Results from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) indicate that English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) students have comparatively low success and high deferral rates. This study examined the 2002 and 2003 OSSLT test performances of ESL/ELD and non-ESL/ELD students in order to identify and…

"The New Zealand Curriculum: Draft for Consultation" (Ministry of Education, 2006) aims to first "set the direction for learning for all students while at school and will ensure that when they leave, they are equipped for lifelong learning and for living in a world where continual change is the norm" (p. 7), and second, to…

Objective: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education have mandated the transition from written global evaluation methods to competency-based assessments in resident and medical student training. Assessment of competency requires analysis of performance data from numerous sources. This…

This article presents the historical pertinence of undergraduate education to developing a career ladder within the field of vocational rehabilitation. Support for the relevance is presented through the results of an investigation of baccalaureate-level competence and preparation as perceived by graduates of rehabilitation services programs. Job…

This study examines the relationship between skill emphases in rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) programs and perceived importance of those skills for counselor effectiveness. Examining results between this nationwide survey of rehabilitation counselor educators and data from an earlier research by Leahy, Chan, and Saunders (2003) that…

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) are used to examine the relationship between minimum competency testing and dropout rates. Proponents of such testing have argued that minimum competency tests provide incentives for schools and students, but opponents have argued that such tests lead to a low-level basic skills…

As part of a statewide articulation initiative, a general education core curriculum was developed for all Illinois colleges and universities to facilitate the transfer of students pursuing baccalaureate degrees. This report describes the development of the curriculum and reviews component courses. First, an overview is provided of the curriculum,…

Although the use of test results to demonstrate educational shortcomings is important, tests and assessments are also expected to be an instrument of reform. In fact, they are often expected to provide the primary means of creating educational reform. The minimum competency testing movement and the expansion of the use of test results for…

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning plans to implement the "profile of learning" plan in 3 phases over 3 years beginning in the 1996-97 school year. This information brief contains a chart that depicts the profile of learning and highlights each of its elements. The profile of learning is composed of 10 broadly…

The Minnesota Legislature directed the Minnesota State Board of Education to set in rule the content and performance standards that public high school students must achieve in order to graduate. This information brief describes the history and current status of the High School Graduation Rule for public school students in Minnesota. The state's…

Australian research into competency-based training and assessment is very thin and theoretical discussion is often superficial. One curious feature in the Australian debate is the belief by many that competency-based training is possible without competency-based assessment. Definitions are being debated. In a longitudinal study, researchers have…

The newspaper is a familiar tool to many teachers. This book explores another use for the newspaper in the classroom. As an aid in the teaching and remediating of basic mathematics skills, the newspaper adds variety to classroom instruction. The suggested newspaper activities and teaching ideas presented here are specifically designed to reinforce…

This competency analysis profile contains eight lists of mathematics skills that have been identified by employers and verified by math-certified instructors as being core competencies for eight groups of occupational areas. Each list is organized into subsections dealing with the following: numbers and number relations, measurement, data analysis…

This paper calls for the collaboration of general educators and special educators as cooperative teaching teams to better serve diverse student populations. Research in Anne Arundel County (Maryland) indicating significantly higher passage rates on statewide minimum competency tests, by students (n=343) in co-taught high school classes compared to…

A New Jersey Task Force on Adult Literacy recommended ways to improve the literacy delivery system for adults. This report and its recommendations focus on improving coordinated interagency planning and accountability to increase governmental efficiency, and on advancing the employability and self-sufficiency of the three million low-literate…