This study examined why schools and districts transitioned from traditional education systems to competency-based, the challenges and benefits school experienced, and characteristics needed in a leader for the shift in education. The study used a quantitative approach informed by survey and correlational research. The participants in this study…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, young children did not attend school in the traditional setting. However, many teachers, schools, and districts conducted online instruction to allow students to still learn despite the restrictions. After two years, teachers and students returned to the classrooms and schools. However, the time away from school…

RAND partnered with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and American Institutes for Research to support the state's developmental education reform efforts through a combination of continuous improvement support and analysis of statewide data on implementation. One of the reforms examined through the study was the state's recommendation that…

The perceived value of postsecondary education to economic competitiveness and individual success is driving innovation in higher education. Competency-based education (CBE) is the latest disruption that seeks to respond to the growing sense of national urgency to boost education attainment. The target audience generally includes those adult…

Higher education is ripe for innovation. While emerging technological developments such as digital courseware and mobiles apps have made it easier than ever for people to engage with learning resources, significant issues of access and equity persist among students from low-income, minority, single-parent families, and other disadvantaged groups.…

In recent years, with support from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has funded various developmental education initiatives, including research and evaluation efforts, to help Texas public institutions of higher education provide more effective programs and services to underprepared students. Based on evaluation…

This paper describes the use of advisory boards in the development of two competency-based business programs: one graduate and the other undergraduate. Though the programs varied significantly in structure and content, both used focus group methodology to collect comprehensive and relevant input from advisory board members comprised of local…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

This compilation of reprinted journal and newspaper articles covers the following topics: (1) The Front Lines; (2) Federal Policy; (3) Charter Schools; (4) School Choice; (5) Standards, Tests, and Accountability; (6) Teacher Quality; (7) Curriculum and Content; (8) Higher Education; and (9) Grab Bag. Each section is preceded by commentaries on…

This paper: (1) describes the recently implemented Texas plan for school reform; (2) delineates a major component of Texas reform, the career ladder. In response to a nationwide call for raised educational standards, Texas passed HB 72, a comprehensive education bill implementing a comprehensive "career ladder" model for the testing,…

The report of the seminar on inservice vocational education personnel development contains the transcripts of 14 speeches and the reports of six discussion groups. The papers are organized under four main headings: the context of inservice education, which contains three papers on inservice education philosophy, requirements, and responsibility;…