Many more people are in need of rehabilitation, social services, and education than there are professionals available to provide help. This gap in service has led to the exploration and utilization of nonprofessionals to fill these roles. Many of these nonprofessionals are peers of the needy people. This adds the advantage of "peer relationships"…

This paper provides guidelines in a question-and-answer format for developing systems of performance standards and accountability for vocational education. The seven questions answered in the guide are the following: What are performance measures and standards? What types of performance measures and standards should be developed? How many measures…

A summary of a conference session addresses issues involved in determining and evaluating competencies in teachers of visually handicapped children. Four papers are presented on the implications of a project initiated in 1978 at the University of Michigan that established 70 teacher competency statements in 10 goal areas. The first paper,…

Competencies considered to be essential to the community school district superintendent, the education coordinator, school principals and superintendents, and the community education director are examined. High priority is given to those qualities the community has a right to expect from its educational leaders. Competencies in the areas of public…

Teachers, administrators, and a few parents and students rated 100 teacher competency statements with the help of the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education. These competency statements then served as the basis for the Professional Personnel Evaluation System (PPES), which also consists of rating scales to be completed by…

Trident Technical College developed a process using microcomputers to produce certificates for competency-based curricula. At the beginning of the process, criteria were set for the program. A software program was needed that used available computers, was easy to use, and produced a competency statement that was easy to read and interpret. A…

Computer-assisted learning (CAL) can be used for adults functioning at any academic or grade level. In adult basic education (ABE), CAL can promote greater learning effectiveness and faster progress, concurrent learning and experience with computer literacy skills, privacy, and motivation. Adults who face barriers (financial, geographic, personal,…

The External High School Diploma (EHSD) Program is a specially developed program to grant credits to urban adults for skills developed through life experiences. This District of Columbia program is designed to grant credit for life experiences and career-related skills by documenting the levels of knowledge and skills adults have attained by…

The United States lacks uniform popular definitions of "literacy," remediations, or consensus for national standards. Factors beyond the control of educational and political structures continually modify and dominate discussions of illiteracy and strategies of remediation. In most advanced cultures, alienation and functional illiteracy…

The present study investigated the independent and combined effects of perceived parental support and social problem-solving skills on children's emotional adjustment. Thirty-six fourth- and fifth-grade children completed measures of perceived parental support, social problem-solving skills, self-perceived competence and self-worth, and recent…

A theory of vocational education and training (VET) somewhat different than that currently accepted is a set of beliefs about the purpose, practices, and principles associated with producing occupational competence. VET institutions need to be aware of and responsive to work force requirements. An analysis of information about current and future…

The role of teachers serving as policy board members of the Metrolina Educational Consortium (MEC) in North Carolina is discussed. The MEC is concerned with teacher education programs and is composed of classroom teachers, college representatives, local education agency staff, and state education department staff. The board members are mandated to…

A project identified and validated minimal competencies that describe what K-8 classroom teachers actually do in community education. A total of 27 participants from four Phoenix elementary schools, each of which had an active community education program, identified tasks in five areas related to community education. These were program planning,…

A model is presented for upgrading statewide school psychology practice by raising the level of entry for school psychology certification. Central features of the plan are outlined, including how it permits those who currently do not meet the revised standards to participate in a field-based program to increase their knowledge and skills so that…

A study collected baseline data about the status of teacher preservice Career and Technology Education (CTE) from program chairs at colleges and universities in the United Status. The survey had six sections: pedagogical competencies for CTE teachers, CTE certification process, course delivery, recent program revisions, CTE program demographics,…