In 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation extended grants to three educational organizations working to develop or enhance competency-based approaches in large, urbanized school systems. The grant initiative, called Project Mastery, funded the development of technology-enhanced tools, including curriculum materials and online learning…

In 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Project Mastery grant program to support competency-based education initiatives in large school systems that serve a high proportion of disadvantaged youth. Competency-based education meets students where they are academically, provides students with opportunities for choice, and awards…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe preceptors' implementation experiences after implementing a workplace learning program in Texas WIC (women, infant, and children) agencies and identify implementation best practices. Design/methodology/approach: This research used qualitative description methodology. Data collection consisted of 11…

A project was conducted in Texas to update office education curriculum based on previously developed workplace outcomes and integration of competencies identified by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). One course, Business Computer Applications I, was chosen as the model for the project. During the project, activities…

This manual, which accompanies a curriculum guide, is designed for users of Texas' 2 + 2 Tech Prep program, which trains individuals who followed the general track degree program in high school to provide high-quality care and education to young children. The manual explains the relation of the technical preparation (Tech Prep) education model to…

The University of Texas Pilot Program was operated in five sites in Texas (Abilene, Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, and Temple) to demonstrate the utility of competency-based high school diplomas for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) clients. Included among the program features common to all five sites were the following: (1) the…

This study was designed to measure instructional design competencies as a result of participation in a 9-month Web-based training program called "Roadmap to Effective Distance Education Instructional Design." The researchers used a self-assessment pre- and posttest to determine participant initial and final competence in 12 areas: adult…

This curriculum guide was developed to help teachers in Texas provide training in occupational-related agricultural education to persons both in groups and on the job. The guide is organized in 33 sections. The first section covers group instruction with the remaining sections covering the following occupational titles: farm equipment operator;…

The Texas adult performance level (APL) project LINK-FOUR implemented a curriculum based on functional competencies at four sites (Austin, Texarkana, Texas City, and Abilene) and formed linkages with local organizations involved in adult vocational education. The concept on which the project was based was that a set of prevocational skills, plus a…