Dr. Conant's Reform Proposals

Teacher certification is a lively issue in many more parts of the country than California. Publication of Dr. James B. Conant's book. The Education ofAmerica Teachers (McGraw-Hill, 1963), brought to a sort of national climax the discussions and debates that had been going on for years.

The central proposal made by Dr. Conant after his study of teacher education in the 16 most populous states is to give the colleges and universities greater freedom in-designing programs of teacher education and to base certification, by these institutions, on practice teaching allied to the programs in ways approved by the state boards of education. While recognizing the importance of teaching skills, this plan would in effect minimize or eliminate courses in methods and thus provide more time for academic studies.

The Conant plan has met fierce educationist opposition, but last month five New York institutions - Cornell, Colgate, Vassar, Brooklyn College, and Fredonia State College - with the cooperation of the State Education Department agreed to test the reform proposals. Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin have decided to take a first step toward eliminating methods courses by working with Dr. Conant to develop the new practice-teaching procedures and tests.