The COVID-19 pandemic is putting immense strain on districts, schools, students, families, and all the stakeholders connected to them. During the Great Recession, many people enrolled in a postsecondary pathway based on the job market's weakness. Those without any postsecondary education fared particularly poorly after the Great Recession.…

With state resources for higher education under constant pressure, it is critical to understand how to maximize institutional performance while being economical with resource allocation. Future workforce demands will call for an increasing number of those entering the workforce to have some form of higher education instruction, beyond their…

Students planning to attend community college or enter the workforce directly from high school need technical instruction and work experience that result in industry designed and recognized credentials along with a high school diploma. This fact sheet examines the Delaware Pathways program, which provides students with career-readiness training…

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…

This report presents the experiences and outcomes of accounting standards-setters who have, in many cases, been successful in establishing a national, uniform system of certification for public accountants. An executive summary appears first. The report begins with two sections that examine the evolution of accounting into a 20th-century…

This document is intended to provide suggestions to the decision makers in Hawaii's public education system who are trying to find strategies for better integrating vocational and academic education and who are considering granting equivalent credit for basic academic skills taught in vocational and academic courses. The following topics are…

Nontraditional instruction is increasingly available through the Internet and other technology-based delivery systems. The telecommunication network now in place can distribute high quality educational materials to students. This briefing paper argues that the "virtual university" created by the technological delivery of instruction, while…

This brief report states that legal problems with competency testing have been more procedural than substantive-more concerned with implementation than legitimacy. The right to notice is the most straight-forward and firmly established principle to emerge from competency testing litigation. Students must have fair warning and opportunity to…

In the summer of 1984, the Pennsylvania Department of Education conducted a survey of promotion policies and practices in Pennsylvania schools in response to a request for information from the State Board of Education. This document presents the major findings from the analysis of data from the 423 school districts that completed the survey. A…

A credible system of assessment and formal documentation for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) clients' program experiences is needed to provide disadvantaged youth and adults with a method to present skills and abilities to employers. This system could certify skills and experience of dislocated workers to prospective new employers, assist…

In view of federal legislation being proposed for the reauthorization of the Adult Education Act that promotes increased program accountability and benchmarking of learner outcomes, this publication has been prepared as part of an effort to document student achievement in Iowa. Based on studies that have taken place over the past 17 years, this…

A national study estimated the short-term impacts of Job Corps (JC) on participants' employment and related outcomes during the 30 months after random assignment. Results for the short-term impact analysis were based on a comparison of eligible program participants randomly assigned to a program group (n=9,409) or a control group (n=5,977) that…

Enhanced cooperation in vocational education and training (VET) will be an important contribution toward ensuring a successful enlargement of the European Union. The social partners play an indispensable role in development, validation, and recognition of vocational competencies and qualifications at all levels and are partners in promotion of…

Information on degree and certificate programs and the rate of student completions for fiscal year 1984-1985 at North Dakota postsecondary institutions is presented. Information is categorized by program level and by type of institution. For the two- and four-year institutions, the chief administrator is identified. Data are provided on tuition…

This guide provides assessment models to those involved in planning and implementing workplace assessment and certification systems, including systems supported by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. Chapter 2 presents the following: a kindergarten-through-career vision for cross-industry assessment; a plan for spanning the needs and goals of…