Testing programs enacted by the state legislature are changing and improving Florida's educational system in five areas: (1) setting standards for students; (2) making schools more accountable; (3) creating growth through competiton; (4) evaluating educational programs; and (5) assuring the competency of educators. (BS)

The rationale for the role of state educational agencies in certifying teachers, the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) program and the new NTE Core Battery are discussed. State certification in Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma, Louisiana's consideration, and the District Court of South Carolina decision concerning NTE use for certification are…

Proposed an accountably model that addresses the challenges of allowing school districts to choose the specific strategies they use to measure student performance and evaluated this model using data from multiple sources for all school districts in Florida. Findings identify three strategies that would be useful for this type of accountability…