The efforts of researchers to produce a pool of approximately 30 validated and field-tested topics for use in future administrations of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination in writing are reviewed in this paper. Various sections of the paper (1) describe the procedures followed; (2) explain the reasons for making certain important…

Based on a survey of teacher competency testing practices in all the states, the authors provide an analysis of what areas are covered in teacher tests, which tests are used, and how the tests are used in both current and planned state teacher testing programs. (Author/BS)

This report presents four presentations made at a workshop which was held in Richmond, Virginia, to assist teacher educators to better prepare vocational teachers for competency-based instruction. The first presentation, "The Promise of Competency-Based Vocational Education," summarizes the contemporary curricular movement toward…

Teacher competency testing is not new, but since the mid-1970s the number of states requiring new teachers to be tested has grown rapidly. States differ in their definition of competence, in the methods they use to assess competence, and in the treatment of teachers who do not meet competency requirements. This monograph describes a national…

California, in response to pessimism about the efficacy of public education, adopted the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), a three-part test of reading, writing, and mathematics required of teacher applicants. This paper takes a critical look at the genesis, passage, implementation, and consequences of the CBEST legislation. In…

The organization, scope, and activities of the Indiana Occupational Competency Testing Center were expanded to accommodate the requirements of the new Occupational Specialist Certificate for secondary vocational teacher credentialling. A pilot project involved three regional sites in the state. The director of the host area site acted as area…

An Indiana project developed a model diagnostic basic skills testing program with statewide application for teachers certified under the Occupational Specialist Rules. Fifteen commercially produced tests were reviewed for adoption. The set of criteria that guided the selection process included technical aspects and application factors. The TABE…