The issues surrounding minimum competency testing (MCT) and the handicapped are analyzed in light of federal mandates in P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, for a free appropriate public education. Five policy approaches regarding graduation requirements are considered for positive and negative implications: the pass/fail…

The text of a conversation with a Florida special education administrator explores such aspects as the skills that are being tested, how standards were derived, the effects of testing on curricula, special diplomas, and the improvement in scores noted in the second year of the testing. (DLS)

This study analyzed documentation from 50 state departments of education concerning high school graduation requirements for students in general and for students with disabilities. Preliminary information reviews research on graduation requirements, research on minimum competence tests, and legal issues and implications. Study findings are then…

State and federal policy issues regarding graduation requirements for handicapped students are explored. After a historical review of such issues as school attendance laws and the competency based testing movement, the effect of state and federal legislation is discussed. State action regarding minimum competency testing is charted and four policy…

Major issues surrounding the meaningful assessment of students outcomes as part of program evaluation in special education are identified, including: the concept of competence; the development of minimum competency tests; the use of these tests with disabled students; behavioral domains and the classification of competencies; and the measurement…

Public school districts that have new policies establishing minimal competency programs that consequently deny some handicapped students a standard diploma have been subjected to litigation. Legal decisions are discussed, addressing, first, the question of fair standards and, second, the fairness of the procedures for administering new graduation…

The widespread use of testing to make critical individual decisions concerning education or employment opportunities, coupled with growing vigilance by the handicapped community, may mean increased legal scrutiny regarding this type of testing. The measurement community is also aware of difficult, perhaps unresolvable psychometric problems…

The purpose of this research paper is to identify and examine legal issues and implications of mandatory competency tests (MCT) for high school graduation. The major data source for this investigation was actual court cases and abstracts and interpretations of court cases. It is not the purpose of this paper to perform a general review of…

This report describes court challenges to high school exit exams for students with disabilities, explores the legal and public policy issues, and discusses implications for educators. Legal challenges include claims brought under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, and under disability statutes, including the…

Current minimum competency testing (MCT) practices noted in the literature through Fall, 1979 are reviewed, and guidance for establishing suitable programs for handicapped students is provided. The provisions of The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are analyzed in terms…

The legislative history and provisions, implementation, and intended use of 12 state-mandated programs are described. Florida's program was mandated in 1971. The other states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) initiated programs after 1975; most are in their…

This report reviews literature pertaining to testing accommodations for students with disabilities. It draws on such information as empirical studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service and the American College Testing Program as well as policies for state assessment programs. The report addresses policy and legal considerations,…

The major issues currently faced by policy makers in education at the state level are identified and discussed in this report. The information included is drawn from questionnaire and interview responses provided by state-level coordinators of the State Education Policy Seminars (SEPS) (sponsored by the Education Commission of the States and the…

The movement towards state-mandated minimum competency testing peaked in 1977-1978. Activity now centers on implementation: most programs will be implemented by 1980-81. To initiate programs, twenty-four states have used the state board approach, 20 enacted legislation, and six have passed both board and legislation mandates. Only Maine, Kansas,…

The chapters in this book contain a comprehensive reference to recent state appellate and federal court decisions affecting the operation and governance of public elementary and secondary schools. The chapters are: (1) "The Use of School Facilities by Student Groups for Religious Activities," (2) "Denial of Standard Diploma to…