No Child Left Behind (NCLB) gives states wide discretion to define what students must learn, how that knowledge should be tested, what test scores constitute proficiency, set standards for high school graduation rates, teacher qualifications, school safety and many other aspects of school performance. As a result, states are largely free to define…

Teacher training and development programs must adapt to shifting political, demographic, and program realities. This will require rigorous self-examination. Preparation of personnel to meet the needs of growing populations of language-minority students must include plans to address three distinct teacher audiences: bilingual educators;…

This document consists of the three 1989 issues of "The Teacher Trainer," a journal for language teacher educators. The following articles appear in these issues: "From a Garage to a Teachers' Centre"; "Taking Risks--Being Unprepared?"; "Teacher Echoing and More"; "Teaching Lemon as a Foreign Language:…

This document is the result of two regional workshops (attended by representatives of 16 Asian countries) on the preparation of vocational and technical education teachers in Asia. Chapter 1 lists the objectives for the workshops, countries representated at each, and the officers for each. Chapter 2 gives an overall review of the present status of…

A study was conducted to determine if vocational teachers in Massachusetts are receiving enough training and the kinds of training they need to be competent in the classroom. A variety of standard data-gathering techniques were used to collect specific information from vocational teachers, colleges, local schools, and the state department that…

Secondary analysis of self-reported data from 1,819 questionnaires completed by state vocational education staff in 47 states was used to examine the training and experience of current state vocational education staff in five federal policy priority areas: sex equity, disadvantaged persons, handicapped persons, limited English-speaking student…

A report on second language instruction in elementary schools outlines the state of the art and makes policy and program and offers recommendations. An introductory section discusses the rationale for foreign language instruction at all levels and particularly in elementary schools, emphasizing the value of early and prolonged exposure to language…

These guidelines were developed to assist teacher training institutions in setting up competency-based programs, as mandated by New York State law, for the training of foreign language teachers. The guidelines define basic competencies in the following areas: practical command of the language, language analysis, culture, the teaching-learning…

The Official Language Act of 1974 designates French as the official language of the Province of Quebec and contains provisions intended to enhance the status and power of the French language. It also provides for instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL). A poll recently conducted in Montreal revealed that sixty percent of parents whose…

The first section of this report presents (1) an overview of a "comprehensive investigation of ways to improve the certification and preparation of educational personnel in Massachusetts"; (2) a one-chapter discussion with recommendations on each of four focal issues: personnel for education services, personnel certification, reform of…

This report, designed to provide the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing with documentation concerning the need for credentialing in bilingual/ cross-cultural education, is based on the examination of the performance of minority populations in California having a cultural and linguistic background different than that of the dominant…

The Secretary of Education's most recent report on educational quality argues that American schools have not improved enough. Issues addressed include trends in standardized test scores, strengthening curriculum content, assuring equal intellectual opportunity, establishing an ethos of achievement, recruiting and rewarding good teachers and…

The present crisis in education has its roots in educational changes promoted by graduate schools of education which promoted looser standards as early as the 1920s. To reverse this trend will require more money, more rigorous qualifications for teachers, longer school days and years, and attention to new technologies. (IS)

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals: Senator Reed Proposes New $500 Million Bill to Improve…

This document details the position of the Further Education Development Agency (FEDA) regarding 21 issues included in a recent initiative to introduce compulsory initial teaching qualifications into further education (FE) and the requirement that such qualifications should meet national standards. The following are among the positions taken by the…