A study was conducted to determine the present state of vocational education in Kentucky and the supply of and demand for vocational teachers. Results are summarized for vocational teacher education in general and for teachers in the areas of agricultural education, business and office education, marketing and distributive education, health and…

Based on results from a sample of the entire Montana public high school system and 5 Montana teacher training institutions, followed by a telephone survey of 15 superintendents/curriculum directors and directors of placement from the 5 institutions used in the original study, there were indeed definite hiring preferences shown toward applicant…

AN INSERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM CONCENTRATED ON INCREASING THE CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS NEWLY ASSIGNED TO SCHOOLS IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. TWENTY-ONE TEACHERS (NINE WITH NO PREVIOUS TEACHING EXPERIENCE) WHO HAD ACCEPTED POSITIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING FALL WERE GIVEN A 6-WEEK SUMMER WORKSHOP WHICH INCLUDED LECTURES, HOME VISITS, FILMS,…

This collection of seven commissioned papers explores various aspects of teaching which are considered to be related to the teacher dropout problem. Chapter titles are: 1) Overview of Factors Affecting the Holding Power of the Teaching Profession; 2) The Nature of the American Public School System; 3) The Decision-Making Apparatus in Public…

Finding and hiring highly qualified candidates in today's education marketplace can be as frustrating and demanding as it is rewarding and satisfying. National projections suggest special education personnel shortages in the coming years may tax the ability of schools to provide services for children with disabilities. While teacher turnover rates…

Career and technical education (CTE) administrators are increasingly being forced to resort to filling CTE teacher positions by hiring industry experts for classroom teaching positions and subsequently using creative ways to develop qualified, certified, and exemplary CTE instructors. Traditional teacher mentoring and induction programs fail to…

This study examined retirement and other departure plans of full- and part-time faculty and staff in higher education institutions using data from the 1988 and 1993 National Studies of Postsecondary Faculty. Among the study's findings were: 22 percent of full-time and 38 percent of part-time faculty planned to leave their current position within…

This book presents selected historical data focusing on three aspects in the lives of Black women: resilience of Black women and their families; strengths of the Black church and community; and formidable gains made by Black women in the workforce. The status and achievements of Black women professors and scholars in the academy are reviewed, with…

This fastback explains that better teaching is the key to higher student achievement, and improving the quality of both teachers and their teaching is an important challenge for departments of education and schools nationwide. The fastback focuses on: "Enhancing Teacher Quality" (content knowledge, licensure and certification, and…

This brief addresses four areas of opportunity to influence teacher quality. These areas of opportunity are used to create a framework to help state and district policymakers comprehensively address teacher quality. There are a number of policy levers or strategies that can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to improving teacher quality.…

This article considers two policy initiatives that address the dilemma of increasing special education teacher numbers and improving quality: the No Child Left Behind law and the plan laid out in the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future policy blueprint. It then discusses teacher attrition and retainment strategies. (Contains…

Through maximum likelihood logistic regression analysis, assesses characteristics distinguishing teachers who return to the classroom after career interruptions from those who do not. Among 3,060 teachers, those most likely to return have fewer opportunities for better-paying employment, with more experience and master's degrees, and interrupted…

The field of special education has been consistently plagued with serious personnel shortages, high rates of teacher attrition, criticisms of inadequate teacher preparation, and questionable student outcomes. The recent focus on increased standards and improved student outcomes adds complexity to this situation. Of paramount concern are the need…

This article explores the concept of writer identity and its influences as constructed by a group of college writers. Using a poststructural and sociocultural perspective, it takes a stand regarding the politics of language and the teaching of writing, especially as they relate to students whose racial, ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds…

This paper reviews all of the 50 state plans required under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in order to identify state initiatives dealing with the recruitment and retention of special education personnel. The beginning of the report explains the requirements under IDEA relevant to recruitment and discusses the…