The Nellie Mae Education Foundation created this Student-Centered Learning Continuum (SCL Continuum) to establish the characteristics of high-quality, student-centered learning in classrooms, schools, and districts. This continuum is based upon existing research and cutting-edge practice, incorporates the experiences of experts and practitioners,…

Introduces and defines strategic planning in organizational training, describes four current schools of curriculum theory--subject-centered, experience-centered, objectives-centered, and opportunity-centered--and illustrates how each theory can be modified to make training anticipate as well as react to organizational needs. (MBR)

This document is an assessment of a performance-based education project that involved a United States history course, offered at a community college. Thirty-two student performance objectives are outlined and lesson plans designed to achieve each objective are presented. Each lesson plan consists of an instructional topic, prerequisites, interest…

This position paper offers a review of the recent criticisms levelled against the products of the National History Standards committees and addresses those criticisms. The four issues of controversy suggested for consideration when examining the U.S. history or world history volumes include: (1) Who wrote these books? (2) Are the standards…

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of assessment and evaluation. Issues,…

Mississippi's Education Reform Act of 1982 calls for developing a performance-based school accreditation system that applies research findings on school effectiveness. This paper describes the conceptual model, the proposed accreditation process, and the field testing plan developed by the Performance-Based School Assessment Task Force. The model…

Describes factors shaping library and information science field to illustrate the need for continuing education (CE), and constructs a de facto library school CE role based on indicators developed from examination of patterns in presence of CE coordinator, CE pattern statistics, course content, costs, and CE announcements in professional…

Thorough planning is required before implementing an examination for a high school diploma. It was decided in 1977 that Alabama educators would establish minimum competencies for grades 3, 6, and 9. The competencies for grade 9 then became the skills to be assessed on the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE), first given to eleventh…

The processes used by the Defense Language Institute (DLI) Foreign Language Center to develop proficiency-based nonresident courses in Czech, Polish, and Russian for language maintenance is described. Based on needs assessment and analysis of Department of Defense endusers, DLI provided the concept and design for the Proficiency Improvement…

A number of changes have been made in student assessment at the University of Montana School of Law, in an attempt to assess elements of student performance as well as knowledge level. Within the educational goal of blending legal theory and practical skills, practicing lawyers were surveyed about what a good lawyer should be able to do and should…

Maintains that professional development based on competency-based education and training is growing. Reviews postsecondary inservice teacher education programs. Argues that democratic traditions in teaching and learning should be included in professional development programs. (CFR)

This report on the TMT (Training Modules for Trainers) Project, part of the Special Discretionary Grant Program developed by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in response to the need for coordinated training activities, begins with a discussion of the emerging problem of upgrading teachers' computer literacy skills. A description of the…

This study was conducted as part of a project to develop a competency-based electrical/electronics (E/E) curriculum in Arizona. During this phase of the project, the following tasks were completed: (1) examination of selected E/E jobs in Arizona to develop a list of electronics competencies; (2) tying of electronic competencies to a particular…

The validation of Tennessee's Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) is described. Panels of experts from teacher education institutions and local school districts performed the test item review, focusing on test validity and minimum requirements for admission to teacher education programs. Participants (136 teacher educators, 108 high school…

The Comprehensive Education Reform Act of 1984 (CERA) provides the mandate and framework for the Tennessee Career Ladder Program for teachers and administrators. The development and structure of the Tennessee Career Ladder Plan for teachers, a five level program which provides for teacher certification based upon performance, is discussed in this…