Nationally, over the past few decades, standards-based school reform has taken root as a policy initiative and instructional model. This has advanced the use of learning standards and aligned assessments as a mechanism to bring consistency and clarity to public school curriculum and instruction, with the intention of raising student achievement.…

In the upper northeast corner of the United States, the commitment to competency education has grown so strong that entire states are embracing it through high-leverage comprehensive policies. Of the six New England states -- Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- four have established comprehensive state…

Higher-education institutions in Texas are increasingly exploring innovative approaches to structuring and delivering degree programs. Several institutions have developed competency-based degree programs, which aim to offer new pathways for students to obtain postsecondary credentials and to reduce higher-education costs for students by focusing…

A New York State task force determined that the education system in the state must be changed to prepare youth for the high-performance workplaces of the future. According to the task force, the state must establish globally competitive standards for what youth must know and be able to do as they enter the workplace or postsecondary education.…

Trends in assessment and certification of generic skills in vocational education and training (VET) across Australia were examined. Data were collected through the following activities: a literature review; semi-structured interviews with managers of assessment and teachers and learners in six registered training organizations across Australia;…

A variety of viewpoints were represented in this symposium for chief state school officials and senior staff of state departments of education. Russell Vlaanderen, Education Commission of the States, opened with a national overview: "The Policy Implications of Minimum Competency Testing: The Case of the Standardized Student." Attorney…

This document is intended for adult education providers in Victoria, Australia, who intend to deliver courses leading to one or more of the following certificates in general education for adults: Certificate I in General Education for Adults (Foundation); Certificate II in General Education for Adults; and Certificate II in General Education for…

Korea's labor market was analyzed to inform efforts to develop a scheme to improve the utilization of vocational qualifications. The study examined the different meanings of qualifications in South Korea's labor market and how utilization of qualifications is influenced by factors such as types of human resource management, vocational training…

For the past 20-30 years, both Indonesia and Australia have placed considerable emphasis on reforming their systems of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Indonesia has focused on expanding secondary-level TVET, whereas Australia has emphasized provision of postsecondary-level vocational education and training (VET). Two…

Vocational training (VT) in Taiwan is categorized into public training (PT) and enterprise training (ET). PT is provided primarily by 13 PT centers, and ET is provided in various ways. A review of the state of VT in Taiwan established that VT policies and practices are being influenced by increasing emphasis on the knowledge-based economy and…

This document contains the papers from a conference on current research in vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development in Europe. The following papers are among those included: "The Contribution of the German Pilot Project 'New Learning Concepts within the Dual Vocational Education and Training System' towards the…

Adult learning in Norway was examined in a thematic review that focused on the following areas: the contexts of adult learning; the participants in, providers of, and returns from adult learning; issues and problems facing adult learning; and good practices. The following are among the main findings of the review: (1) adult learning has a long…