Model Competencies for Attending Behavior

Properties of an effective competency-based training programare considered, and it is suggested that well-written competencies must be measurable, reliable, and valid. If these conditions cannot be met, then competency-based training is inappropri-ate. Eight model competencies for attending behavior are presented. The data which are presented indicate that these competencies can be measured reliably. Although these competencies were developed for use with microcounseling training, they are easily adaptable to other training programs.     

The Competent Use of Competency-Based Strategies for Selection and Development

Many organizations are getting into the competency act, selecting and developing employees against standards of performance needed for present and future business success. This article focuses on critical elements of successful competency-based performance strategies from the practical vantage points of two performance consultants with significant experience in a variety of business settings. Definitions and examples are provided for Key, Team, Functional, and Leadership competencies. The competency strategy process defined in the article outlines a four-step cycle including business alignment, project planning, competency model-building, and rollout and ongoing performance management. Tools and approaches for use with selection, training and development, coaching, multi-rater assessment, and performance review are discussed from the viewpoint of the hands-on practitioner. “Lessons learned” are noted in all phases of the process to emphasize the rationale for continuous involvement of stakeholders and for attention to project management. Also included are behavioral competency profiles for 1) the competency practitioner and 2) change management.     

Core competencies: A systems approach for training and organizational development in extension

The authors present a rationale for developing core competencies for training and organizational development in extension. Core competencies are defined as “the basic knowledge, attitudes, skills, and observable behaviors that lead to excellence in the workplace.” Competency-based models can be used to create an infrastructure that promotes innovation and continuous learning in every dimension of an extension organization. Competency models are designed around the skills individuals and groups need to be effective now and in the future. Competencies must be tied directly to the mission and strategic issues of the organization. A ten-step model is offered for identifying, validating and developing core competencies for an extension training and organizational development system. The seven core competencies developed by North Carolina Cooperative Extension using this process are defined. These competencies are being used or adapted by several states in the Southern Extension Region of the United States, and extension organizations throughout the United States are beginning to develop competency-based models for training and development. Illustrations of the application of the core competencies in North Carolina are provided along with preliminary qualitative evidence of the impact of this approach.     

A Competency-Based Model for Counselor Certification

The state of Washington has recently begun several state-wide competency-based certification programs. These programs are being used to evaluate school counselors at three levels of functioning. Examples of the program used by the Southeastern Washington Counselor Consortium to certify counselors at the beginning level are presented. Required competencies, activities that help the counselor achieve proficiency in these competencies, and individual evaluation procedures are included in the program. The purpose of this competency-based program and an evaluation of counselors, programs, problems, and issues are presented.     

Competency Assessment Tool (CAT). The evaluation of an innovative competency-based assessment experience in higher education

This article examines an innovation in teaching-learning and assessment processes through the use of a platform called the Competency Assessment Tool (CAT). It allows for the tracking of student blogs with the objective of improving self-reflective processes and providing feedback. The experiment was carried out in six universities in Catalonia, Spain, and involved seven different subjects. The CAT platform and its features related to the acquisition of competencies are presented, as are users’ opinions on the metacognitive and feedback processes provided by the tool. The methods used were questionnaires received by students and teachers. Results show a high level of satisfaction for all those involved and emphasise that student participation in the assessment process increases their awareness of the teaching-learning process through self-regulation procedures. The most significant result is related to the use of electronic tools as an appraisal instrument and their enhancement of competency-based assessment.     

Competencies as Building Blocks for Integrating Assessment with Instruction in Vocational Education: A case from The Netherlands

Changes in the system of vocational education, at least in The Netherlands, are based on the idea that the curriculum should focus more on competencies and work-related experiences. In a competency-based curriculum the content is not the central issue but the assessment and monitoring of what is learned and acquired relevant to (later) successful performance. Therefore, it is essential to link assessment with instruction that is focused on performance and aligned with later work. In this paper a framework is developed showing how to organise curriculum and instruction around competencies in vocational education. As an example, the Educational Assessment and Development system is introduced to highlight procedures and experiences of the integration of assessment with instruction in an institute for vocational education and to draw some lessons from this case for future design and construction of curricula.     

