The cultural disparity between teachers and students has been a concern among educators for quite some time. While the student body grows more ethnically heterogeneous, non-Hispanic Whites, especially women, continue to dominate the teaching profession. Ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status (SES) all play a critical role in the education…

A job analysis was conducted to define the knowledge domain of general principles of teaching and learning necessary for newly licensed (certified) teachers, regardless of grade level or subject, to perform in a competent manner. The results of the study are being used to develop test specifications for The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments…

This paper discusses underlying beliefs about teaching that are related to the assessment of prospective teachers and elucidates some basic beliefs that are guiding the development of new types of assessments for new teachers. These new assessments are called "The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers(TM)."…

This report on the supply of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) is based primarily on data from the Recent College Graduates (RCG) study of 1991. The survey, which was originally designed to provide information on NQTs alone, was expanded to cover graduates in all major fields of study; however, it continues to emphasize graduates qualified to teach…

In 1979, Act 187, known now as the Educator Improvement Act, was mandated by the legislature of the State of South Carolina. One tenet of Act 187 was the establishment of an Educator Improvement Task Force to develop an instrument which could effectively measure minimal teaching competencies. To help in the content and design of the instrument,…

This paper reviews the major educational reform literature to identify commonalities of ways in which the reform movement is bringing changes to teacher education programs. The literature reviewed includes: (1) "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform"; (2) "Tomorrow's Teachers: A Report of the Holmes Group";…

This descriptive depiction of teacher education in Japan begins with a profile of Japanese teachers, their characteristics, salary scale, and the kinds of classrooms and schools they work in. A description of the conventional pattern of teacher education in Japan is organized in its sequential order: preservice education, induction, inservice…

The evaluation of the Dade County Public Schools, Florida 1983-84 Beginning Teacher Program was designed to achieve these specific goals: (1) assess the extent to which program operations and procedures facilitated the implementation of major project components; and (2) determine the program's effectiveness in achieving its major outcome of…

This document outlines what beginning classroom teachers and arts education specialists should know and be able to do to teach the arts effectively. The volume serves as a guide for individual states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs as they develop and refine their standards and practices. The Interstate New Teacher…

Results are reported from an investigation into the influence of subject-specific coursework in the development of pedagogical content knowledge in English through contrasting case studies of six beginning English teachers, only three of whom graduated from teacher education programs. Implications for teacher education policy, research, and…

A job analysis was conducted to define the content domain in which newly licensed (certified) special education teachers must be knowledgeable to perform their jobs in a competent manner. The results of the job analysis will be used to develop test specifications for the Subject Assessment in Special Education of the Praxis Series: Professional…

This comparative study was conducted in preparation for selecting a successor to the National Teachers Examination (NTE) for initial certification of Montana educators. The paper begins by discussing the background of using teacher competency tests in Montana, and examining demographic data on Montana students and certified teachers. Then, the…

This document presents revised comprehensive standards and guidelines for the preparation and certification of special educators and for practice as special educators, developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Part 1 provides the CEC's Code of Ethics for Professional Practice for Educators of Persons with Exceptionalities and CEC's…

This framework defines a vision of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that should characterize California's beginning teachers in their initial years of service. Discussion and development of the framework are part of the California New Teacher Project, a pilot study of policy alternatives to enhance the success of novice teachers. Following a…

In 1986, the Florida State Legislature passed a law requiring teachers to demonstrate knowledge of their subject areas before being granted teacher certification. The state also provided funding for developing subject area examinations. The generic procedures for developing these examinations are outlined. During the first phase of the project, an…