Intended as a toolkit for academic administrators, faculty and researchers to deal effectively with the rapid emergence of competency-based learning models across higher education, this volume provides practical advice and proven techniques for implementing and evaluating these models. Drawing from a recent National Postsecondary Education Cooperative project that examined data and policy implications across public and private institutions as well as an industrial setting, readers will find an inventory of strong practices to utilize in evaluating competency-based initiatives. Issues discussed include practical concerns of measuring and reporting competency; the critical connections between the skills employers seek and student preparation for them; the connections between distance education, accrediation, and competencies; and the difficult procedure of setting appropriate passing standards for assessments. With a bibliography on competency literature and a framework for creating competency models, this volume is an invaluable tool to researchers and practitioners alike.

This is the 110th issue of the Jossey-Bass series New Directions for Institutional Research.