Professional Development Perspective of Classroom Management and School Effectiveness.

Overview & Synopsis

In addressing three aspects of teacher education--initial preparation, continuing education, and certification--state departments of education must be outcome-oriented and leave teacher education institutions and school districts free to explore alternate delivery systems. The state's involvement in initial preparation of teachers should be to ensure that attention is given to basic skills, general studies, content specialization, and professional education. State departments of education need to view educational personnel development as a continuum. At one end is the initial preparation; the outcome from that should be a clear-cut delineation of what the professional can do. The preparation outcome should flow into the beginning teacher's practices, and beginning teacher practices should flow into the experienced teacher's profile. There is a need to establish realistic expectations of colleges and to communicate them to the school districts so that the resulting professional profile will allow the individual to grow as a professional. State education agencies, higher education, and school districts must each recognize the expertise and individuality of the other. Within the profession, there are roles for each of these constituencies. (JD)