Reviews some of the characteristics of the New York state social studies testing program and describes how new questions are developed for the test. (JDH)

To consolidate the diversity of opinion about the definition of competency, an operational definition and skills classification matrix is presented. Although most people agree that competency tests should measure student ability to transfer academic training to life situations, the fact that life skills and school skills represent different…

The effectiveness of a model for determining a minimal cut-off score for criterion-referenced tests was examined. The model, based upon techniques presented originally by Nedelsky and by Angoff, was first used in conjunction with a multiple choice test developed for use in certifying school counselors in Georgia. A "knowledge estimation panel" was…

To assist districts in analyzing and using the second set of results (the summary reports for class, school and district) from the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Tests, this guidelines booklet was developed. The booklet is divided into four main sections: (1) required interpretation of the summary reports; (2) interpretation checklist; (3)…