This paper provides information about noncredit instruction in the California Community Colleges and updates the 2009 paper "Noncredit Instruction: Opportunity and Challenge" to incorporate subsequent changes from the last decade. Since the passage of SB 361 (Scott, 2006), noncredit instruction has seen significant changes, including the…

This article describes the program concepts and procedures implemented in one state employment service agency to establish an accountable counseling program. These procedures include the development of a competency-based training and supervision system. The competency model is described and its goals are specified. (Author)

The potential of minimum competency testing cannot be realized unless school districts engage in the complex processes of competency-based program development. (Author/MLF)

The article reviews the characteristics generally identified as common to competency-based education and offers planning suggestions for teachers: (1) prestated and published performance objectives, (2) accountability, (3) personalized and individualized instruction, and (4) delivery systems, which provide several modes of instruction pertinent to…

In recognition of the need for guidance services to be accountable for their portion of the educational process, this guide was designed for the development of a competency-based, outcome-stated plan by each school district in Texas. The guide covers the five phases of the planning process and the counselor competencies required. The format is…

Basic definitions, conceptual clarity, and analyses of the organizational and social implications of various competency-based education approaches are badly needed. (Author/EB)

A review of the literature base on competency-based education (CBE) as it relates to vocational education (competency-based vocational education or CBVE) is presented in this information analysis paper. The following topics are discussed: differences between traditional and competency-based education; growth and breadth of CBVE (including…

This paper provides guidelines in a question-and-answer format for developing systems of performance standards and accountability for vocational education. The seven questions answered in the guide are the following: What are performance measures and standards? What types of performance measures and standards should be developed? How many measures…

The model proposed in this book specifies that there are four types of interrelated practices that determine the extent to which accountability is realized. These are (1) the identification of primary accountability agents and their respective program responsibilities, (2) the execution of internal program reviews by those program officers, (3)…

This report extends the results of an earlier study on the use of performance measures and standards to suggest principles for designing outcome-based program improvement systems. It examines the implications of that research for enhancing accountability in future federal work force preparation legislation. It also illustrates specifically how the…

This document describes the 1997-98 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Initiative at Spokane Community College (SCC) in Washington. The SLO mission is to define and integrate critical Student Learning Objectives and Abilities into college-wide, outcomes-based curricula so that students in all courses of study show understanding and proficiency in…

Resulting from a project undertaken by Iowa's Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to develop course and program competencies for the assessment of student academic achievement, this plan describes the assessment model developed by the college. Introductory sections describe the process used to develop the plan and provide responses to…

This monograph contains eleven exemplary articles that focus on topics related to competency-based adult education. Among the articles included are (1) Competency Based Education: Is It Applicable to Adult Education Programs?, by James E. Hertling; (2) What Adult Performance Level Is--and Is Not, by William G. Spady; (3) Competency Based…

In an effort to meet all federal, state, and accreditation requirements, as well as accountability demands from business and industry, Iowa's Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) developed a 3-year faculty-driven process to develop a plan for assessing student outcomes. The first step in the process was the formation of a 22-member faculty…