Study Guide: Law, Public Safety, Security & Corrections Core Assessment

Competency-based education uses learning outcomes that emphasize both the application and creation of knowledge and the mastery of skills critical for success.  In a competency-based education system, students advance upon mastery of competencies, which are measurable, transferable outcomes that empower students.

Career and technology education uses industry professionals and certification standards to identify the knowledge and skills needed to master an occupation.  This input provides the foundation for development of curriculum, assessments and other instructional materials needed to prepare students for wealth-generating occupations and produce comprehensively trained, highly skilled employees demanded by the work force.

Tools for Success

CareerTech education relies on three basic instructional components to deliver competency-based instruction: skills standards, curriculum materials, and competency assessments.

Skills standards provide the foundation for competency-based instruction and outline the knowledge and skills that must be mastered in order to perform related jobs within an industry. Skills standards are aligned with national skills standards and/or industry certification requirements; therefore, a student trained to the skills standards is equally employable in local, state and national job markets.

Curriculum materials and textbooks contain information and activities that teach students the knowledge and skills outlined in the skills standards. In addition to complementing classroom instruction, curriculum resources include supplemental activities that enhance learning by providing opportunities to apply knowledge and demonstrate skills.

Competency Assessments test the student over material outlined in the skills standards and taught using the curriculum materials and textbooks. When used with classroom performance evaluations, written competency assessments provide a means of measuring occupational readiness.

Each of these components satisfies a unique purpose in competency-based education and reinforces the knowledge and skills students need to gain employment and succeed on the job.

Measuring Success

Evaluation is an important component of competency-based education.  Pre-training assessments measure the student's existing knowledge prior to receiving instruction and ensure the student's training builds upon this knowledge base.  Formative assessments administered throughout the training process provide a means of continuously monitoring the student's progress towards mastery. 

Written competency assessments provide a means of evaluating the student's mastery of knowledge and skills.  Coaching reports communicate competency assessment scores to students and provide a breakdown of assessment results by standard area. The Coaching Report also shows how well the student has mastered skills needed to perform major job functions and identifies areas of job responsibility that may require additional instruction and/or training.