Deconstructing Teacher Certification Alternative certification programs are now the source of surprising numbers of our nation' s teachers. Mr. Baines has taken a close look at these programs and is convinced that, because they vary so extremely in their requirements, all of them cannot possibly be producing highly qualified teachers.

Summary

Some forces that undermine programs for the gifted--misguided fiscal policies, simplistic teaching methodologies, and a resurgence of the philosophy of egalitarianism--are reviewed. Analogous to the demise (and possible resurgence) of programs for the gifted is the evolution of women's sports since the 1920s. The principal's brief statements reveal two assumptions: 1) She believes a lockstep approach to learning is desirable and effective: 2) She thinks that a high overall pass rate on minimal competency exams indicates something about the quality of instruction.Although much has been written about the benefits of sculpting curriculum so that the academic task is comparable to a student's ability (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996;Fasko, 2001;Vygotsky, 1990), the principal was heralding a one-size-fits-all approach. If a teacher

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