This paper is part of a series investigating the implementation of competency education. The purpose of the paper is to explore how districts and schools can redesign grading systems to best help students to excel in academics and to gain the skills that are needed to be successful in college, the community, and the workplace. In order to make the…

Annual student testing may make it possible to measure the contributions to student achievement made by individual teachers. But would these "teacher value-added" measures help to improve student achievement? I consider the statistical validity, purposes, and costs of teacher value-added policies. Many of the key assumptions of teacher value added…

"I am shortlisting a candidate with GCSE in English and another with Level 2 in Literacy; does it mean they have the same skill at the same level? Also what is Key Skills in Communication? I am confused!" There are many different qualifications available in the lifelong learning sector and it is not always easy to see how they relate to…

Reviews potential Internet applications in counseling test selection, orientation, administration, scoring and interpretation. Explores inappropriate assessment use, relationship issues, ethics, credentialing, and training. (Contains 39 references and an appendix.) (Author/GCP)

Mounting pressure in the policy arena to improve teacher productivity either by improving signals that predict teacher performance or through creating incentive contracts based on performance--has spurred two related questions: Are there important determinants of teacher productivity that are not captured by teacher credentials but that can be…

Certification of professional counselors is presently viewed in two realms, that of state regulation and of national voluntary credentialing. This digest considers national voluntary certification. The first national certification began in 1972; in 1983 the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) began certification for general practice…

In order to satisfy the needs of the many adults without a high school diploma, the New York State External High School Diploma Program was developed in 1972 as an alternative high school credentialing program for adults who have acquired skills through their life experiences and can demonstrate these skills in applied performance tests. The…

Constructs a model that explains a large fraction of the variance in political science departmental rankings. Divides the objective predictors into two sets: one reflecting faculty quality ratings of department members, the other the effects of circumstances beyond a department's control. This model works well with most social science disciplines.…

Analyzes the National Research Council's rating of political science departments and discovers the ratings reflect two general sets of characteristics, the size and productivity of the faculty. Reveals that the quality and impact of faculty research is more important than the overall output. Includes tables of statistical data. (MJP)