Describes the development and testing of the North Carolina minimal competency testing program. (IRT)

This guide outlines a model for competency-based education (CBE) as well as procedures for administration of CBE programs. The model includes the following elements--publicly determined and displayed student learning outcomes, curricular changes, life role related outcomes, integrated learning experiences, and individualized instruction.…

Information is presented regarding the administration of the North Carolina Minimum Skills Diagnostic Testing Program. This testing program, mandated by the state's basic education program under the Secondary School Reform Act of 1984, checks the necessity for remediation by determining a student's mastery of specific objectives and diagnoses…

Guidelines for setting performance standards for minimum competency testing are suggested. Because qualitative judgments are involved, certain options should be considered, such as periodic reviews and necessary revisions of standards; use of experience-based rather than arbitrary standards; and thorough consideration of standards, even if the…

The United States is not doing as well as it could in assessing educational outcomes in the 1980s. The assessment movement of the 1980s indicates that its institutional memory is poor, and when coping with outside pressures, it is slow to recall how it coped the last time it was under pressure. It is important to remember such events and pressures…

As part of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), minimum competency tests of reading, mathematics, and communication skills are administered annually to fourth, seventh, and tenth grade students in Michigan. Results are calculated for each of the desired objectives. Data are also collected on students' reading habits. MEAP test…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is praiseworthy for the special attention it gives to improved learning for children who have been ignored or left behind in the past. The emphasis on closing the achievement gap is certainly commendable, as is the encouragement given to states to adopt ambitious subject matter standards and enhance teacher…

The Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS) helps to improve basic skills mastery by assessing student achievement and district performance levels in reading, writing and mathematics. TABS was designed to provide information for instructional planning in the state-funded compensatory education service. Minimum competency objectives are to be…

The differences between Elementary Secondary Education Act Title I program evaluation and minimum competency testing (MCT) are compared. Title I programs are characterized as follows: the objective is to supplement school experiences for economically educational programs emphasize reading and mathematics; supplementary instruction is provided by…

State and school district testing activities involving basic reading competency requirements are discussed. The purposes of minimum competency testing in reading include the identification of students who need remedial assistance, and the evaluation of secondary school students regarding graduation requirements. Important considerations regarding…

The results are presented of the validation study of reading and mathematics criterion referenced tests, administered to South Carolina students in grades 3, 6, and 8. This testing was mandated by state law to field test a competency based assessment program. The study was based on three activities: (1) test selection; (2) content validation; and…