Teacher Education: Action by SREB States.

Overview & Synopsis

Many southern states have taken action to improve the effectiveness of teaching by increasing teacher salaries, establishing career ladder and incentive programs, and ensuring teachers' knowledge of the subject area they teach. Attention is also now being directed to improvement of teacher education programs, and many of the southern states are taking measures to ensure more stringent review and approval standards for teacher education programs. Recent changes in program approval now include the use of outcome measures such as passing rates on teacher certification tests. Other changes being instituted in various states include academic teacher education program reviews by higher education agencies; the mandating of national accreditation; increased emphasis on arts and science courses in the undergraduate program; a trend toward increasing school experiences as part of teacher education; and creation of special centers and teacher education projects at universities with teacher education programs. (CB)