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 relationship of scholastic aptitude and achievement to performance on the Oklahoma Curriculum Proficiency Examination was investigated. Results indicate a need for further study of the validity of competency tests. (Author/DF)

Examines the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), which tests all freshmen entering Texas public colleges. Suggests shifting emphasis from the testing instrument to reasons for poor student performance, since emphasis on testing has resulted in large increases in remedial instruction. Concludes that although TASP is a valid diagnostic tool, the…

The use of standardized tests for program evaluation, student placement, and student progression in order to improve the quality of higher education is discussed. It is noted that student achievement is being used as a criterion for judging programs as part of state assessments. Although standardized test scores have long been used by institutions…

Based upon prior research in the College of Business and Public Administration and the first year of the university testing program at an upper division, midwestern university, implications for testing of older transfer students are drawn. Students should be tested before, or during, their first term of academic history. If remediation is not…

Thirteen alternatives to using competency based tests should be considered when diagnosing student competency in writing: teacher-made or departmental tests, teacher-student conferences, contractual grade agreements between student and teacher, student self-evaluation, individualized goal setting, keeping files or portfolios of student work,…

A study involving 103 male and 117 female students entering a major urban university assessed the interaction between test anxiety and skill deficits. The effects of prior achievement and test anxiety on performance on two competency exams were also examined. Instruments consisted of minimum competency tests for reading comprehension and…

Focusing on the competency based education movement (CBE), this chapter is one of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence. The chapter begins by reviewing the prominent CBE programs, their institutional objectives, and how competencies are identified and assessed. In particular, the degree to which…

Many states are turning to minimum-competency testing at the secondary school level. Although at least 17 states have enacted legislation that sets minimum-competency standards for graduation from public high schools, the basic skills testing movement at the postsecondary level is still in its infancy. (MLW)

The United States is not doing as well as it could in assessing educational outcomes in the 1980s. The assessment movement of the 1980s indicates that its institutional memory is poor, and when coping with outside pressures, it is slow to recall how it coped the last time it was under pressure. It is important to remember such events and pressures…

The quality and equality of American education are reexamined and the misuse of tests and the public's perception of them are discussed. It is suggested that new research efforts in testing must be supported. Congressional chartering of the National Academy of Education is proposed. (Author/MLW)

This report presents the results of a survey of Louisiana and North Carolina college students and education officials to ascertain their perceptions regarding the use of minimum competency testing programs and to determine the effects of such programs on black students. Questionnaire and interview data were collected between September 1985 and…

Examines the nature of competency testing reforms through a multisite investigation of local school districts and states. Argues that competency tests and standards function more as symbolic and political gestures than as instrumental reforms. (FMW)

A study investigated the relationship of scores in the Texas Academic Skills Program, a minimum competency test for college-bound students, and performance in freshman and sophomore courses, and uses for that information in setting course prerequisites. Data were drawn from 18 courses at one community college. Results showed existing course…

This report presents Fall, 1991 results of the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Testing which tests incoming college students and evaluates collegiate remedial courses. A summary of the findings notes that freshmen recorded poorer results on every section of the test compared to 1990 results, that in verbal skills 42 percent lacked…