In this article, the author presents the story of Hope--an education student who, despite many successes, was consistently unable to pass the reading portion of a screening test (Praxis I) that is a prerequisite to student teaching in her home state of Georgia. Hope's only trouble was the fact that she was a slow reader due to attention deficit…

The pattern toward an increase in the number of states using some form of competency testing prior to the certification of educators is substantiated in this paper. Competency testing programs are implemented at three distinct levels: (1) before entrance into a teacher education program near the end of the sophomore year in college; (2) at the end…

This paper examines some impacts of basic skills proficiency testing of teachers in Arizona. A discussion of some legal issues involved in teacher proficiency testing is presented. Specific cases are cited which illustrate the fact that the courts have ruled that testing must show "job-relatedness" and a "rational basis for…