This article identifies as problems both social promotion and minimum competency decisions. The author analyzes the need for attention to individual differences and proposes that educational excellence within a compulsory system can be achieved only when standards are adjusted in accordance with individual differences. (MM)

Six articles and case studies examine continuing education in the United Kingdom. Highlights include vocational education and training; the Professional, Industrial and Commercial Updating Programme (PICKUP); retraining in software engineering; Higher Introductory Technology and Engineering Conversion Course (HITECC); training needs in…

Issues involved in preparing personnel for intergenerational work include the following: (1) the scope of intergenerational practice; (2) expanded personnel roles in intergenerational programs; (3) competencies and skills identification; and (4) the need to integrate intergenerational preparation into formal human services training and education.…

A discussion of competency-based dental curricula describes broad changes in educational thought that heighten interest in competency-based education and offers suggestions: revise the teacher-student relationship; base curriculum development on heightened aspirations for students and dentistry; view dental schools as learning organizations; and…

Discusses the historical development of Australia's rural economy and examines ways in which Australia's economic development and current position are reflected in national education policies. Concludes that the current national agenda for education may not fully benefit rural people as it is based on urban models that neglect specific needs and…

Discussion of quality assurance in U.S. pharmaceutical education looks at the Total Quality Management approach to measuring quality, recommendations of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy concerning general and pharmacy-specific professional competencies, and other systems to ensure quality, including accreditation, the federal role,…

A participant in Minnesota's standards-based reform initiative claims Wade Nelson, in his May 1998 "Kappan" article, is misinformed about teachers' exclusion from this movement. The standards constitute a minimal competence level in reading, math, and writing, were developed cooperatively, and have raised teacher expectations of…

Debra Eckerman's response to the author's May 1998 "Kappan" article shows she sincerely, but mistakenly believes that the Minnesota standards-based reform movement will raise academic expectations for all students by attempting to control educational outcomes. Teachers should jettison their complacency to improve professionalism and…

In this chapter, the authors argue that alignment of higher education with workforce needs should be based on careful action by institutions to embed skills and attributes within instructional programs. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

In response to the Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, schools and colleges across the country are rushing to launch "tech prep" education programs. The resulting 2 + 2 programs are designed primarily for 16- to 20-year-olds who complete high school and then go on for postsecondary education in a technical or practical field.…

The Perkins Act requires states to adopt systems of outcome-based standards and measures of performance for judging the success of local vocational programs and guiding program improvement. Criteria for the design of states' systems of performance measures and standards include the following: the measures should be defined clearly and precisely;…

Trade and industrial educators were pioneers in the development and practice of occupational analysis as utilized in curriculum development and improvement. In the 1940s, Verne C. Fryklund refined the existing system of occupational analysis and introduced it into public school industrial arts educational programs. The basic concept of Fryklund's…

The National Center for Research in Vocational Education's performance-based teacher education (PBTE) materials have been widely adopted and have had a marked impact on vocational instructor training and staff development. It has been found that the cooperative development procedures, extensive field testing, and the numerous institutional, state,…

This proposal culminates a 5-year study of the possibility of awarding associate degrees at Gallaudet College, a private, liberal arts college for hearing impaired adults. The proposal outlines an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) in Office Systems at the School of Preparatory Studies. First, introductory material provides a brief history…

Designed as a resource for administrators and faculty considering the implementation of competency-based vocational education (CBVE), this report addresses the theory and practice of CBVE, the pros and cons of a competency-based approach to instructional organization and delivery, and concerns about CBVE's appropriateness in Hawaii. After…