The "Education Evaluation and Remedial Assistance" section 10-14n of the Connecticut General Statutes, requires that the State Board of Education administer an annual statewide proficiency examination in basic reading, language arts, and mathematic skills to all ninth-grade students. This report describes the development of the test and summarizes the results of the second administration. The objectives of the test are outlined and range from the provision of a statewide information base on all students before entering high school, to the use of results for budget request preparation, and the use of the test as a screening process to diagnose student skill deficiencies so that follow-up aid may be administered to improve basic skills. The implementation, process and the identification of test content are outlined. Descriptions of the individual tests and their objectives follow. The process of constructing and reviewing items, conducting a pilot test and selecting procedures for setting the statewide level of expected performance, constitutes the next section. The third section is comprised of test administration procedures and discusses the scoring procedures utilized for each test. In conclusion, statewide results are summarized by state and by school district. Sample writings and holistic scores assigned them are appended. (AEF)