In early 2017, Congress rescinded two education regulations passed late in the Obama administration. The first regulation, which attempted to define and implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), received most of attention since states were busy planning how to implement the new law in the 2017-2018 school year. However the second regulation…

With conversations about the best ways to evaluate teacher performance proliferating across the nation, preservice preparation could be the next stop on the teacher-quality continuum to receive a similarly high level of scrutiny. New models for preparing teachers, such as the yearlong apprenticeship or "residency" model, have received…

Prospective teachers in many states must pass a competency test prior to receiving an initial teaching certificate. Because of the high stakes associated with them, educator competency tests can play a major role in modifying the nature of teacher training programs. To investigate the nature and extent of such changes, deans and faculty at teacher…

With professional educators becoming the target of litigation in increasing proportions and most state legislatures preparing 15-20 new laws per year dealing with educational issues, it is essential that teachers become advised of the impact of law on their classrooms and their activities. This study surveyed a sample of 480 Louisiana teachers on…

Teacher education programs can benefit from research on student retention. By focusing on intervention for the very youngest student, failure at early levels may be reduced. Teachers must be taught to meet the needs of these students and to work more effectively with high-risk students who are potential drop-outs. Teachers can help at-risk…

Surveys of 117 special education teachers and administrators in rural Louisiana identified training needs of rural special educators: (1) generic approaches to teaching rural exceptional children; (2) effective strategies for adapting curriculum; (3) working with families; (4) knowledge of current legislation; and (5) working with a wide diversity…

This edition of "Network" reports on state-level activities to increase diversity in the teaching force and to prepare teachers to work with increasingly diverse student populations. The studies took place in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. An overview and information on recruitment, preparation, credentialing, and…

The Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LaCEPT) was formed to respond to the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal to implement changes to improve teacher preparation in science and mathematics. The program was designed to encourage improvement in curriculum and instruction in science and mathematics for…

Minority group students are disproportionately represented in special education programs and have alarmingly high dropout rates. In rural Louisiana, special educators must cope with teaching a population that is poor, ethnically diverse, and somewhat isolated from mainstream America. An assessment instrument designed to identify training needs of…

Surveys of all U.S. state teacher certification bureaus examined whether they required educational law courses or the study of legal issues affecting teachers. Researchers also examined Louisiana teachers' perceptions of educational law content in their teacher preparation programs. Results indicated there was a paucity of preparation in…

Control of entry into teacher education programs should be a function of the teaching profession, with philosophy and parameters set by the professional associations while policy and procedures are set by the teacher training institutions. This problem is approached by examination of conditions that prevail in Louisiana. A strong foundation in…

This paper presents information regarding two university field programs in two elementary schools in New Orleans (Louisiana), serving culturally diverse children, and it attempts to reveal the influences of each school context on preservice teachers' acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge, their concerns and dilemmas, and their frames of…

The document presents Louisiana's 1973 State Plan for the development of career education. It is intended that State guides will be developed to improve all aspects of the daily curriculum and that revisions will be made to the "Handbook For School Administrators." Further, preservice and inservice programs will be established for…

This publication focuses on the teaching quality goals and priorities of nine Southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), reviewing each state's Title II proposals. The report highlights seven priority areas of focus for regional alliances: constructing…

This reference includes presentations that cover current research, best practices, and solutions to improve student achievement. The 25 chapters are: (1) "The Three Stories of Educational Reform: Inside; Inside/Out; Outside/In" (Michael Fullan); (2) "Hey, You with the Frontal Lobes: Brains for Educators, Educators of Brains"…