The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) establishes ambitious goals for increasing student learning and attaining equity in the distribution of student performance. Schools must assure that all students, including all significant subgroups, show adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward the goal of 100% proficiency by the year 2014. In this paper,…

The assistance of professionals in measurement is called for to help schools deal with controversial issues in standardized testing by increasing public understanding of test uses and limitations. Schools' representation on the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) and the dissemination of NCME-published information to schools is…

Five legal principles (and cases establishing them) on the use of competency testing in student placement or for graduation are discussed. The principles address the constitutionality of appropriate use, adequate notice to students, prohibition of effects of past racial discrimination, graduation test validity, and requirements for handicapped…

Discrepancies between court and professional association views of licensing examinations are discussed. Litigation associated with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and constitutional law is considered. Courts should examine professional standards and apply those that are consistent with the court's determination of the proper…