Building a Competency-Based Curriculum in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT

The focus on competency in social work education makes the development of a competency-based curriculum critical. This article describes an approach to curriculum building taking into account the integration, coherency, and integrity of such a curriculum. A presentation of how performance outcomes are fundamental to the relationship between the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standard competencies and the assignments designed to assess their attainment is presented. A demonstration of how the alignment of the components of a course reveals integrity in the curriculum is portrayed. How these aspects coalesce to build a competency-based curriculum is illustrated, and how this curriculum fulfills accreditation requirements is presented. The article concludes with the benefits and a cautionary note on this approach to curriculum building in social work education.     

The Core Competencies for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

The Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group commissioned the development of core competencies that define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for all providers of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. This article describes the background and rationale for this set of competencies, the history and use of competencies, and the process involved in creating the core competencies. It explores the ways that educators can use them to strengthen classroom instruction and improve outcomes for adolescents in the area of reproductive health. Several additional tools that guide the application of the competencies to human resources, self-assessment, performance assessment, professional development, and program evaluation are described.     

The Pupil's Experience of School Organization

The paper is concerned with the development, validation and use of management competencies; the focus is upon the position of heads within the maintained‐schools sector. Issues germane to competencies and their usage are discussed, as are the criteria to be met for competencies to have applicability to the education sector. The generation of management competencies for heads through a national job analysis involving some 255 heads is described. Headteacher management competencies are presented, and practical alternatives for their use discussed. Finally, a working framework is developed of how competencies generated for senior educational positions stand in relation to competencies which are applicable in other occupational sectors.     

A Comprehensive Model for Multidimensional Competencies in the Training of Secondary School Counselors

Counselor education programs throughout the country have employed competency-based objectives as part of their training programs. The utilization of behavioral objectives in defining specific counselor skills has produced numerous systems and models for the training of counselors. This article presents a multidimensional model for counselor education that uses a behavioral approach in conjunction with the more globally accepted services and functions of the secondary school counselor. The multidimensional model places the competencies in three distinct domains: (a) 10 identifiable services provided by the secondary counselor; (b) the three functions performed by the counselor; and (c) the three types of program training components commonly used in counselor education programs. The three dimensions of the model are presented in a Guilford-like cube for simplicity.     

A Competency-Based Program in Counselor Education

This article describes the evaluation of a competency-based, criterion-referenced, master's degree counselor education program. It discusses the program's philosophy, the procedures for establishing the exit competencies, the assessment of student's competencies, and the decisions based on context, input, process, and output evaluations of the program.     

Core competencies and high leverage practices of the beginning teacher: a synthesis of the literature

Teacher competency frameworks comprise a number of competencies that enable a teacher to develop effective teaching practices. However, their conception, value, use and recognition vary widely. Equally, assessment and measurement of such competencies differ across contexts. More recently, a body of research has emerged which focuses the lens of teacher preparation on the inclusion of high leverage practices. The focus of this study is to report a synthesis of the literature pertaining to the ‘core competencies’ and ‘high leverage practices’ selected for inclusion in teacher preparation. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in order to synthesis available evidence. Results are presented in two sections; competency-based approaches; and high leverage practice approaches in teacher preparation. Findings are discussed from the perspective of epistemological and methodological questions emerging from the research and the implications for teacher preparation.     

An integrated approach to develop professional and technical skills for informatics engineering students

Many of the current approaches used in teaching and learning in engineering education are not the most appropriate to prepare students for the challenges they will face in their professional careers. The active involvement of students in their learning process facilitates the development of the technical and professional competencies they need as professionals. This article describes the organisation and impact of a mini-conference and project work – the creation of a software product and its introduction in the market – aimed at the development of professional competencies in general and writing skills in particular. The course was evaluated by assessing the students’ perception of the development of a number of professional competencies through a questionnaire completed by 125 students from two consecutive year groups. The results indicate that the project work and the mini-conference had a positive impact on students’ perceptions of the development of professional competencies.     

