Minimum Competency Testing for high school students is discussed with regard to its development, use, potential, and administration. Various suggestions are presented to help teachers and administrators use the test results more effectively and minimize student and parental fears that low test scores will constitute a barrier to a high school…

This report describes the status of competency testing in vocational and technical education in the United States in 1988-89. Data were derived from a mailed questionnaire sent to State Liaison Representatives of the National Network for Curriculum Coordination in Vocational-Technical Education. Of a total of 69 surveys, 39 responses were returned…

The study examines Saskatchewan high school students' achievement of selected mathematical competencies. Results indicate statistically significant differences in achievement among some grades, mathematics programs, school enrollment sizes, and between the sexes. Educational implications are outlined. (MK)

The authors developed competency tests to document students' achievement of essential competencies in food and nutrition classes. Procedures included (1) developing the item pool; (2) determining validity and reliability; and (3) field testing. The study confirmed that it is possible to develop multiple-choice test items for essential competencies…

Nearly all high school students in the Choctaw School System (Mississippi), which operates without a curriculum or a comprehensive evaluation program, function below grade level. Minimum competency evaluation revealed that as many as 50 percent of those entering high school need remedial instruction. There are implications for educational change.…

Minimum competency testing, in which passing a uniform test is necessary (but not sufficient) for promotion or graduation, has been carried out in a number of colleges, including the City University of New York (CUNY). Competency programs usually have three basic components: placement testing, remedial instruction, and exit testing. Competency…

One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter examines the issue of certification from the perspective of the consumer of services performed by the individual possessing the credential. To provide an understanding of the current practice of competence assessment as a component of…

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…

This introduction and overview is part of a seven-section report that investigates how individual competence is defined and assessed in the settings of education and work. Following background rationale, the first portion develops a definition of competence as "a characteristic of an individual that underlies effective work performance."…