The paper addresses the issues of testing modifications with handicapped students in Houston (Texas) Independent School District. Using descriptive data, the performance of secondary mainstreamed and nonhandicapped students on course proficiency field tests without modifications are compared. Approximately 65% of the mainstreamed students were…

This study attempted to gain insight into what teacher candidates think about teacher-competency testing and how test results should be used. A majority of students were negative toward testing, and the weight test scores could be given in hiring and evaluation of teachers. Implications and recommendations are discussed. (MT)

A mailed survey of child welfare workers in one southern state assessed various aspects of encounters with end-of-life situations in practice. Findings revealed that child deaths, children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, and parental deaths were most commonly encountered and that coworkers were relied on for support. Many had no…

In this article, the data from a sociological survey serve as the basis for an analysis of the levels of professional training of the graduates of higher educational institutions in the Kuzbass region. The object of this survey consisted of upper-division students in daytime enrollment of colleges and universities in Novokuznetsk, which is not…

Six modifications of minimum competency tests were found to enhance performance of 345 learning disabled third graders. Modifications included administering fewer subsections of the test per session, grouping similar skill items in sequential order of difficulty, and using symbols to organize the flow of items within the test. (CL)

Analysis of minimum competency testing administered in 1973 to handicapped students in North Carolina demonstrated the need to devise an acceptable alternative for students with little chance of success. The unknown effects of test modifications for different handicaps was found to be another problem. (CL)

This evaluation research compares the first-grade competencies of two cohorts of Bangladesh children who attended "Succeed" preschools, with a control group who did not attend preschool. Testing of these groups occurred in 2006, 2007, and 2005, respectively. The Succeed program aims to improve children's learning and children's school…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how Malaysian managers acquire job competencies through self-directed learning activities at their workplace. Specifically it aims to investigate what types of job competencies are required for the managers, how they learn to acquire those competencies, and whether the managers have the…

Educators were asked to read a description of a minimum proficiency test required for high school graduation and select a cutoff score for it. The 24 descriptions used were formed as all possible combinations of a test content, a level of student performance, a penalty for failing the test, and a community response to the test. Of the 223…

This study correlated scores on the NTE Test of Professional Knowledge (PK) with the Rating Scale of Student Teacher Competence (RSSTC) and between each of these with overall grade-point average (GPA). The lack of relationship between PK and RSSTC scores indicates that the PK may measure a different domain. (MT)

Increasingly frequent journalistic accounts report that schools are responding to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by engaging in what has come to be known as "educational triage." Although these accounts rely almost entirely on anecdotal evidence, the prospect is of real concern. The NCLB accountability system divides schools into those in…

This study presents an application of the Rasch equating methodology on a minimum competency testing program in reading and mathematics. Common item equating was performed in two stages to link the 1978-1979 form of the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills tests to the 1977-1978 form. Both fit to the Rasch model and stability of the common item pools…

Examines relationship between higher course requirements for high school graduation and adult employability. Findings suggest positive correlation. But also finds reductions in educational attainment, especially among blacks. (PKP)

Capstone is defined in the dictionary as "putting the final stone in place." Business Policy or Strategic Management is typically the capstone class in a business management degree program. As such, there are prerequisite requirements in terms of courses and specific knowledge. We have implemented a competency test for the capstone class and…

A test of skill in reading electrocardiographs (ECGs) was developed as a physician competence (PC) test. The criterion-referenced test ranked 1,825 persons taking the 1983 Certifying Examination in Cardiovascular Diseases (CECD) as expected on the basis of prior education and examination scores on the CECD. The ECG test modestly correlated with…