Competence-based education in the united states

Abstract

Competence-based education in the United States has evolved over time. Rooted in philosophy of education and the need for practical education, competence-based education expanded throughout the last 100 years, appearing in various forms until the term and concept became a reality in the 1960s. In the United States, the original term of “competence-based education” has evolved into “competency-based education.” While the wording is slightly different, the meaning and concept are the same. As the education system in the United States evolved in the late nineteenth century, high schools took on the challenge of preparing students for the world of work as well as society through helping them achieve competence through developing prescribed competencies. This chapter will use the current US term of competency-based education. The Industrial Revolution created the need for vocational training in areas beyond the standard agriculture and home economics programs. Labor force requirements to meet military needs during war time and to provide training for job seekers returning from war placed immense pressure on schools at all levels. Modern-day career and technical education expanded to meet the demands. Concurrently with security concerns during the Cold War and the launching of Sputnik, the US education system was highly criticized for not meeting the education needs of the populace. Competency-based education gained in popularity as a way to ensure that students gained acceptable levels of academic and technical competence and address accountability concerns. Although the term is not readily visible in the most recent federal mandates for education, the concept remains as an integral part of curriculum development, instruction, and assessment of learning.