One of the major concerns of the California school district represented in this case study centered on the possible legal problems associated with minimum competency testing (MCT). The responses of the district to the California law regarding MCT, and to six potential problem areas, are documented. (LC)

Florida legislation has mandated an upgrading in student academic proficiency through functional literacy testing as a prerequisite to the high school diploma and through testing of other minimum competencies. Emphasis on educational assessment has resulted in a recent focus on teacher competence and more vigorous entrance requirements for…

One of the few states to link reform in elementary and secondary education to higher education is Maryland, which is working toward linking statewide minimum competency testing to business hiring practices, college admission, and eventually even scholarship money. The plan is designed to end the need for remediation classes for recent high school…

This paper explains some of the policies, procedures, and standards now in effect as a result of educational reform efforts within the State of South Carolina. Approval of a teacher education program is based on a comprehensive evaluation incorporating the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC). An…

During the 1980s Florida has mandated several testing programs to improve the quality of the community college, state university, and teacher education entrants and graduates. Three measures were intended to improve the quality of community college/state university/teacher education students. The College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) program…

A major barrier to minority student participation in the Arizona State University teacher preparation program is the state-mandated requirement that all sections of the PreProfessional Skills Test (PPST) be passed before any teacher preparation courses can be taken. This paper describes the significant features of a minority recruitment/support…

An overview is presented of the current status of competency testing for teacher certification. The question of the effect of certification tests on the quality of hired teachers is briefly discussed. Statistics are presented on types of tests used by various states, with particular attention to differences in the cut-off scores for passage of a…

Kansas law requires setting passing scores for the reading and mathematics competency test for 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th grade students, administered annually since April of 1980. New objective-referenced tests are prepared each year. Both judgmental (Angoff, Ebel, and Nedelsky) methods and empirical (contrasting groups and borderline) methods…

The efforts of researchers to produce a pool of approximately 30 validated and field-tested topics for use in future administrations of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination in writing are reviewed in this paper. Various sections of the paper (1) describe the procedures followed; (2) explain the reasons for making certain important…

The activities and results of the first year of a two-year student assessment pilot program are described, based on a 1978 mandate by the Kansas Legislature requiring the development of minimum competency objectives in the areas of reading and mathematics for students in grades 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 and instruments for assessing those competencies.…

El Camino's first year as a fundamental high school is described. Students wanting to attend El Camino had to apply and agree to the new fundamental emphasis and school rules. As a result, the composition of El Camino's student body changed to one representing all ability levels. Other major changes at El Camino were: (1) academic emphasis was…

The faculties of the postsecondary institutions in Florida, using the authority of the State Board of Education, have implemented a testing program that increases the assurance that all students who complete their sophomore year in college have achieved the communication and computation skills expected of them. (Author/MLW)

This report presents an analysis in text and tables of performance on the 1995 and 1996 General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations by students who attended special educational schools in England. The main conclusions were: (1) nearly 70 percent of English special schools who have students at Year 11 (15 to 16 years old) had no…

This paper reports changes in the professional knowledge, general knowledge, and communication skills components of the National Teacher Examinations and explains validation procedures. Research efforts to: (1) establish the tests' credibility and usefulness; (2) identify factors the tests measure; and (3) study their relationship to effective…

Classroom instruction is aligned with grade level basic objectives and a yearly survey of these skills. Methods and resources that elementary school principals and teachers can use to teach essential skills are being developed. (Author/MLF)