The papers in this collection are based on the document "Perspectives on Performance-Based Incentive Plans" and offer brief overviews of the following critical issues in education: (1) performance-based incentive plans; (2) needed organizational changes; (3) successful and unsuccessful teacher incentive plans; (4) compensation strategies…

The paper, originally given at a 1986 Ethnic and Multicultural Symposium, describes the findings of a study of Black special education teachers and the factors influential in their selection and continued participation in the profession. The study surveyed 101 Black special education teachers in 64 Mississippi school districts. Subjects were among…

Recent concern for the quality of education has placed pressure on school administrators to assess and upgrade the competency of their teaching staff. No simple formula exists for measuring teacher competency, however, nor are any new methods guaranteed to improve the quality of instruction. Nevertheless, through a combination of clinical…

Discusses methods of encouraging more people to pursue the teaching profession and considers more effective selection procedures designed to eliminate unacceptable candidates. Examines methods used to improve teacher training such as making use of practicing teachers in "partnership" programs. Concludes that teacher morale and satisfaction must be…

Relates how inadequate teacher certification requirements and teacher education programs have been detrimental to quality public school math and science programs. (HOD)

Encourages the development of a systematic approach to decision-making related to the recruitment, renewal, and reward of part-time faculty in community colleges. Maintains that good instruction depends upon proper administration of instruction. Describes various administrative techniques for facilitating the improvement of part-time instructor…

In a question-and-answer session, David C. Berliner discusses wide range of topics related to current state of the teaching profession, including qualities of the expert teacher, attracting higher quality teachers, teacher career-stage programs, merit pay, and promising reforms for teacher education in last decade. (PKP)

Most states have already implemented policies to recruit, select, and retain better teachers. The majority of these policies raise standards for entry or recertification. Another approach provides incentives to attract qualified college graduates into teaching. Offering scholarships in exchange for five-year teaching commitments and offering…

Many education agencies feel an enormous strain to meet the federal mandate that all teachers be highly qualified. State and local policies must be established that address effective ways to hire, train, support, and retain teachers who meet the standards specified in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. To help policymakers with the…

For many "hard-to-staff" schools, the negative consequences of teacher shortages are compounded by characteristics that make these schools less attractive to teachers. Most often located in troubled inner cities or isolated rural areas, these schools are frequently plagued by high poverty in the community, higher teacher turnover rates,…

The teacher supply policy implemented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 1971 has three goals: to supply enough teachers, to employ more national teachers, and to raise teaching force quality. Sufficient numbers of teachers and more national teachers have resulted. However, expatriate teachers dominate UAE classrooms, and there are serious…

The No Child Left Behind Act requires all teachers to be highly qualified by 2005-06. Accomplishing this will require statewide collaboration among higher education, school districts, certification boards, and departments of education. Data from recent studies of teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development in Wyoming illustrate…

Much is written in the literature about failing schools. What makes for failing schools as compared to those labeled as being proficient or excellent? Teachers and administrators in schools need to work in the direction of all schools being worthy. Each pupil needs to have the best education possible. The future of a child depends, in part, in…

While policymakers have tried to improve teacher workforce effectiveness by raising certification requirements, research shows that credentials correlate little with teaching excellence, as measured by student performance. School districts do little additional screening and commonly award tenure after two or three years regardless of performance.…

How can the "revolving door" at the nation's high-poverty schools be slowed down? How can diversity be taught in teacher preparation that relates to teaching and learning? How can teachers learn to use the diverse urban classroom as a rich asset? By focusing on reconceptualizing general education studies, addressing key urban understanding and…