Among the recent changes to existing Pennsylvania state education regulations was the change from Carnegie units, or time spent in the classroom, as a requirement for graduation to mastery of student learning outcomes as a requirement for graduation. Once the changes became law, school districts became responsible for designing outcomes that fit…

The mandated minimum competency programs of two states--Pennsylvania and Maryland--are examined, and some of the effects on school districts of raising the testing stakes are reviewed. In a survey conducted during the winter of 1986-87 in Pennsylvania and Maryland, one teacher, one principal, and one central office staff member each from 277…

Beginning in 1983, three educational reforms were undertaken in Pennsylvania to revise high school graduation requirements, test for remedial needs, and set higher standards for teachers and administrators. Revision of graduation requirements involved state and local education officials, professional organizations, and the state legislature. New…