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)

Three-fourths of the states have mandated some form of testing. Problems are discussed and practical recommendations about implementation are offered. (Author/MLF)

A survey of teacher education institutions indicates that only five of the 17 curriculum areas investigated are significantly affected by the implementation of state minimum competency testing programs. (Author/IRT)

The minimum competency testing issue raises basic questions--who controls public education and what should be taught? (Author)

Examines issues of curricular and instructional validity, criticism of diploma-sanctioned tests, teaching the test, and the role of the courts in new solutions. Contends diploma tests may ensure that students are given the opportunity to learn those skills essential to becoming a productive member of society. (209 references) (MLF)

The majority of middle school teachers are prepared in either generalist elementary programs or subject-specific secondary programs, yet researchers and teacher educators have little understanding of the ways in which these divergent pathways prepare teachers for working at the middle school level. In this study, preservice teachers from an…

The primary goal of this project was to increase schools' resources and staff skills in providing function-based behavior support to individual students with chronic problem behaviors. Over the course of a 3-year period, 10 school teams received training in and on-site consultation on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavior support…

Unclear definitions and limited system-level assessment measures inhibit cultural responsiveness in children's mental health. This study explores an alternative method to conceptualize and assess cultural competence in four children's mental health systems of care communities from family and professional perspectives. Concept Mapping was used to…

During the last decade many school systems began to define minimum levels of competency for their students and to construct tests to measure whether students had achieved these minimums. Many states have passed laws which require high school students to pass minimum competency tests in order to graduate. This digest overviews four areas of…