The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has designed and developed programs to enhance the status of minority students, maximize the performance of Black students and teachers on standardized tests, increase the number of Black teachers in Arkansas, and revitalize the image of teacher education at UAPB. (MT)

The Texas legislation requiring testing of teachers holding "life" credentials is reviewed. The reactions of teachers groups to the Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teachers (TECAT) and to the Governor's support for testing are described. (Author/MT)

The article reviews minimum competency requirements for handicapped students in the 39 states which have set minimum standards indicating a range from total exclusion of handicapped students from the testing program to required participation with no modifications. It is suggested that separate minimum standards be defined for special education…

Questionnaires returned by 285 graduates were used to survey perceptions of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination in terms of adequacy to measure competence, difficulty level, need for more rigor, and usefulness in upgrading standards. The results suggest that education graduates do not necessarily dismiss the value of a certification…

Analysis of a 10th grade competency test administered to 2,257 learning disabled students as part of Florida's minimum competency testing program indicated that large numbers of students performed poorly on many items involving basic communication and mathematics. (CL)

The concept of overlap between instruction and assessment is defined. The influence of tests on teaching and the teacher as curricular content decision maker is described. A model of how awareness of this overlap can move curriculum practice into alignment with an assessment system is presented. (Author/MT)

Discusses the experience of a committee at the University of Southern California that was formed to implement the university's requirement that foreign languages become a "Skill Level" requirement. This means that the student must meet the requirement by performing at a certain level on a proficiency examination. (SED)

Reviews state requirements for minimum competency testing and discusses past and potential future challenges to such testing. Offers possible solutions. (MD)

Describes the five-year effort of the Allentown, Pennsylvania School District to develop districtwide final examinations to test the mastery of course objective in its secondary schools. (FL)

Examines three forces affecting the minimum competency testing movement: the reluctance of professionals to accept it, court cases, and the question of how it should be applied to the handicapped student. (FL)

Discusses problems in designing and interpreting research on the effects of topics used in essay exams, particularly minimum competency exams. Reviews current research on the effects of topics and their presentation. (HTH)

Raises three issues of competency testing: how competency is to be defined, tested, and paid for. (JL)

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)

Annotates such recently published sources of information as surveys of current practices and general discussions, describes the 1979 NIE (National Institute of Education) Minimum Competency Study (report to be published), and lists the addresses of organizations that collect information, develop their own tests, and publish useful studies and…

The current status of minimal competency tests for special education students is discussed with particular emphasis on the legal implications. (SBH)