Stanford's preservice Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) undertook a self-study to investigate how its credential candidates who had previous teaching experience perceived the value of returning for formal preparation. Using a semi-structured protocol, 23 STEP graduates were interviewed from 1999 and 2000, asking them about their teaching…

This outline of the Program for Effective Teaching (PET), developed by the Arkansas State Department of Education, was generated by a statewide seminar convened to review and revise the PET model in the light of the growth and needs that have surfaced since the program began in l979. The PET program was developed to improve the skills of…

The extent to which 148 teachers felt that their training programs prepared them to teach students with special needs was examined. A questionnaire was developed to ascertain whether teachers were able to carry out reponsibilities mandated through the passing of Public Law 94-142. Respondents were asked to rate their overall preparation and…

This report includes a discussion of population trends, the widening role of schools, changing patterns of teaching, and implications for teacher education. Issues in preservice teacher education include the selection of individuals who plan to enter the teaching profession, preparation for teaching the basic skills, practice teaching experience,…

The overall assessment of teacher education students by means of testing may not be the best indicator of competence in a professional field. Assessors must possess both valid and reliable ways of discerning which students have the necessary skills to be effective in the classroom. Portfolio analysis is one way to get better, more valid data about…

The use of collaborative case studies is an important tool for promoting teacher development, providing preservice teachers with opportunities to apply what they have learned in a real life context. This paper describes the design and evolution of a unique application of case study methodology by two early childhood/elementary education professors…

There is general agreement that the current teaching of secondary science is not as good as it should be. Different critics identify different weaknesses, but there is agreement that students are not learning how scientists make knowledge claims and use this knowledge. This paper assumes that one powerful influence on the development of teachers…

The accomplishments and impact of 10 Youth Advocacy Teacher Corps projects in 1978-79 are highlighted in this publication. Section 1 presents an overview of the Teacher Corps from 1965 to 1982 and reviews the development, since 1976, of the 10 Youth Advocacy Projects (YAP). The objectives of the projects (to promote effective educational responses…

This study was undertaken to provide the College of Education at Idaho State University with data regarding the directions appropriate for its teacher education mission. Information was obtained from six groups: (1) students beginning the teacher education program; (2) students completing the student teaching experience; (3) cooperating teachers;…

This paper describes and compares three teacher-training models for population education. The analysis emphasizes the use of the models for the Filipino Population Education Program (PEP), but also discusses their applicability to other programs in the Philippines and elsewhere. The three models are 1) superordinate training, which constitutes a…

The 10 addresses in this volume on teacher education illustrate the conference theme of combining the old with the new. Henry C. Meckel surveys what is good in the current preparation of English teachers, and Carl A. Lefevre and Father Daniel Fogarty discuss, respectively, the contributions of linguistic studies and of current thinking about…

One of the key features of this legislation is an emphasis on teacher quality. A growing body of research has documented the importance of teacher knowledge and skill in improving student achievement. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 includes specific criteria for considering a teacher highly qualified, and other specific requirements…

Teacher warranty programs are one way that teacher preparation programs can provide follow-up support to their graduates and assurance of the quality of their graduates to employers and the general public. A survey of 105 teacher preparation institutions revealed that only 8 have implemented warranty programs, but their experience suggests that…

Rural supervision is a comparatively new field in education. Therefore its method and practice are not definitely formulated; and supervisors at work, as well as those educators who are formulating courses in the subject, have learned and are learning in part through their own experience and that of others. For this reason they are eager to…

Examines the efforts, in four European countries, to increase the professionalization of teacher training. France recently elevated the status of teachers to civil servants and strengthened certification procedures. Germany retains a high degree of academic excellence and professional training. England and Wales have increased local autonomy and…