This study sought to determine if there was a difference in teaching effectiveness of entry-level 1-year vocationally certified teachers of vocational agriculture and entry-level 4-year provisionally certified teachers of vocational agriculture. Correlations were computed using performance on the teaching test, teacher educator ratings, students'…

Recognizes the importance of nonverbal behavior (65% of communication is nonverbal) in the elementary and secondary school classrooms, and provides examples and a method for observing this behavior in student teachers. (NKA)

Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) publishes "TransFormation" twice a year to provide policymakers with interpretive summaries of significant reports and rigorous studies about school transformation, giving special attention to research with possible implications for improving low-performing schools.This final print issue of…

This module is the fourth section of a four-part how-to manual for integrating curriculum in grades K-12, especially in Missouri. The module discusses the topic of assessment and provides suggestions for assessing students, integrated teaching, and integrated programs. Comments from teachers, students, and administrators who are actively involved…

An educator-in-residence directed a two-year professional development program to improve college teaching and student learning. The project was administered at Brescia College (Kentucky) and involved three other colleges of comparable size and mission: St. Mary-of-the Woods College and St. Meinrad College in Indiana and St. Catharine College in…

This report describes the outcomes of a study that examined teacher efficacy in order to generate an exploratory and explanatory theory of teacher efficacy in the context of four heterogeneous fifth and sixth grade classrooms. It investigated how the four elementary teachers identified as being efficacious described the relationships between…

This study of 25 teachers in literature-based language arts programs in poor urban areas found that assessment issues produce considerable conflict for teachers as they attempt to understand and track children's literacy development and their own effectiveness in teaching children to read and write. Results suggest that assessment is not merely a…

Discusses the advantages of creating teaching portfolios. Portfolios help teachers examine how and why they teach, how they change, whether they evaluate, and whether they get and give feedback. The self-reflective statements must be supported with personal materials, student and colleague feedback, and excellence in teaching products. (SM)

Reports on a study of the expectations of preservice music teacher education students about the problems faced by beginning teachers. Students consistently expressed high levels of confidence and felt that they would experience less serious problems than the "average first-year teacher." Includes statistical data and tables. (MJP)

Describes an assessment for art teachers developed at the Art Assessment Development Lab. The assessment involves two parts: a portfolio that teachers develop at their school over at least six months and a one-day assessment of the teacher's art content knowledge. (MJP)

Draws on theory and research from education, counseling, and social work to form some preliminary conclusions regarding how race and ethnicity might affect the supervisory relationship. Calls on educational practitioners to fill the research gap on how diversity affects the process of supervision. (Contains 46 footnotes.) (AUTHOR/WFA)

Describes a two-year, collaborative, university-school district teacher induction program in which beginning teachers' classroom performance was assessed using a behavioral observation instrument. Participants made significant gains, with first-year gains resulting from improvements in classroom organization and second-year gains related to…

This collection of articles on the Georgia State University Physical Education Teacher Education Assessment Project focuses on: a project description; using the development, research, and improvement model; research methodology; assessing dispositions, knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge; cooperating teachers' perspectives; locating indicators of…

Investigated the evolution of electronic portfolios by preservice elementary teachers, examining how they constructed and thought about electronic self-assessment portfolios. Data from portfolios, interviews, and surveys indicated that creating portfolios allowed participants to be reflective because of how the portfolio development process…

Advocates the assessment of teachers' technology skills by school media and technology specialists who are involved in staff training. Discusses what should be assessed, including level of curricular integration and attitudes; assessment objectives; informal assessments; formal assessments; assessment tools; and administrators as role models for…