A program based on the business world's system of contracting between employer and employee, in effect, the production of a particular product for a specific wage as stated in a written contract, was utilized in a six week independent study assignment. Students had the opportunity to choose the subject and received credit for it. (Author/RK)

The implications of the movement to individualize the curriculum in higher education are examined. The background and basic premises of the movement are explored and the realities and problems of the program at Empire State College are examined. The nature of contract education is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Two baccalaureate-level programs that sought to make their educational outcomes explicit within competency-based education (CBE) are compared. The CBE programs in social work, the learning contracts involved, and assessment techniques are described for programs at the University of Montana and the University of Georgia.

The programs discussed in this document are those sponsored by public school systems with enrollments of 12,000 or more in which students voluntarily enroll as an option to the regular high school program available in their district. The characteristics of alternative high schools are outlined and consideration is given to (1) college and…