The performance of various ethnic groups on teacher competency tests in several states are reported. The data indicate that disproportionate numbers of minority candidates are being screened out of teaching. Implications for the national teaching force are examined. (Author/MT)

A positive effect of the competency testing movement is that it will reveal the nation's greatest educational failure--understanding minority achievement and developing successful instructional delivery systems for minority youth. Collaborative leadership from teachers, professional educators, and the public must challenge the development of new…

This report assesses the impact of testing on the national minority teaching force. Its central focus examines the impact of teacher competency tests on prospective minority teachers and, where data are available, the impact of testing on veteran teachers is assessed. State-by-state profiles are presented. A case study of a single state, Florida,…

Ethical issues involved in competency testing of teachers are raised by the following considerations: that (1) the initiative for the movement came from state legislatures and boards of education rather than from educators; (2) in some states, the testing of teachers is paralleled by a movement to assess the basic skills of public school students;…