This collection of papers includes: "New Teachers for a New Century: Recommendations from a National Invitational Conference" (Margaret C. Wang and Herbert J. Walberg); "Teacher Quality, Teacher Effectiveness: Basing Education Policy on the Facts" (Arthur E. Wise); "Accreditation Reform and the Preparation of Teachers for…

This fastback explains that better teaching is the key to higher student achievement, and improving the quality of both teachers and their teaching is an important challenge for departments of education and schools nationwide. The fastback focuses on: "Enhancing Teacher Quality" (content knowledge, licensure and certification, and…

This article considers two policy initiatives that address the dilemma of increasing special education teacher numbers and improving quality: the No Child Left Behind law and the plan laid out in the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future policy blueprint. It then discusses teacher attrition and retainment strategies. (Contains…

This project was designed to enhance and enlarge the pool of black teachers and to demonstrate the extent to which this intervention model could be effective in achieving this goal. The major activities of the project consisted of a series of faculty development workshops designed to hone faculty skills in test item analysis and construction, and…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) standards (authorize measures of quality or competency that affect the teaching profession); (2) standards boards (any official state entity that may recommend or establish standards for program approval and for the issuance…

This study evaluated the shortage of special education teachers in Oklahoma and presented a long term plan to meet this need. The study examined: (1) teacher shortages by category and geographic location in Oklahoma; (2) availability of individuals with the potential to be special education teachers; and (3) innovative recruitment and retention…

This handbook describes a strategy to reduce sex barriers in vocational education and aid in recruiting students into nontraditional areas by recruiting women from nontraditional occupations to teach part time in occupational training programs. The teacher recruiting and training process described was derived from experience with a pilot project…

This report summarizes the data from the Study of Special Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE), a national study of personnel in special education. It focuses on data related to recruiting and retaining high-quality special education teachers. Findings indicate: (1) in 1999-2000, more than 12,000 openings for special education teachers were left…

This report presents data on high school performance indicators for the 1999-00 school year in Chancellor's District high schools. Data are provided on: background; students (numbers and ethnicity); state accountability indicators in English and language arts (full cohort and seniors in the cohort); state accountability indicators in mathematics…

This brief examines the impact of teaching on student achievement, necessary steps for ensuring teacher quality, and policies needed to support that effort. Research has identified the strong connection between student achievement and teacher preparation and skills. Efforts to generate consistently high teaching levels across all classrooms must…

This paper examines Kate Walsh's Abell Foundation report, which purports to prove there is no credible research supporting the use of teacher certification as a regulatory barrier to teaching and argues against reforms that would strengthen incentives to bring qualified teaches to inner city schools. This paper discusses inaccuracies in Walsh's…

The purpose of the federal Title VI, Class Size Reduction program is to reduce class sizes in grades K-3 to 18 or fewer students. In AISD, these funds were used for recruiting, hiring, and training highly qualified teachers to raise student achievement through increased personal attention. This report summarizes evaluation results of AISD's Title…

The Guam Education Policy Board initially adopted the Guam Public School System District Action Plan in May 2003. The DAP established the direction and details for improving academic performance in reading, math, and language arts by using the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act as a framework. The adopted DAP was also used as a basis for…

Because of the central role of teachers in quality elementary and secondary education, this booklet briefly outlines the condition of public school teachers and how aspects of it have changed in the 10 years since "A Nation at Risk" was published. In short sections illustrated by tables and figures using data from various national…

The premises of this 2-year study are: first, what teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn; second, recruiting, preparing, and retaining good teachers is the central strategy for improving our schools; and third, school reform cannot succeed unless it focuses on creating conditions in which teachers can…