Excerpts from case reports illustrate some problems and dilemmas of three teacher trainees who entered teaching via alternative certification. The article highlights ways in which they were helped or harmed by the intervention of their mentor teachers. Based on analysis of case material, policy recommendations are made to school districts. (IAH)

Reports on the development and findings of a survey by the Association of Teacher Educators. Respondents (n=944) were primarily university faculty and administrators (n=847). The two issues ranked most critical for improving teacher education related to conditions beyond respondents' control (mentoring for beginning teachers and school reform).…

This paper describes performance-based assessment of beginning science teachers who are seeking provisional teaching certificates in Connecticut. The assessment is part of the Science Education Support and Assessment Program (SESAP). The project attempts to turn a summative licensing assessment into a formative instrument to improve science…

The Educational Testing Service is currently engaged in a large-scale development project related to teacher licensure. This project will develop a new generation of assessments for licensing beginning teachers, based on two research projects. One is Project CHART, an effort to identify state requirements for licensure in all subject areas…

This paper reports on an independent review of two examinations designed to assess teacher competencies: the Praxis Series and the Content Mastery Examinations for Educators (CMEE). The review was ordered by the Montana Department of Public Education in order to decide which battery of tests would replace the National Teacher Examination (NTE).…

The Mississippi Teacher Assessment Instruments (MTAI) for the evaluation of beginning teachers has been adopted by the Mississippi State Board of Education. The MTAI assesses on-the-job performance and consists of 16 competencies measured by 3 separate instruments, which are to be administered twice during the beginning teacher's first year of…

Employed and retired engineers and scientists are increasingly being recognized as an underused resource for responding to the need to recruit persons to become qualified teachers of science and mathematics in elementary and secondary schools and to enrich the science curriculum. Two strategies predominate to use this resource. To increase the…

A proposal is made for a program focusing on the transition period between preservice and inservice teacher education. The first phase of the program would be attainment of a strong liberal arts background, culminating in a B. A. degree, containing little or no pedagogical theory or practice. The second, or training phase, would consist of an…

A survey was conducted of faculty members at the 19 campuses of California State University regarding what the beginning teacher should know and be able to do. The resulting profile of characteristics of effective beginning teachers is presented in this document, focusing on nine areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These areas are:…

A statutory requirement that Georgia revise its beginning teacher certification process to reflect on-the-job performance rather than work performed in college was enacted in 1973 as part of the Adequate Program for Education in Georgia (APEG). Following a statewide survey, 33 teacher competency statements were accepted for incorporation into five…

THE SEVERE ELEMENTARY TEACHER SHORTAGE WHICH LOS ANGELES FACED IN THE FALL OF 1966, INVOLVING A DEFICIT OF SOME 1200 TEACHERS AFTER NORMAL RECRUITING PROCEDURES, IS DISCUSSED. SINCE THE SHORTAGE RESULTED IN LARGE PART FROM REDUCED ENROLLMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF THE 12 LOS ANGELES AREA TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, WHICH…

This study was performed to develop a competency-based professional education sequence (termed "spiral curriculum") which would provide pre-service and in-service training for new vocational instructors hired directly from trade and industry. Specific objectives were (1) to identify a comprehensive list of professional education…

A model higher education in-service project in Louisiana, called Success and Certification for Special Education Starters, has been implemented to support and assist first-year special education teachers and noncertified special education teachers. The project is based on a faculty consultation and supervision model where students earn university…

Alternatives to multiple-choice tests for teacher licensing examinations are described, and their advantages are cited. Concerns are expressed in the areas of cost and practicality, reliability, corruptibility, and validity. A suggestion for reducing costs using multiple-choice responses calibrated to constructed-response tasks is proposed. (SLD)

Based on information from interviews with 50 first- and second-year teachers in Massachusetts, proposes a mixed model for the teaching career: one that would be responsive to the needs of both teachers who envision long-term careers and those who envision short-term stays in teaching. Draws implications for teacher recruitment and retention…