In this article the Governor of Arkansas discusses the importance of the Arkansas Educational Skills Assessment Test which all Arkansas teachers must pass. (Author/MT)

Data from 202 out of 311 surveyed school districts in Arkansas were collected to assess the congruence of course content guides, developed under administrative mandate by the school districts, with associated parental reporting forms. The guides outline skills associated with three instructional/skill levels--basic, developmental, and…

In 1979-80, the Arkansas minimum competency tests were administered to a sample of 5,000 students in grades 3, 6, and 8. To determine how well test objectives matched the curriculum, their teachers estimated how many of the four items per objective a randomly selected student would answer correctly. Because chi square test comparisons of teacher…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the third grade reading minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of test…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the third grade language arts minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the eighth grade reading minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of test…

Item specifications developed by the Arkansas Department of Education as part of the Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT) appear in this document. Specifically, the social studies materials given to sixth-grade students on the MPT are included. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of…

This study was conducted to: (1) determine the validity of five Educational Testing Service (ETS) tests as measures of the knowledge and academic skills required for specific endorsements of professional public school personnel in Arkansas; and (2) formulate recommendations on minimum qualifying scores for tests that are valid to use for…

Teacher testing began in Arkansas when the governor threatened to veto a 1% sales tax if a teacher testing bill were not passed. With enactment of Act 76 in 1983, an instrument was developed for field testing in 1984 over objections of the Arkansas Education Association. The test, the Arkansas Educational Skills Assessment, is comprised of 50…

Provided as a framework for use in curriculum development are Arkansas' course content guides for the primary grades one, two, and three. At each grade level, language arts, mathematics, and reading skills have been identified at three instructional levels: basic, developmental, and extensional. Basic skills are those which all students must…

Item specifications developed by the Arkansas Department of Education as part of the Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT) appear in this document. Specifically, the social studies materials given to eighth-grade students on the MPT are reviewed. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format…

Rising state standards and competency testing of entering teachers is resulting in a numerical decline in Black candidates who are ill equipped due to weak programs in the secondary schools. A comprehensive program at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff to provide both educational equity and educational improvement is described. (BS)

Developed as part of the Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications for sixth grade reading were designed to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure instructional objectives. Each item specification contains the following information: objective identification number; grade…

A controversial Arkansas law requires that all currently employed certified teachers pass a specially developed literacy test. This article describes the rational for teacher testing in terms of professional, ethical, and political issues. Testing is necessary for public support for reforms that improve the professional status and salaries of…

The Minimum Performance Test (MPT), Metropolitan Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (MAT6), and the new standards required by the 1983 Quality Education Act and their impact on teachers in Arkansas were assessed. A sample of 103 elementary school teachers from 39 school districts indicated that the tests and standards generally met with favorable…