The National Commission on Performance-Based Education was formed to coordinate and integrate nationally plans of performance-based teacher education. The goals of the commission are defining competence, evaluating it, training for it, and managing programs of performance-based education and certification. The initial programs of the commission…

A competency-based assessment procedure for the training and selection of preschool teachers has been developed using the content validation strategy and a variety of measurement techniques. Those certified under this procedure will be called Child Development Associates. A list of competencies, generated and agreed upon by a large number of Child…

State directors of teacher certification and testing provided updated data (reports, press clippings, manuals, legislative hearings, and validity studies) in April 1987 describing their testing programs and the latest passing rates. Twenty-seven states have admissions testing programs, and 44 have certification testing programs. It is unclear…

Eight alternatives to a teacher entry test are discussed, including progressive, periodic testing for recertification; mandatory ongoing training requirements; defining excellence on a school-by-school basis; optional testing for higher pay and status; broadening teacher testing to include affective factors; and rigorous multifaceted evaluation…

Information regarding tests and requirements at entrance into teacher education programs, at initial certification, and as a teacher are presented on a state-by-state basis. (Author/MT)

Summarizes factors within the state and school systems which may change with the implementation of Tennessee's Comprehensive Education Reform Act and identifies seven potential problems to full implementation. Concludes that, because of too many unknown variables, it is too early to predict the feasibility and success of full implementation. (NEC)

To discuss teacher certification and its relationship to competency testing and teacher preparation, it is important to understand what it is and what its purpose is. This article focuses on the impact of competency testing on the teacher education curriculum and the relationship of tests to certification and program approval processes. (MT)

Recent reforms intended to strengthen teacher preparation programs are reviewed. Attributes of ideal teacher candidates before and after training are listed, and recommendations to improve training and professionalize teaching are discussed. (MT)

The Carroll County Project proposes to develop a plan for identifying and measuring teacher competency areas and related teacher behaviors, and to assess the extent to which these teacher behaviors affect student outcomes, school goals, and objectives. (MM)

This interview with California's teacher licensing chief considers some future changes he thinks will be made in the structure of the teacher preparation process, in certification, tenure, and teacher evaluation. He discusses how top and middle management must evolve to meet the increasingly complex responsibilities of staff development.…

The appropriateness of exit examinations for basic skills, general education and the teaching specialty in professional schools or departments in universities is examined. Holding departments and professors accountable for college and university standards is proposed. A variety of assessments of professional studies are suggested. (CM)

Describes the development of the art certification examination which was designed for the Florida State Initial Teacher Certification Test. Discusses problems of subjectivity, content, and question format. Suggests criteria which can guide the development of viable college art education programs that can adequately prepare teachers in the areas of…

Discusses traditional approaches to assuring qualified teachers, newer trends that have appeared (mentoring and internships), and a licensure and residency approach being considered in Ohio. The article recommends restructuring the licensure system to focus on the competencies essential for successful beginning practice in schools in the process…

In the Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers program, trained assessors observe teacher candidates in their assigned teaching environments and determine their instructional effectiveness. The article highlights the program's improvements over its predecessor, noting the need to explore teaching performance as a new…

The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 emphasized the growing concern in the United States that a need exists for highly qualified teachers, if children are to have a chance at succeeding in the 21st century. These pieces of legislation and philosophical change to learning have opened the…