A study investigated the relationship of scores in the Texas Academic Skills Program, a minimum competency test for college-bound students, and performance in freshman and sophomore courses, and uses for that information in setting course prerequisites. Data were drawn from 18 courses at one community college. Results showed existing course…

The relationship between school-level minimum competency testing (MCT) programs and student reading proficiency measured by the 1983-84 National Assessment of Educational Progress was studied in subsamples of 10,367 fourth graders, 10,829 eighth graders, and 13,513 eleventh graders. No advantages of MCT programs were seen in grade 4. (SLD)

Discusses the need for effective basic language, literacy, numeracy and other communication skills to support all workforce development programs. The general cultural bias towards these programs has marginalized them and is reflected in policy, curriculum and practice. Adjustments are needed in the approaches to the new climate of workplace…

Heightened demand for testing is seen as a function of public skepticism regarding the quality of public education. Discusses developments and trends in the following areas: (1) minimum competency testing versus higher order skills testing; (2) kindergarten and first grade readiness testing; (3) portfolio-based assessment; and (4) teacher…

Historical methodology and library techniques have been the basis for archival education, but arguments of placement of an archival program within the university and the desirable degree for professional archivists have led to inconsistencies in graduate school curricula. The author conducted a study to determine if graduate schools adequately…

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

In an attempt to revitalize and reform its curriculum, the Associate of Arts-Associate of Science (AA-AS) Degree Review Committee (DRC) of Connecticut's Norwalk Community College issued a curriculum report proposing a 21 credit, limited distributive core for the AS degree (which accounts for 80% of the college's degree recipients). This proposal…

This report describes alternative assessments in vocational education, reviews examples from extended case studies, and discusses criteria to use to choose among assessment alternatives. Chapter 1 is an introduction that contains brief summaries of each of the six assessment alternatives to familiarize the reader with the range of the sample and…

High stakes testing has been in place in North Carolina since the late 1970s with highly visible, nationally norm-referenced tests administered to all students in several grades, as well as minimum competency testing as part of high school graduation requirements. A current back-to-basics movement has resulted in cuts to the testing program. A new…

This document presents a collection of materials on school performance in Maryland, especially as demonstrated in the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) and the Independence Mastery Assessment Program (IMAP) for some special needs students. The MSPAP is a testing program administered to third, fifth, and eighth grade students…

This book discusses career planning strategies for students with special needs. It addresses the 13 competencies identified by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) as basic to effective performance by career development practitioners: career development theory, decision-making skills, consultation skills,…

The Core Course Proficiency initiative in the State of New Jersey is an outgrowth of the recommendations from two study panels convened to review and revise high school graduation requirements and to consider the need for and impact of establishing a common core of knowledge and skills in specified high school courses. This document presents the…

This report presents details from an examination of the curricula and diplomas of the Electrical Engineering departments of several major European technical universities (in the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium). The examination, a process involving department representatives of the various schools who came together to…

Each year a study is conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) to update student outcomes data using quantifiable measures of student achievement. Data for the 1991 study were obtained from Maryland state databases, the University of Maryland (UM) system, and surveys of all fiscal year (FY) 1989 graduates. Of the 897 Associate of Arts…

This guide is intended for teachers conducting industrial technology education (TE) courses in South Carolina. Presented first is introductory information about the mission, clusters and units, and recommended educational format of TE in South Carolina. Discussed in the seven sections are various aspects of South Carolina's modular delivery system…