The New Jersey department of education has implemented a minimum standards program to assure that all students have the individual opportunities they require for mastering the basic skills. The 1976-77 program is transitional and is used to build toward full implementation in the 1977-78 school year. In full operation, the state tests will be…

Some insights into the development of an eleventh grade test of "adult functional competency" are provided. The evolution of the test from its first mention to its translation into a test item pool is traced. An attempt is made to identify some of the instructional, measurement, and legal implications inherent in various decisions which…

Guidelines are provided to assist New Jersey local school districts in improving and strengthening their graduation policies in accordance with the new law and regulations. Basic skills proficiency requirements have been enacted in Chapter 241, Laws of 1979. This law requires that students successfully pass tests in reading, writing and…

The Executive Director of the New Jersey Education Association discusses some of the top priorities facing his organization in the coming years. These include educational quality, accountability and testing, tenure, academic standards, and urban schools. (SJL)

The Basic Skills Testing program in Louisiana was implemented due to a legislative mandate for minimum competency testing. The program began in grade two, adding a grade each year through grade twelve. Basic Skills Tests are being phased in to replace State Assessment. State Assessment will continue in the areas of science, social studies, and…

This chart summarizes the following categories of information about various states' minimum competency testing activities: (1) name of state; (2) legislation or ruling which requires testing; (3) name of organization which sets standards; (4) grade levels assessed; (5) skill areas assessed; (6) use of standards and of test results; and (7) other…

These combined proceedings summarize presentations of two conference programs designed to address state-mandated student achievement issues. Dr. Terrel Bell delivered the keynote speech at a teleconference focusing on a broad perspective of competency testing. He discussed testing problems, as well as positive aspects such as comparison, diagnosis…

Testing teachers for recertification to ensure that all certified teachers and administrators can read and write adequately is supported. Insofar as possible, tests must be developed and used in ways that are not demeaning to educational professionals. Recertification testing may recapture public support for education, which has seriously eroded.…

Results are presented of the Connecticut Statewide Basic Skills Proficiency Test, which was administered to Connecticut ninth graders for the fourth time in 1983. The history of the test is summarized; it was designed to identify students who are performing so far below grade level that they require remedial instruction to succeed in the ninth…

Intended to help Arkansas schools implement its 1980 State Basic Skills Improvement Plan, this booklet identifies basic skills to be measured by the state and makes suggestions for incorporating these skills into the curriculum. The first section explains the Educational Assessment Act of 1979 establishing a statewide basic skills assessment…

Colorado's Educational Accountability Act, enacted in 1971, requires that each of the state's 181 school districts undergo a process of planning and implementing school improvements. This report utilized local districts' findings to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent is the Educational Accountability Act being implemented in…

Section 14 of Act No. 307, Public Acts of 1969 of the State of Michigan directed the Department of Education to plan and develop a state program to assess educational progress. The purposes and procedures to be followed in this program during the 1969-70 school year, are outlined in this report. The program will consist of two complementary…

This report reviews major components of a workshop to develop consensus on a variety of issues and to increase participant awareness of innovative approaches to competency-based adult education (CBAE). The 200 workshop participants included state directors of adult education, other state staff, university personnel, local project directors, and…

The evolution of the California Assessment Program from its legislative origins in 1961 is discussed. The following topics are included: history; analysis and reporting of results; program impact; program assessment; and future changes in emphasis. (MH)

The impact of testing and promotion standards on students in urban schools was discussed by urban school superintendents from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Pointing to research that suggests that standards alone are not enough to boost achievement, many educators recommend coupling more rigorous standards with appropriate remedial programs, staff…