Previews the findings of "A Study of High Schools," cosponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Commission on Educational Issues. Offers overall impressions of field visits to high schools and suggests eight principles by which high schools should be restructured. (JW)

The behavioral event interview, it is suggested, provides a rich source of information on a prospective student's college potential (information different from standardized aptitude and achievement testing). Its use with a set of criteria for admission provides useful indices to gauge the talents within diversely prepared students. (MLW)

Describes a behavioral approach to interpersonal communication instruction that helps students develop competencies relevant to social interaction through analysis, practice, implementation, and evaluation. (PD)

Describes steps taken at the University of Pennsylvania to change foreign language requirement, including studies of student achievement by administering CEEB Language Achievement Tests and FSI Oral Proficiency Interview and the development of performance standards by faculty in order to make requirements proficiency-based. (BK)

Introduces Project EQuality, initiated by the College Board to establish levels of competency and patterns of preparation to increase students' chances of moving smoothly from high school to college academic work. Urges high schools and colleges to work cooperatively to improve academic preparation for and access to postsecondary education. (DMM)

Describes Florida's Approach to Competency-Based Individualized Teaching (FACIT), which is a learning system designed to provide vocational educators with the knowledge and the skills to implement and manage an individualized, competency-based instructional delivery system. (SK)

An annotated bibliography concerning proficiency development in schools identifies sources which focus on the identification and development of basic skills. Topics explored include: (1) issues and definition in proficiency development; (2) assessing the state of proficiency development; and (3) instructional techniques and programs. (JN)

The authors suggest a structure for introducing entrepreneurship in junior high career education activities and extending these concepts in secondary vocational programs. Also presents results of field testing a series of 36 entrepreneurship training competencies for secondary vocational students. (CT)

Social work educators surveyed reported differential success in implementing key instructional development elements--success in specifying objectives and developing related assessment procedures, obstacles in building bridges to competence through instructional design. Aids in matching learners to learning environments are outlined. (MSE)

Twenty-six Saudi Arabian students underwent a two year program at San Jose State University to learn how to individualize vocational training programs in their country. Each student completed a portfolio which contained a record of his competencies and individualized instructional packages for his future use. (MER)

If competence is the outcome of a set of carefully designed behavioral objectives, then the form, generality, and focus of these objectives must be impeccable. Eight guidelines that eliminate the weaknesses in existing competency statements are presented. (CMJ)

In order to ascertain whether the Bachelor of Science degree in physical education at a particular institution was comparable to those of other similar programs, a survey was conducted on several institutions. Responding institutions were distributed by geographic region. (JN)

If distributive educators are concerned with providing the best training available, cooperative vocational education must not be viewed as an add-on to the distributive education program. The cooperative program can provide the opportunity students need to hone the skills, knowledge, and attitudes initially developed within the local distributive…

The study reports on a pilot project in performance funding. Explored are the relationships between test performance and student testimony on instructional outcomes measures. The implications for better informed selection, implementation, and interpretation of outcomes measures are discussed. (MSE)

The status of competence-based education (CBE) in Illinois secondary schools is examined in this article. The authors cite some strengths and weaknesses of those programs in existence. They surmise from their findings that CBE is not widely planned or implemented in Illinois secondary schools. (Editor/SJL)