Before jumping on the minimum competency bandwagon, school board members should make sure they understand what is involved in setting up minimum competency standards, consider pooling resources with other boards, involve teachers early in the planning, keep the public informed, and not expect successful programs to develop overnight. (Author/IRT)

In a study of competencies needed by secondary school teachers, the comparative effectiveness of three occupational analysis techniques was examined. It was found that DACUM and Information Search were equally effective, and critical incident was less effective. It was considered that both DACUM and Information Search needed to be used to obtain…

The article analyzes three policy options in the competency testing of handicapped students: (1) requiring the handicapped to pass a competency test; (2) exempting the handicapped from such tests if their Individualized Education Plan requirements are met; and (3) development of differential competency standards for these students. (Author/DB)

During the 1986-87 school year, 4,299 handicapped students were given New Jersey's competency test which measures academic achievement in reading, mathematics, and writing. Twelve percent of these students passed the test. There was a variance across student classifications; the math subtest was particularly difficult for the students. (Author/DB)

This literature review examines seven issues: describing minimum requirements for qualifications, distinguishing qualification levels, recognizing prior learning, using short courses, recording competency-based assessment results, keeping records of individual achievement, and deciding whether to record exact competencies. Recent movements to…

Makes predictions about the status of business education in the twenty-first century and makes the following recommendations regarding what business educators must do: (1) define the business education profession, (2) identify student competencies, and (3) decide how to teach those competencies. (JOW)

A Wisconsin model called Designated Vocational Instruction establishes linkages among vocational and special educators, guidance and administrative personnel, adult support agencies, parents and students. Its goal is to help students with special needs learn entry-level job skills and competencies. (Author/JOW)

Standards-based score reports interpret test performance with reference to cut scores defining categories like "below basic," "proficient," or "master." This article first develops a conceptual framework for validity arguments supporting such interpretations, then presents three applications. Two of these serve to introduce new standard-setting…

The purpose of this study is to review the main perspectives or issues dealt with in the research on considered to be key competences, in order to develop a fuller understanding of how human competence functions. As a result of this review, two themes considered as having important implications for the actual practices can be identified: that…

This article reports an evaluation of a GeroRich effort to increase age-specific content throughout bachelor and master-level social work curricula. A total of 426 students (128 BSWs and 298 MSWs) completed pre and posttests in 2004-2005, self-rating their aging competency using the Social Work with Aging Skill Competency Scale II (New York…

Many classical pianists want to develop jazz piano skills because they have acquired: (1) an awareness of the importance of jazz as an art form; (2) an attraction to the sophistication and complexity of jazz music; (3) an interest in exploring contemporary music styles; and (4) a desire to become involved with a type of music which is viewed as…

In 1980-81 field tests were undertaken in North Carolina to develop a procedure for making writing competency a minimum requirement for graduation from high school. Measuring writing skills with adequate validity and reliability requires planning for data collection and varied scoring methods, personnel training, dissemination of assessment…

Many states have mandated two possibly far-reaching legislative reforms within secondary vocational education: minimum competency requirements and increased course requirements for graduation. Most legislated educational reforms include only selected aspects of competency-based systems, primarily the specification of and testing for minimum…

This supplement to the California Business Education Program Guide for Office and Distributive Occupations is designed to assist office education teachers of secondary, postsecondary, and adult students to update their business education curricula in light of new technology and increasing demand for skilled office workers. Focusing on the legal…

Placement tests are rapidly joining the ranks of high-stakes testing and college freshmen are required to take mathematics placement exams to determine their first mathematics course upon entering college. Unfortunately, these exams tend to place students in a lower-level or remedial course. As a result, additional expenses are incurred, degree…