This book considers critically the many issues surrounding competency-based education and training (CBE/T) and provides practical advice on its appropriateness and application to educational and training programs. Part A places the whole issue of CBE/T in its appropriate contexts. Chapters 1-3 examine the concept of competence and its articulation…

The practice and processes of articulated tech prep programs were examined in Spring 1991. Two major areas of focus were getting a general picture of the status of tech prep programs in the United States and learning about tech prep programs for at-risk students. A literature review focused on three areas: definition, background, and philosophy;…

This report is one of a series produced by the National Center for Improving Science Education. The Center synthesizes and translates the findings, recommendations, and perspectives embodied in recent and forthcoming studies and reports in order to develop practical resources for policymakers and practitioners. Toward achieving the High School…

The Veterans' Administration new Primary Ambulatory Care and Education (PACE) program at the Sepulveda (California) VA Medical Center, departs from traditional VA medical education models by shifting focus of care from inpatient to outpatient settings. The program uses an interdisciplinary team approach and stresses managed primary care. Aspects…

Explores issues faced by designers of school choice systems as numbers and types of choice arrangements proliferate and become more complex. Defines elements of a successful system of choice. The system developed will depend on the intentions, assumptions, and commitments present in the initial design. (SLD)

As part of her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education course, Verushka Taylor was asked to imagine how issues the Social Contexts of Secondary Education class was reading about and discussing impact upon the work of teachers. To that end, students were asked to think deeply about one of the topics addressed in the semester, and to frame a…

This document summarizes the following eight-component framework of the Commission on Chapter 1 for restructuring the Chapter 1 program: (1) have states set clear, high standards for all students; (2) devise new systems for schools to assess progress toward standards; (3) inform parents about how well their children are progressing toward…

A systems approach is used to show how changes in the design of English training programs for training international teaching assistants (ITA) have affected curriculum design. The approach is described, and three phases of curriculum development are outlined: initial design, ongoing reform, and radical renewal. The history of ITA program design…

Discussion of doctoral education looks at current trends in demand and supply; previous patterns in the nationality of doctoral degree recipients (1985-94); expansion and contraction in master's and doctoral degrees awarded, by discipline group (1976-93); and structural features of doctoral education (competition, departmental control, student…

Reports development and results of the Kramer Project, a two-year study of the implementation of a problem-solving, activity-based mathematics program in the elementary grades. Describes the mathematical content covered, participating teachers, instructional materials employed, inservice teacher training provided, and academic achievement gains of…

A study of 65 doctoral programs in higher education indicates disturbing trends: (1) mergers into larger academic units; (2) significant decline in student diversity among rather stable populations; and (3) retirement of most tenured faculty within 10 years. Despite continuity and stability overall, these changes suggest a need for unified…

Even Start is a family literacy and support program for families with young children. This paper focuses on the impact and potential of transitions for children and adults as Even Start helps them move across settings. Such transitions occur daily, such as from home to day care to work, or occur over time, such as a transition to formal schooling.…

Project 30 is a collaborative effort involving 30 representative institutions of higher education whose mandate is the redesign the way that prospective teachers are educated at the nation's colleges and universities. Faculties of arts and sciences and faculties in education are engaged in joint action for fundamental reform. The 30 participating…

This five-part volume presents a comprehensive collection of 24 accounts of campus assessment practices by the individuals who developed and implemented them. Part 1 presents the stories of five institutions in which assessment has effected a marked change in the way faculty and staff do their work. Part 2 describes some of the broad approaches to…

This paper explains how worldwide economic, social, and technological changes are necessitating changes in the way vocational education is delivered. Vocational programs are encountering a whole new range of clients, including the following: people who are functionally illiterate, physically challenged, or long-term unemployed; out-of-work youth;…