The legal implications of competency-based teacher education were the subject of a conference sponsored by the Multi-State Consortium on Performance Based Teacher Education. Representatives from state departments of education and their legal advisors met with a panel of consultants to discuss licensing and accrediting of teachers. The issues raised were: (1) What does the litigation say about new directions in licensing teachers and accrediting teacher education? (2) What does research say about what can be done to provide competent practitioners for classrooms and school leadership roles? The eight essays in this book evolved from the groundwork laid at this conference. The following subjects are examined: "The Law, the Courts, and Teacher Credentialling Reform," by Michael A. Rebell, a lawyer specializing in education law; "Techniques and Criteria for Designing and Selecting Instruments for Assessing Teachers," by Paul S. Pottinger, a clinical and social psychologist, Senior Associate and Director of Assessment Systems at McBer and Company in Boston, Mass.; "State Interest and Teacher Education Program Approval,""General Description of the Activities Associated with Reviews of Institutions and Programs,""Character and Use of Evidence in Program Approval," and "Due Process for Institutions and Students: Implications for Periodic Reviews," by Dr. Lawrence D. Freeman, Director of Teacher Education Program Approval, Illinois Office of Education; "Research Lags and Institutional Barriers Affecting Competency-Based Teacher Education Implementation" and a summation and report on the work of the conference by Sheila Huff, Research Fellow at the Educational Policy Research Center, Syracuse Research Corporation. (JD)