Western Governors University was conceptualized in 1995 at a meeting of the Western Governors Association, and founded soon after in an effort to increase degree production in higher education at a lower cost. It has expanded significantly over the past few years, driven both by increased demand for online education and by drastic state budget…

The New Mexico High School Proficiency Examination covers five general content areas: (1) Community Resources; (2) Occupational Knowledge; (3) Consumer Economics; (4) Mental and Physical Health; and (5) Government and Law. Skills measured by the test are: Identification of Facts and Terms; Reading; Writing; Computation and Problem Solving. These…

Explores materials in the ERIC system that discuss all sides of the minimum competency issue. (RL)

Examination of results of several cases in which students failed minimum competency tests evokes criticism of the way the testing program is carried out by the state. (JD)

Presents excerpts from presentations at the Wingspread Center. These presentations argue numerous issues in the minimum competency movement. (IRT)

Books, articles, and theses are included in this annotated bibliography on mastery learning. Approximately 100 citations are included covering the period from 1969 to 1979. (DS)

The Italian educational system's experiences with national examinations might help United States educators understand the impact of state tests on students, schools, and education in general. (JT)

This document presents data on the student performance of North Carolina students for the year 1994. Section 1 traces the development of school and student accountability measures, outlines the implementation of actions designed to enhance program equity throughout the state, and describes specific program and student performance standards as they…

Discusses seven important issues that should be considered by educators in developing a minimal competency testing policy. (JG)

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the eighth grade reading minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of test…

Four major types of approaches to learner assessment are standardized testing, materials-based, competency-based, and participatory assessment. Standardized tests are easy and inexpensive to administer. Objections are their intrinsic defects and misuse. Materials-based assessment, the practice of evaluating learners on the basis of tests following…

The effect of a basic competency education program on the achievement of high, average, and low-achieving students was examined for the Alabama Basic Competency Education program (BCE). California Achievement Tests scores in reading, mathematics, and language were examined for 3 years prior to initiation of the BCE program and for 3 years…

Peoria's efforts with the development and implications of a Minimum Competency Testing (MCT) program are described, including the program model used, numbers of high school seniors and seventh graders who passed the pilot test sequence, and views on the advantages, disadvantages, and effectiveness of the MCT program. (Editor/SJL)