The author proposes that the academic/vocational dichotomy in American schools be replaced with the concept of "functional education," in which business, secondary schools, and colleges cooperate to provide more flexible and realistic training that will benefit young people and will provide business with the educated workers it needs. (SJL)

Stating that national educational policy increasingly involves the minimum competencies mentality, the author discusses his proposal to investigate the outer limits of human educability, addressing five steps toward creating educational programs to maximize human educability: master patterns, personal patterns, stages of development, educational…

Conflicting definitions reveal the diversity of motives and goals in the back-to-basics movement. Dealing with the problem must include consideration of the impact of television, the realization that basic and nonbasic education are complementary, and the need for coordination of K-12 and postsecondary education. (JMF)

Several aspects of national competency tests are discussed: two conceptualizations; arguments pro and con; the federal perspective; a distillation of support and opposition to arguments judged unique to national competency tests; and a hypothetical procedure for implementation. (MH)

An overview and critique, with special reference to independent schools, of the minimum competency testing movement as a solution to the political and educational furor over declining student achievement. (SJL)

The use by 31 reading specialists, compensatory education teachers, and secondary reading teachers of Angoff and Nedelsky methods for setting cutting scores for a high-school graduation test in reading comprehension was studied. The Angoff method provides a wider variety of information and yields estimates closer to actual p values. (TJH)

Reports a study on minimum competency testing in American high schools. Discusses the effects on students who fail to pass it, and the perceptions of educators and administrators about the value and barrier aspects of these tests. Implications of the findings for research, policy making, and educational practice are explored. (JS)

One of the few states to link reform in elementary and secondary education to higher education is Maryland, which is working toward linking statewide minimum competency testing to business hiring practices, college admission, and eventually even scholarship money. The plan is designed to end the need for remediation classes for recent high school…

Reviews 14 selected conferences and 11 key reports and documents regarding professional preparation and the development of professional standards in health education, starting with a 1943 statement from the American Public Health Association. The review was developed from an analysis of original documents containing conference proceedings and…

Examines assumptions about Britain's Management Charter Initiative (MCI)--a competency-based approach to management education. Explores delegate motivation, significant in the process of accrediting prior learning. (JOW)

Investigated the concurrent validity of various PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators) tests, noting how they fared on judgments of more contemporary notions of validity. Analysis of seven iterations of PLACE tests from five Colorado institutions supported the construct validity of the PLACE. This paper reports the…

Discusses how a parent advisory process was used to write professional-education competencies and develop teaching strategies for a military medical school. Includes recommendations for involving parents of young children with special needs in successful advisory activities. (Author/CR)

This article describes the new National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate for teachers of students with disabilities. The certification process, the required Exceptional Needs portfolio, the assessment center, and the application fee are discussed, along with answers to frequently asked questions about the NBPTS.…

Examines the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), which tests all freshmen entering Texas public colleges. Suggests shifting emphasis from the testing instrument to reasons for poor student performance, since emphasis on testing has resulted in large increases in remedial instruction. Concludes that although TASP is a valid diagnostic tool, the…

A competency model, for supporting student learning, was developed for the paraprofessional position (R.A., Community Assistant, etc.) in residential college or living/learning programs. The researcher developed the model through a two-stage process. In the first stage, the critical incident technique was applied utilizing the experiences of…