The impact of legislation in California establishing "Pass to Play" policies of minimum academic requirements for extracurricular and co-curricular activities in grades 7 through 12 was examined. District policies varied widely and most were more stringent than required by legislation. Overall, the legislation helped establish academics…

One purpose of this paper is to describe how the concept of statewide minimum standards has been used in other states and to suggest precisely how it should be used in New Jersey. Current New Jersey law requires districts to establish pupil proficiency levels in basic skills, to identify children who fall below them, and to provide those children…

Focusing on state-mandated minimum competency testing programs, this annotated bibliography cites 200 items selected from more than 700. The Resource Catalog is intended for state education policy makers and therefore includes resource and study guides; legislative and board action; conference speeches, reports and proceedings; curriculum guides,…

The legislative history and provisions, implementation, and intended use of 12 state-mandated programs are described. Florida's program was mandated in 1971. The other states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) initiated programs after 1975; most are in their…

In accordance with the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP, Act 631), all local school districts of South Carolina are responsible for providing instruction in the basic skills of mathematics, reading and writing to students that demonstrate deficiencies in one or more of these tests. The BSAP represents a comprehensive approach toward…

To portray the status of minimum competency testing programs nationwide; as of June 30, 1979, on-site visits were conducted with directors of all 31 state programs and 20 local district programs. Most programs were developed since 1976; 14 state and 13 local programs are fully implemented. The state board of education mandated 16 state programs;…

Wisconsin was one of the first states to establish statutory requirements for teaching about natural resources and conservation. This paper describes some recent developments and initiatives that have been undertaken in Wisconsin since 1980. A new teacher certification rule was officially promulgated in October 1983, and went into effect on July…

These papers were presented at the symposium "Using Statewide Basic Skills Tests to Make Promotion Decisions: Political and Psychometric Issues." The development of basic skills testing and the legislative mandate that needed to be implemented for minimum competency testing in Louisiana are discussed by Hugh I. Peck. Rebecca S. Christian…

Public Act 84-126 amended The School Code of Illinois to include a definition of schooling and a requirement that the goals for learning be identified and assessed. This document identifies state goals for language arts education in grades 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12, and includes a sample set of district level learning objectives consistent with those…

The status of minimum competency testing programs, as of June 30, 1979, is given through descriptions of 31 state programs and 20 local district programs. For each program, the following information is provided: legislative and policy history; implementation phase; goals; competencies to be tested; standards and standard setting; target groups and…

The movement towards state-mandated minimum competency testing peaked in 1977-1978. Activity now centers on implementation: most programs will be implemented by 1980-81. To initiate programs, twenty-four states have used the state board approach, 20 enacted legislation, and six have passed both board and legislation mandates. Only Maine, Kansas,…