A Florida Approach to Competency-Based Vocational Teacher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

The State of Florida is actively involved in competency-based teacher education (CBTE). The Career Education Center at Florida State University (FSU) is filling the needs of Florida's vocational educators for competency-based instructional materials. FSU has also participated in the advanced testing of modules developed by the Center for Vocational and Technical Education at Ohio State University, and the Curriculum of Attainments is currently being used at FSU in various programs to award degrees solely on the basis of knowledge or skills. Project ACTIVE (Attaining Competence for Teaching in Vocational Education) is being conducted at FSU for use at preservice/inservice levels to meet the needs of vocational-technical education teachers, leaders in vocational education, and those serving special needs groups. Professional competencies serve as the foundation for the program; related competencies are grouped into broad categories referred to as generic attainments. Assessment is to be carried out in an actual teaching or school-related setting by a three-member jury. The trade and industrial component is the pilot program within Project ACTIVE which is based upon 65 competencies related to eight generic attainments. Selected references are appended. (EA)