The passage of Texas Senate Bill 994 in 1987 limited professional education courses to no more than 18 semester hours for initial certification and eliminated undergraduate degrees in educa tion. The events leading to this policy decision are described, and the implications of this action for other states are considered. It is suggested that, to avoid such action in the future, teacher educators must collaborate on the development and advocacy of a knowledge base for teaching, create coalitions within universities and with the organized teaching profession, insist on strong standards, and provide national leadership for the advancement of teacher education.
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