Describes what is happening in California regarding minimum competency testing and what the counselor's role will be in this area. (Author)

A sample of 1,731 North Carolina high school students who initially failed the state Competency Test registered improvements on subsequent reexaminations. The gains were apparently stable and related more to in-school factors than to individual background characteristics. (Author/PN)

Reports on the development of an assessment instrument to test basic communication skills necessary for students' success in college. Covers the instrument's conceptual foundation, administration procedures, development, and analysis. (PD)

Investigates (1) the impact on business and education of demographic, economic, political, and technical developments; (2) strengths and weaknesses of competency based education; and (3) future implications for business education in terms of job prospects and educational preparation. (SK)

Citing experience with declining ability in Navy personnel, Admiral Rickover calls for a redirection of the schools toward intellectual development, with improved academic standards and objective measures of student performance. He advocates a federal panel to establish model standards and tests in the basic skills. (SJL)

The system of competency tests used by the University of Georgia System is examined. Arguments for and against the tests developed by the state board of regents are presented, and the issue of racial discrimination is also addressed. (JMF)

This article discusses advantages and disadvantages of competency-based education and training (CBET), with emphasis on its application to vocational and higher education in Australia. Argues that, although CBET model is suitable for most vocational programs, the very nature of higher education prohibits its use at colleges and universities. (MDM)

This article reviews the research related to minimum competency testing (MCT) as a requirement for high school graduation for students with learning disabilities. It examines whether inclusive MCT requirements lead to positive educational outcomes, raises issues of accommodations and alternative diplomas, possible increased dropout rates, and…

The Writing Skills Committee of the New Jersey Department of Education determined that the Eleventh-Grade High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) writing test should be based on contemporary discourse theory that is process oriented and is firmly rooted in real world application of students' skill and knowledge as writers. The committee identified two…

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…

Prior to the Virginian Standards of Learning Program most curriculum guidance was provided by the Board of Education through course requirement in-service sessions and through legislative action on mandated topics. The Standards of Learning Program gave Virginia teachers primary responsibility for establishing minimum competencies and assessment…

Minimal competency testing of students can be an effective tool for improving educational quality if applied appropriately with adequate safeguards. The failure of academic standards through grade inflation, a policy of social promotion rather than academic promotion, and weak curricula has reduced public confidence in education and encouraged…

A teacher certification testing program was mandated by the 1980 Oklahoma Legislature in HB 1706. The bill calls for a general upgrading of the teaching profession through more stringent teacher preparation programs, uniformity of training, and a concomitant improvement of salaries to reflect the healthy economy of Oklahoma. A central focus of the…

Presented is a collection of reports on the status of competency-based mathematical education in the schools of 25 countries, and is the culmination of five years' work by the International Study Group on Minimal Competencies in Mathematics. Most reports summarize the trends and prevailing opinions about curricular implications of emphasis on…