Public schools' lack of common curricular and teaching goals provided the rationale for the standards movement. However, too many state standards documents provide insufficient clarity for teachers and students. Educators must focus on standards already assessed, add judiciously to the current list of standards, and avoid topic overload. (MLH)

This excerpt from "Measuring Up: Standards, Assessment, and School Reform" points out the limits of norm-referenced tests and discusses the pitfalls of making testing a high-stakes enterprise. Points out that the emphasis on standardized testing, and the push for school districts to score well, often has an inordinate and detrimental effect on…

Concerns about and objections to competency-based assessment in higher education are examined, including superficiality, use of inference, neglect of knowledge and of process, and subjectivity. It is concluded that, although each objection raises an important issue, in each case, a well-designed competency-based assessment system can overcome…

Reforms in many countries have attempted to increase the degree of competition in school markets. Analyzes school market outcomes utilizing a simple model of the type of local market created in England and Wales. Finds, for example, that the combination of quasi-market reforms do not appear to have produced incentives for all schools to increase…

Compared with minimum competency tests, curriculum-based external exit exams provide better measures of students' achievement levels. Analysis of Third Mathematics and Science Study data shows that 13 year-olds from exit-exam countries are ahead of nonparticipating countries. Effects on college enrollment, job success, and test scores are…

The ability to develop and implement a school vision is now viewed as a core competency for school principals. Since being highlighted as an ISLLC performance standard, it has received increased attention in the educational leadership literature and principal preparation programs. This article summarizes recent findings regarding the perceptions…

During the past three decades, empirically supported strategies have been demonstrated for the training of competencies - highly specific skills and behaviors that are needed to complete a critical job task. The present article reviews several examples of competency-based training in human service programs and provides guidelines for the…

Many countries have implemented versions of competency-based training in which competency standards or statements serve to provide standardized learning and skill development outcomes for vocational education and training. It seems that a main attraction that motivated the introduction of such competency-based systems was the assumption by some…

In the Dutch Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, competence-based education is the leading paradigm for innovation, both at the system level and at the level of learning environments. This article provides an historical analysis of the development of competence-based education in various countries and explores the concept of competence…

The Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) is a collaboration between Michigan State University, the Global Food Safety Initiative of the Consumer Goods Forum, and other food industry and public sector partners. FSKN's goal is to help strengthen the food industry's response to the complex food safety knowledge and training challenges that affect…

A project was conducted to develop a program of competencies needed by persons who are to receive a master's degree as directors of adult continuing education. The first section of the project provided a computerized needs assessment of the training items to be included in a master's degree curriculum for administrators of adult continuing…

This self-instructional, self-paced module is the second of five in the series, Competency Based Education Inservice for Part time Community College Occupational Education Teachers. (See note for other modules.) Its purpose is to enable the teacher to identify, write, and modify performance objectives, particularly for the teacher's own area of…

These two papers were presented at a two-part session on using a competency-based approach to secondary reading teacher preparation. The philosophy and rationale of a performance based approach to reading are discussed by Richard W. Burnett. Competency-based courses in secondary reading are contrasted with such courses in elementary reading and…

How can schools effectively prepare students for life after high school? With the accountability standards set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), there are many theories regarding standardized testing. Many schools today are adopting the goal of preparing all students for the college or the workplace. This review of current literature…

International companies are recognised by equity between men and women as well as between other different groups (Diversity) as an economic factor and incorporate it into their company visions. Mixed teams are set up to design target group-oriented products, for example in automotive engineering. Therefore they need employees who represent the…