The traditional system of education is failing our students. Evidence shows competency-based education (CBE) develops empowered learners who succeed, but effective implementation requires a systemwide, coordinated approach. Competency-Based Education Ignited offers school and district leaders a road map for successfully transitioning to CBE that…

Schools have long partnered with local organizations to support access to essential services like food, housing, or mental and physical health. Schools can build on wrap-around school models by helping students and families intentionally cultivate community relationships, skills, and knowledge, thus putting students on a path toward long-term…

Students with significant disabilities typically experience poor postschool employment outcomes. However, when provided opportunities to work and engage within their communities, they can gain necessary work-specific and workplace social skills to improve outcomes. This article outlines a six-step model for community-based employment programs…

Innovation is one of the key drivers of success in modern business, and continuous learning is what drives innovation. Building on the theory and practice of consulting psychology and the science of learning, along with principles of human resources development, Manuel London and Thomas Diamante articulate a five-step process for designing and…

A hallmark of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficulties with social communication, and some learners with ASD experience additional deficits in expressive and/or receptive language that impair their ability to interact with others. However, a strength observed in many learners with ASD is responding to visual cues and structure. The use of…

Illinois is investing in bridge programs as a strategy to help more low-skilled and low-wage workers improve their skills, acquire postsecondary credentials, and move up to better jobs. This guidebook is built on early lessons of bridge programs in Illinois. It is designed as a resource for those who want to develop a new bridge program or…

This report provides a plan that teachers and school supervisors can use to implement seven tips for improving instructional skills. Designed to be referred to regularly, it includes three levels of implementation, as well as recommendations for utilizing technology to support each tip. The seven recommendations include: (1) Use technology to help…

Project management covers a wide range of skills and is one of the best forms of staff development available for the development of skills by doing. This publication is for the use of staff involved in e-learning development projects. An introduction and overview includes discussion of e-learning projects in general and why they are undertaken;…

Describes a program for formulating and implementing a staff development plan for technology based on experiences in the Lake Forest School District (Delaware). A comparison of pre- and posttest responses of teachers indicated improvement in skill levels and more positive attitudes toward the use of technology in education. The annual technology…

This resource book offers people involved in Entrepreneurial Skills Development Programs (ESDPs) in technical and vocational education and training institutions (curriculum developers, trainers, policymakers, and managers) tools to fashion a program that suits their specific environment. The two sections of the book are "Planning an…

This paper discusses the instruction of adult performance outcomes and life skills in classes for students with mental disabilities. Basic considerations in teaching life skills include teaching for lifelong learning, teaching for relevancy, and teaching beyond textbooks and classrooms. Several strategies have contributed to the success of…

This guide offers advice and guidance to key skills managers, coordinators and other practitioners who are responsible for ensuring that the standards of portfolio assessment in their center are consistent across the center and with national standards. It describes and offers advice and guidance on the stages of assessment and internal moderation…

Used to guide instructional design and professional development, this booklet highlights current thinking and practice in those areas of California's English-Language Arts Framework that need additional clarification or may have been implemented unevenly. Issues addressed in the booklet are: (1) the place of skills instruction, especially phonics,…

A two-year research project was conducted to determine the skills employers consider necessary for the workplace. Recent changes in the economy have made employers begin to realize that they must assist their current and future workers in achieving competency in workplace basics if they are to be competitive. Employers have come to realize the…

This report pinpoints the need to upgrade workers' skills and the means for accomplishing this goal through the development of workplace learning programs (WPLPs). Labor supply and demographic trends that affect the nation's workplace are explored. An examination of training programs follows. General guidelines for establishing WPLPs, derived from…