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The paper focuses on student-teachers' geometric diagrams to mediate the emergence of different proofs for a geometric proposition. For Peirce, a diagram is an icon that explicitly and implicitly represents the deep structural relations among the parts of the object that it stands for. Geometric diagrams can be seen as epistemological tools to understand explicit and hidden geometric relations. The systematic observation of and experimentation with geometric diagrams triggers abductive, inductive, and deductive reasoning which allows for the understanding of the conditions given for a geometric construction and its necessary logical consequences. We adopt Stjernfelt's model of diagrammatic reasoning to analyze two proofs for a geometric task posed to student-teachers who participated in a four-month classroom teaching experiment. [For the complete proceedings, see ED583608.]

To interpret in detail the meaning-making in the classroom and the corresponding teacher semiotic mediation, we have resorted to Peirce's triadic ign theory, interpreted by Sáenz-Ludlow and Zellweger. We present an example of the use of a few elements of that theory in the analysis of a classroom episode in which meaning is constructed with the teacher's semiotic mediation. [For the complete proceedings, see ED597799.]

Alternative certification programs allow individuals with college degrees in other fields to enter teaching without enrolling in traditional campus-based teacher education programs. These programs are designed to reduce the time and expense of obtaining teaching credentials through a streamlined curriculum coupled with intensive on-the-job supervision. This report focuses on alternative certification programs operated by the Houston Independent School District (Texas) and by San Jose State University (California). Both programs were evaluated through on-site visits; review of program documents and operations; and interviews with key personnel, prior and current trainees, trainee mentors, and employers. Programs were similar in that they relied on collaborative agreements for program implementation, employed similar systems of trainee supervision, and used a state-mandated exit exam for program completion. Program distinctions included differing sponsoring agencies, nature of recruitment and eligibility process, trainee orientation process, delivery of instruction, and program philosophies. Participants in both programs agreed that alternative certification programs are a viable option for the preparation of special education personnel, addressing teacher shortages and attracting qualified individuals. Project staff in both programs asserted the superiority of the programs over typical inservice training for special educators working on emergency or provisional teacher permits. (Contains 40 references.) (LP)

A distance education program at West Virginia University (WVU) offers graduate level training to prospective and practicing special education teachers in rural areas. This report compares the cost effectiveness of distance education to previous models at WVU during the past 15 years, including campus-based and field-based delivery systems. The Severe/Profound Handicaps program at WVU is a graduate program leading to a master's degree in special education as well as West Virginia teaching certification in severe handicaps. The program requires completion of 30 semester hours of coursework and practicum experiences for certification and an additional 6 hours of elective credits for the degree. Comparison of cost estimates across a 15-year time span indicates that although the campus-based program had the lowest combination of costs per course and per trainee, it also produced the fewest number of trainees completing the program. The field-based program achieved a reasonable balance between costs and outcomes, slightly increasing personnel and delivery costs but producing more trainees. Data from the distance education program showed a dramatic increase in costs yet a major increase in production of trainees. While the costs per course were much higher, the costs per student remained about the same. This study concludes that the costs of the distance education model were offset by the increase in the number of trainees, who are needed to meet the growing demand for special education personnel in rural areas. (Contains 19 references.) (LP)

Residual patterns should be studied in order to understand when and why data deviate from a model. This paper illustrates some techniques for exploring residual patterns resulting from the difference between observed and expected scores as predicted by a Rasch model for polychotomous data. The score residual divided by its standard deviation is called a standardized residual. A variety of plots of residuals are presented to illustrate residual pattern interpretation. A systematic analysis of residuals can offer the investigator a decision facilitation technique not found in conventional summary fit statistics. (BW)

The Rehabilitation Research and Development Laboratory at the United States Veterans Administration Hines Hospital is engaged in a long-term evaluation of blind rehabilitation. One aspect of the evaluation project focuses on the measurement of attitudes toward blindness. Our aim is to measure changes in attitudes toward blindness from pre-training, to post-training, and then to a six month follow-up. The Attitude Toward Blindness Questionnaire consists of 39 statements scored as Strongly Agree:3, Agree:2, Disagree:1, Strongly Disagree:0. The Rating Scale Rasch model for ordered response categories was used to explain these data. The three periods were first calibrated as a single set, the residuals were analyzed, peculiar items were identified and removed. The analysis of change consisted of a calibration of items and persons at the separate time periods and the plotting of person attitude measures at each period. This paper demonstrates that: (1) detailed residual analyses can reveal critical measurement interaction processes, (2) measurement of change using the Rating Scale model is feasible, and (3) blind rehabilitation effects on attitudes can be studied quantitatively. (Author)