The Department of Education has been under attack by people motivated by the perceived failure of the system to improve educational achievement on the elementary and high school levels or the desire to dramatically reduce spending and waste during troubled economic times. A new program introduced in four states seems to address competency and…

Many school districts have adopted minimum competency tests as part of the requirements for high school diplomas. It is important that the needs of special education students are included when planning and implementing competency testing. Included are three levels of options to consider for modified testing of special students. (MD)

During the spring of 1980, Texas tested all of its ninth graders for the first time as part of a legislatively-mandated competency program. This forced all Texas districts which already had established programs to decide whether to drop, modify, or retain them. The political, economic, and practical information which was important within the…