Competencies for rural development professionals in the era of HIV/AIDS

The impact of HIV/AIDS on food security and rural livelihoods is still insufficiently understood. It is evident, however, that rural development professionals need to respond to the changes that have taken place in rural areas due to the pandemic. This article explores competencies that they need in order to deal with the complex HIV/AIDS issues related to their work with farming families. Initially 45 rural development professionals from developing countries in the southern hemisphere were interviewed about these competencies, using case stories and questionnaires. Subsequently, 34 individual in‐depth interviews were conducted with rural development professionals from East Africa and Zambian government officials. A focus group discussion with 15 Zambian agricultural extension workers completed the empirical part of the research. The study reveals that there is an urgent need to complement the technical competencies of rural development professionals with more social competencies, such as counselling and communication, lobbying and networking. Recommendations are formulated for competence development of rural development professionals who have to deal with the consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in rural areas.     

Change Management: Term Confusion and New Classifications

This article addresses two key aspects of change management and the notional confusion that occurs resulting from two different uses of the term change management. The author proposes new terms—macro change management and micro change management—for the two uses of the term change management. He then compares these two terms based on their attributes, comprising definition, target, focus, and roles of change agents including required competencies. The article concludes with explanations as to why change management notional clarification and term elaboration are important for the human performance technology field.     

Responsibility for career transition preparation

Summary The continuing need and desire for assistance in planning for, entering, and progressing in a career is well-documented over the past decade. Although assistance with finding and securing a job is a part of this need, it is but one aspect of the competencies needed by students to be aware of the world of work and how this world differs from the educational world they are leaving. The ability of students to adjust and contribute to many roles in their post-high school world is crucial for a successful and lasting transition.The competencies needed by students as they prepare for and implement their transition to the occupational world can serve as the focal point of the career guidance program in the high school. Such competencies must go beyond the acquisition of occupational information and job search and interview skills. Competencies expected of students must be those that will allow them to adjust, mature, and succeed in the world of work and allow them to satisfy the multiple roles they will have throughout their careers.School counselors must become an integral part of the program to assist students to acquire and use competencies that will ensure their successful adjustment and development in the occupational world. Career guidance programs must be expanded and maintained to meet the continuing needs of students and counselors must revive or renew the competencies and the skills necessary to serve students during their transition to the world of work.Edwin A. Whitfield is Associate Director, Division of Educational Services, Ohio Department of Education, Columbus, Ohio     

The quality of procedures to assess and credit prior learning: Implications for design

The ever-changing requirements of working life require individuals to develop their competencies throughout their life cycle. This lifelong learning paradigm requires a renewed vision concerning assessment in which, besides formal learning, informal and non-formal learning experiences are also recognized. To support this lifelong learning paradigm, procedures have been developed worldwide to assess and credit prior learning experiences (APL). While research on APL stresses the importance of a high-quality standard, so far the literature has applied only a psychometric quality framework. However, from the perspective of APL, where, besides prior knowledge and skills, competencies need to be measured, it is more appropriate to use a combination of the psychometric and edumetric quality criteria. This article will analyze and describe the relationship between quality criteria and the characteristics of APL. The results have revealed that quality criteria based on both are fundamental for APL, but that some criteria are more recognized than are others. Based on this analysis, design guidelines for APL have been formulated.     

Authentically happy school psychologists: Applications of positive psychology for enhancing professional satisfaction and fulfillment

There has recently been a growing movement within psychology toward placing a greater emphasis on building strengths and competencies rather than merely treating deficits and disorders. This movement, known as positive psychology, focuses on the scientific study of optimal human functioning and the variables that promote positive human emotions, traits, and institutions. The purpose of this article is to discuss selected topics of research in positive psychology and how they might contribute to the development of “authentically happy” school psychologists. Implications for how school psychologists may use findings from research to enhance their level of professional satisfaction and fulfillment are provided. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.