A Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) is based on four principles: it is (1) mastery oriented, (2) individually paced, (3) student proctored, and (4) includes lectures for stimulation and motivation. Advantages of PSI for vocational education courses are noted. (LRA)

The ideal learning center is, in essence, a living definition of competency-based education. Such a center has the capability of meeting the diverse needs of adult school students while at the same time raising the coping skills or competencies of its participants on an individualized basis. (Author)

This technical report attempts to (1) provide information on issues and factors involved in analyzing extended degree costs; (2) provide brief explanation of how cost-related tools have been used in allocation of resources in similar degree programs; (3) indicate the types of information that are needed in making cost analysis of the extended…

This document is part of a comprehensive workshop training package designed to assist in developing strategies for improving the preservice and inservice preparation of vocational education administrators. Descriptions of three major delivery strategies are presented in this document. These strategies include the externship program,…

Describes how to use the performance-based concept in developing staff. Discusses the identification of objectives based on performance expectations and the development of learning experiences that (1) emphasize application of knowledge; (2) integrate adult learning principles; and (3) make use of learning contracts, self-learning packages,…

The Adult Performance Level (APL) Competency-Based High School Diploma (CBHSD) Program in Texas is briefly described. The program was developed as a flexible and effective alternative to a conventional high school diploma program and to the General Educational Development (GED) test. Program goals are expressed as competency outcomes which are…

The University of Texas Pilot Program was operated in five sites in Texas (Abilene, Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, and Temple) to demonstrate the utility of competency-based high school diplomas for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) clients. Included among the program features common to all five sites were the following: (1) the…

The Alternative Learning Experiences (ALE) Program at Whatcom Community College was designed to provide opportunities for students to pursue educational goals outside the traditional classroom, specifically through the use of learning contracts, advising services, on-the-job training programs, correspondence courses, and competency-based…

The Instructional Support System for Occupational Education (ISSOE) Dissemination Project was initiated to conduct research on the roles of individuals associated with the management of ISSOE. The goal was understanding the management concerns surrounding ISSOE dissemination. Phase 2 activities were designed and carried out to fulfill four major…

Reported here are the continuing hearings on H.R. 15 (a bill to extend for five years certain elementary and secondary education programs and the Adult Education Act) which examine the accomplishments and problems of the Adult Education Act since it was last amended in 1976. One-half of the content consists of the testimony, statements, and…

This handbook is offered as a guide and resource for Adult Basic Education (ABE) curriculum development in the area of adult competencies and coping skills. It addresses sixty-five Adult Performance Level (APL) objectives identified in a previous study. Following a brief introduction, steps for organizing the curriculum begin in section 2 with…

Three areas of concern for those considering competency-based graduation requirements are discussed. First, what is involved in implementing a competency-based graduation requirement? The first tasks are the specification of performance standards and the performance skill areas. Then, appropriate certification procedures can be selected, and their…

In 1967 the University of Cincinnati initiated one of the first graduate programs in health planning to provide qualified professionals to staff health planning agencies. In 1974 the university began to develop an external degree program to meet the needs of employed health personnel. The program incorporates individualized, self-paced,…

Little is known about the costs of setting up and implementing legislated minimal competency testing (MCT). To estimate the financial obstacles which lie between the idea and its implementation, MCT requirements are viewed from two perspectives. The first, government regulation, views legislated minimal competency requirements as an attempt by the…