Competency-based education (CBE) is an approach to pedagogy that emphasizes the mastery of skills and concepts rather than credit hours or seat time. The assessment of mastery can take several forms, including formal assessments of prior learning (such as portfolio reviews or examinations) and automated evaluations of online coursework. Advocates…

The purpose of this report is to document evidence of institutional change in teacher preparation among universities participating in the Teachers for a New Era (TNE) Learning Network. The report is based upon a cross-case analysis of individual case studies of nine universities, conducted by Academy for Educational Development (AED) researchers.…

Mike Shaughnessy is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Statistics at Portland State University in Oregon. He served as co-chair for the Board for the Special Interest Group for Research in Mathematics Education of the American Educational Research Association from 2005-2007. A member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Teachers…

Periodically, over a period of 20 years, the state of Oregon has drafted and discarded various definitions of basic education. As a result of House Bill 2132, the Oregon State Board of Education responded to the call to define by rule a basic education program to be available to all elementary and secondary students in public schools. This report…

Various instructional delivery systems (technology centered and people centered) are identified that might function to serve the educational needs of Oregonians in the 1980's (e.g. dial access systems and consortia). Perspectives and priorities are discussed and recommendations made to the Educational Coordinating Council of Oregon State…

This report focuses on two programs launched by the U. S. Office of Education (USOE) for personnel development in vocational education. The two programs (section 552, Leadership Development Awards and section 553, State Systems for Personnel Development), created under part F of the Education Professions Development Act (EPDA), are examined in 11…

Information from interviews with a parent coordinator at Eastside Elementary School, a teacher at Silver Lea Corridor School, and a student at Action High and the Planning Course is presented to show history, relationship and function with parents, teachers, students, and administrators in the Eugene, Oregon, public alternative school system. (JT)

While the majority of adults who take the General Educational Development (GED) test do so in order to continue their education, few go on to enter postsecondary education. Yet, these same adults stand to make substantial economic and personal gains when they use their adult secondary credential to move from the ranks of high school dropout to…

While most community and technical colleges individually offer courses by distance learning, they are increasingly challenged to provide the full range of instructional and student support services needed for expanding distance education programs. To address this issue, Washington and Oregon community and technical colleges formed distance…

Designed as an abridged reference tool for small rural school teachers and administrators, this report on the final Oregon Small Schools Program (OSSP) summer institute (a Title III Elementary Secondary Education Act project in operation 1966-1974) is divided into two sections. Three major presentations constitute Part 1. These include: (1) a…

Management issues, guidelines, policies, and procedures for implementing a statewide plan in Oregon for improving secondary school special education and transition programs for students with mild or severe disabilities are described. An overview is given of the development of the plan, including discussion of: background events; general underlying…

The Migrant Education Section of the Oregon State Department of Education is responsible for providing educational and ancillary services to children of migrant agricultural workers. Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), provides payment to state educational agencies for assistance in educating migrant children. Funds provided by…

This is a guide to the nature, purpose, and potential uses of 12 course goal collections produced by the Tri-County Goal Development Project through the cooperative efforts of school districts and intermediate education districts of three counties in the metropolitan Portland, Oregon, area. The Project initially fostered collections of educational…

Following a brief welcoming statement by Gwen Ericcsen, Executive Director of the Foundation for Oregon Research and Education (FORE), conference papers address a wide range of issues on the current challenges of educational reform. Among these issues are the hard choices brought about by the changing economics of education, and the value of…