Rebuts the article on minimum competency testing by Diana Pullin in the September 1981 "Kappan." Argues that the competency testing program in Florida is a powerful force for motivating improvement. (Author/WD)

Offers arguments opposing the minimal competency testing movement. (MKM)

Tabulates each state's minimum competency activities, indicating who mandated the action (state legislature/state board of education), who set the standards (local/state), which areas are tested (math/language arts/other), which tests are used (local/state/commercial), and use of the data (high school graduation/grade promotion/remedial…

Describes services offered by the Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse on Tests, Measurement, and Evaluation (ERIC/TM) in the area of minimum competency testing; identifies the ERIC descriptors to use when searching documents on that subject; notes relevant services offered by other ERIC clearinghouses; and lists some applicable…

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…

During the 1986-87 school year, 4,299 handicapped students were given New Jersey's competency test which measures academic achievement in reading, mathematics, and writing. Twelve percent of these students passed the test. There was a variance across student classifications; the math subtest was particularly difficult for the students. (Author/DB)

The paper presents guidelines to assist Virginia's local education agency (LEA) personnel, particularly teachers, administrators, counselors, and test providers, in the implementation of the minimum competency program for handicapped students. An introduction traces the history of graduation requirements, outlines revised graduation eligibility,…

A number of important issues must be addressed during the process of graduation competency identification. Each school system must determine what it means by the term competency before identifying a set of graduation requirements. Graduation competencies may emphasize school subject skills, basic skills, or skills needed in everyday life. Life…

Argues that minimal competency tests will promote reading literacy. (MKM)

The potential of minimum competency testing cannot be realized unless school districts engage in the complex processes of competency-based program development. (Author/MLF)

Written primarily for litigators, shows how minimum competency tests that are used to deny high school diplomas to disproportionate numbers of minority students can be successfully challenged under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Author/MK)

To set a standard on the "beardedness" test (see TM 507 062) the probability that a student with a specific score will be judged as bearded must be estimated for each test score. To get an unbiased estimate of that probability, a representative sample of students at each test score level must be chosen. (BW)

Livingston's (TM 507 218) response to Rowley (TM 507 062) is compared with the original Zieky and Livingston formulation of the Contrasting Groups Method of setting standards. (BW)

Raises philosophical and technical questions about the Tennessee minimum competency testing program, including: what subject and skills are basic; who determines what competencies are minimal; what should be the consequences of failure; who is responsible for remediation of failing students; do or should skills being taught match skills being…

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