspectives of those from traditional teacher education versus those from three alternate-route programs: Teach for America, Troops to Teachers and The New Teacher…

This study examined what teachers know about health-related fitness (HRF) and how confident they are in their knowledge. Seventy-three middle school physical education teachers completed a 3-part cognitive HRF test and a self-efficacy questionnaire that required responses to statements about how confident they were in passing a HRF knowledge test.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if modeling by university professors and practicum and cooperating teachers was related to preservice teachers' perceptions of their computer technology skills and if preservice teachers' use of technology in academic and other settings was related to those perceptions. Seventy-nine preservice teacher…

This study investigated how returned Peace Corps teachers viewed the Peace Corps experience and its impact on their self-efficacy and cultural awareness. Participants were 154 returned Peace Corps teachers who completed a questionnaire that contained demographic questions, a self-efficacy scale, and a teacher-efficacy scale. A subset of 15…

Teachers' self-evaluation can be used as a diagnostic means by principals and coordinators in order to know where the teachers need help. This study presents a self-evaluation form designed to highlight the needs that English teachers teaching across all levels (preschool-12) at a school in Lebanon had. It was divided into two parts: the first…

A study elicited opinions of and suggestions for special education teacher preparatory programs from Kentucky special education teachers. A total of 142 special education teachers in Kentucky responded to a 13 item questionnaire concerning the teachers' undergraduate and graduate level training, prevalent academic problems exhibited by their…

This report traces the growth of high school physics in American school over the past twenty years. Highlights of the report include: (1) Enrollments in high school physics continue to grow; (2) Increase in number and proportion of physics teachers; (3) Number of students taking honors, advance placement or second-year physics course has nearly…

Special education referral decisions for emotional or behavioral problems were investigated. A survey distributed to regular education elementary school teachers examined differences in referral decisions for internalized and externalized behavior patterns. The survey also looked at teacher gender and years of teaching experience as variables…

In this article the development of two teachers as they make the transition from pre-service teachers to experienced teachers is examined. While these teachers participated in the same mathematics methods course and similar collaborative environments in their practicum experiences, their mathematics classroom instructional practices revealed stark…

This report is the twenty-fourth in a series of surveys sponsored annually by MetLife since 1984 as a public service. This "MetLife Survey" examines the perspectives and experiences of teachers, students and parents regarding the purposes, quantity, quality, and value of homework. The Survey also includes an online strategy session with public…

The authors investigated the impact of professional development programs for English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers on their classroom practice and on the way that teacher efficacy and organizational support at the school level relate by interacting with years of teaching experience. The authors collected data by using questionnaires…