As states move to implement the Common Core State Standards, key challenges remain. One is how to make sure a high school diploma acknowledges what students have achieved. Should states adopt a two tiered diploma, in which students who pass internationally aligned Common Core exams at a career- and college-ready level receive an…

Educators continue to show interest in the topic of certification use, which is not surprising. Certifications provide educators access to "de facto" content standards that define expectations of what students need to know and be able to do; teaching materials and resources that make it easier for educators to teach the knowledge and skills…

Argues against the inclusion of a writing sample as part of the GED examination. (AEA)

Welsh project studied uses in adult education of the National Record of Achievement (NRA), a common format for summarizing education, training, and employment, concluding that NRAs should be appropriate to adult needs; adults should have ownership of the process and understand its purposes and their roles; and the process of recording achievement…

Pressure from policymakers and industry and the drive for competitiveness are the impetus behind national industry skill standards, already in place in some industries and states. Obstacles include controversy over the cluster versus specific approach, union fears, and employer and school acceptance. (SK)

Discusses the need for national skill standards and the problems associated with establishing them. Suggests tasks that must be completed: (1) reaching consensus on what constitutes an industry; (2) settling how specific the lists will be; (3) determining how to set standards; and (4) figuring out how to assess students and what certification…

Briefly notes the June 1979 conference in Memphis, Tennessee, of the Council on the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and reports an interview with Paul J. Grogan, who was primarily responsible for developing the CEU concept. Dr. Grogan explains the purpose of CEU and its value for the training director. (MF)

Issues faced by mature black women returning to education include past negative experiences of schooling, threats to their personal relationships and other social pressures, psychological barriers, and balancing educational costs with their basic needs. (SK)

Accreditation of adult learning raises two issues: (1) whether accrediting processes are the right ones and (2) which educational values and principles underlie them. Accreditation based on flexible accumulation and transfer of achievements is needed to document the vital learning outcomes of adult education. (SK)

This book describes a strategy for school reform, "planning backwards from exhibitions," which is a collective invention of the Coalition of Essential Schools. The strategy is based on the principle that graduation from high school should be based on genuine achievement. The first article, by Joseph P. McDonald, explains that the purpose of…

Provides a historical review and assessment of Britain's General Certificate of Education and Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Projects the implications of the GCSE for teachers and students and presents challenging views on several of its principles. (ML)

Discusses the following issues raised by competency-based education (CBE): (1) defining competency, (2) nonequivalent levels of competency, (3) monitoring student progress, (4) competency testing, (5) grouping for instruction, and (6) the legal implications of competency testing. Presents guidelines to reading teachers considering employment in a…

As more states adopt minimum competency testing (MCT) programs, MCT is becoming the subject of much debate among educators and in the courts. MCT has been attacked by those who claim it discriminates against Blacks and non-English-speaking minorities. Also raised in the MCT debate is the question of educational malpractice. (RLV)

Argues against using results of minimum competency testing (MCT) as the sole determinant of student classification, promotion, or condition for graduation from high school. Favors accountability, but asserts that MCT is not the best alternative available. (WD)

If Britain is to deliver a genuine framework for lifelong learning in the 21st century, a qualifications system must be developed to support this framework. The National Qualifications Framework may not be fit for the purpose of supporting lifelong learning. A policy on lifelong learning must explicitly connect with qualifications reform to have…