A job analysis was conducted for the basic skills considered important for all entry-level teachers regardless of subject area or level taught. A national sample of 6,120 practicing teachers reviewed judgments of experts and concurred in acknowledging 84% of the basic skills that experts identified as important. (SLD)

"Creating a Place in History" (Decker) discusses the evolution of tech prep and the challenges it offers to secondary and postsecondary schools. "Tech Prep for Business and Marketing Technology" (Butler) describes tech prep in Arkansas. (JOW)

The job training system needs to emphasize the basic and functional skills; it needs competency standards and certifications; advanced training should be vouchered; individuals should be tracked over time; and staff development is critical. (JOW)

Examines mathematics courses offered during the 1980s' educational reform in response to increased course requirements and competency testing. Schools increased numbers of courses, but they were primarily low level. Reforms rarely affected middle- and upper-level achievers but significantly affected at-risk students. Increased testing requirements…

A survey of 114 business graduates determined the perceived importance of writing competencies needed by business employees in relation to their employer category, their major area, and the size of their organization. Most important were mastery of fundamentals, coherence, decisiveness, and conciseness. (JOW)

For fear of blaming the victims, educators have been reluctant to endorse strategies requiring hard work from students as a condition for learning. U.S. students are working far below their potential because they experience no reason to do otherwise. The United States one of the rare developed nations without a high-stakes exit examination for…

The Perkins Act mandated the establishment of standards, assessments, and certification to train the nation's work force. By ascertaining what is expected of their programs and students, marketing educators will be sure that their standards are met and that the future of marketing education reflects today's visions. (Author/JOW)

Supports "The Ohio Literacy Initiative" (a document the Ohio Department of Education developed as a resource for districts interested in designing and implementing an effective, comprehensive literacy framework) as it calls for community efforts to help districts attain and support confident and articulate readers and writers. (NH)

A survey of 538 nurses found that only about 10 percent received much training related to developmental disabilities. Most respondents received little or no training in the area and most had received no specific training with developmental disabilities since receiving their licenses or while in their current jobs. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Faculty members at America's colleges and universities have long thought that an alarming number of high school graduates do not arrive on campus with the writing skills they need. Now leaders of major U.S. corporations are joining their academic colleagues in complaining about a serious deficiency in the writing skills of today's college…

When final year medical students reporting poor prescribing confidence were tested, key prescribing weaknesses emerged. This study aimed to characterize student variability in both the experience of and cognitive levels displayed during prescribing. Blooms Taxonomy cognitive categories were assigned to each question of a student test measuring…

This study examined the assessment literacy of primary/junior teacher candidates in all four years of their concurrent program. Candidates from each year of the program completed a survey pertaining to self-described level of assessment literacy, main purposes of assessment, utilization of different assessment methods, need for further training,…

The literature on competency-based human resource (HR) management provides a strong case for moving from a jobs-based to a competency-based approach to human resources. There is agreement in the literature (Dubois, Rothwell, Stern, & Kemp, 2004; Lucia & Lepsinger, 1999) on the benefits of using competencies throughout HR systems and impact…

These papers were presented at the symposium "Using Statewide Basic Skills Tests to Make Promotion Decisions: Political and Psychometric Issues." The development of basic skills testing and the legislative mandate that needed to be implemented for minimum competency testing in Louisiana are discussed by Hugh I. Peck. Rebecca S. Christian…

Improving quality of life is the primary focus as adolescents with disabilities enter adulthood. They increasingly, however, encounter difficulties transitioning into domains such as employment as these services occur near the end of their high school experience. Using an ecosystems model within a developmental approach, the program sought to…