NCPQVE Standards and Indicators

The following is a comprehensive list of the standards and indicators agreed upon by the National Task Force of the National Consortium for Product Quality in Vocational Education. These standards guide the curriculum review process, detailed in Sample Product Profile.

Content Standard

The content of vocational education curricula focuses on the integration of academic foundations into career development, life skills, and occupational competencies.

To what extent has the content incorporated validated skills, tasks, and/or competencies to consistently/continually reinforce concepts?
To what extent do the skills and competencies presented in the product correspond to competencies and skills indicated in the SCANS report?
Does the product include a matrix or documentation of validated occupational, academic, career, and life skills and competencies to show where and how those skills and competencies are being incorporated?
Does the product identify performance levels for skills and competencies?
Is the content current?
Is the content accurate?
Is the content sequenced from basic to more complex concepts?
To what extent are the content objectives/outcomes aligned?
To what extent is the content presented in an interesting and appealing manner geared toward diverse student audiences?
To what extent are career development, career awareness and mobility, and citizenship incorporated throughout instructional content?
To what extent does the instructional material address the following concepts:
- Are vocational and academic skills integrated?
- Are employability and life skills (eg, getting to work on time) included?
- Is inclusive language used?
- Are diversity and commonalities among people recognized?
- Are contributions from people of diverse back grounds recognized?
- Is transferability of learned skills/knowledge emphasized?

Instructional Standard

Includes problem solving, communication, and reasoning strategies of all students presented through applied experiences within classroom and community environments.

To what extent do the instructional strategies include active and meaningful learning experiences that correspond to stated student outcomes?
To what extent do the instructional strategies include teaching techniques that enhance the SCANS thinking skills: creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning?
To what extent can the suggested instructional strategies be adapted to different learning styles?
To what extent do the instructional strategies (ie, activities and projects) reflect the diversity of today's workforce?
To what extent do the instructional strategies incorporate team or small group projects?
To what extent do the instructional strategies encourage students to interact with each other, instructors, and the community?
To what extent do the instructional strategies develop students' critical thinking and problem solving skills?
To what extend to the instructional strategies develop students' skills of writing, speaking, listening, and following directions?
To what extent do the instructional strategies provide the students with real-world experiences (both in and out of the classroom) which reinforce academic and technology applications?

Student Assessment Standard

Assessments that are student-focused in the measurement of attitudes, knowledge, and skills, as well as their application to problem solving within the classroom and workplace environment.

Are student teams, as well as the individual student, assessed?
Does the assessment tool(s) measure the attitude, knowledge, and/or skill presented in the material?
To what extent does the assessment process include feedback and alternative testing opportunities?
Are performance and portfolio assessments used to measure student knowledge and skills?
Can the assessments detect change over time?
Are appropriate assessment methods provided that directly reflect student outcomes?

Equity/Diversity Standard

To insure that the instructional material reflects equity and diversity as a behavior (rather than an issue) that is incorporated throughout the material.

To what extent is the material balanced to reflect the experiences, contributions, voices, and perspectives of all groups?
Does the content challenge traditional cultural assumptions?

Technical and Format Standard

This standard includes physical, format, and design considerations of submitted instructional and curriculum products.

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