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)

The author updates information on teacher competency testing and discusses issues that should be considered by states planning the development and implementation of competency testing programs. Recommendations are made. (MT)

The article reviews minimum competency requirements for handicapped students in the 39 states which have set minimum standards indicating a range from total exclusion of handicapped students from the testing program to required participation with no modifications. It is suggested that separate minimum standards be defined for special education…

Issues raised by teacher competency testing are addressed. How competency can be defined and measured and whether competency assessment makes a positive contribution to teaching are discussed along with legal and ethical concerns. (Author/MT)

Summarizes and supports the position of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Project Committee, which favors a state-provided educational framework of goals, funding, and monitoring technical assistance, and the establishment by local school districts of their own instructional programs that meet individual needs rather than…

A number of forces are likely to contribute to future issues in educational assessment: (1) reduction in government resources, (2) financial pressures broadening the diversity of post-secondary applicant pools; (3) adult student emergence at the post secondary level; (4) concern with accountability of schools and educators; (5) strengthening of…

By themselves, standardized teacher competency tests only aggravate the impending shortage of qualified teachers. A more comprehensive approach is needed to make teaching the kind of appealing profession that can both sustain higher standards of admission and attract greater numbers of candidates able to qualify under those higher standards.…

The Florida Court decision reaffirms a state's right to impose a diploma sanction when competency tests are valid. Testing specialists now have a precedent for demonstrating curricular and instructional validity. Competency testing programs are a useful method for implementing instructional improvements. (DWH)

When the state legislators of Illinois mandated a full-scale statewide assessment program in reading/language arts, the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) made its stand clear: that tests for Illinois students must be created, designed, and executed by Illinois English/language arts educators, and that a writing sample was an…

The impact of "exit-gate" and the new "entrance-gate" tests on Black prospective teachers and historically Black colleges is described. Three strategies for dealing with teacher testing without compromising teacher competency are outlined. A broader vision of competence is needed to counterbalance the narrow view provided by…

An outcome of the excellence movement has been an increase in state control of education, especially through state-mandated testing, as testing has become the preferred means of trying to effect change in education following the popularity of accountability and minimum competency testing. Suggestions for using tests prudently are listed. (DCS)

A review of state laws governing certification of professional educators reveals both wide agreement on many certification issues and a shift toward making requirements more stringent. Teacher certification has long been accepted as a means of ensuring minimum competency. Many of the issues surrounding certification have been settled, including…

Focuses on how state policies affect the teacher-learner relationship in classrooms. Particular attention is given to standard setting as implemented through testing mechanisms. With respect to students, test-based standards as well as test-based instructional processes are examined. With respect to teachers, test-based standards for professional…

In setting performance standards for schoolchildren, the school system not only announces what students must know; it specifies what it presumes it can teach. Tests of competency should be merely a monitoring device to indicate whether the system is meeting its obligation to students. (Author)

It appears that, where there is standardized testing of teachers for certification, there is a decline of black teachers. Although tests can provide valuable information, states must be aware of limitations of such tests and have a clear understanding of what the tests can do. Using tests to say that a teacher is as qualified as another may be…