Core Maths qualifications were introduced into the post-16 curriculum in England in 2014 to help students develop their quantitative and problem-solving skills. Taking the qualification should also give students confidence in understanding the mathematical content in other courses taken at the same time. In this article, we explore whether Core…

Today, a major goal in higher education is the advancement of students' vocational competences. To assess the extent to which this goal is met, both competences acquired during university studies and later vocational success need to be measured. In our study, we collected self-ratings of competences (t1) and indicators of vocational success (t2)…

Using the nationally representative, cohort-based data of the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:02), this study employs multiple regression to examine the effects of exit exams on student achievement and school completion. This study finds that exit exams as a whole do not have substantial effects on student achievement in mathematics,…

This study investigated the relationships among scholastic aptitude, achievement, and performance on a state-mandated teacher competency test for secondary school teachers. The sample consisted of 215 secondary teacher candidates who had completed the Oklahoma Curriculum Proficiency Examination between 1982 and 1985. Results are discussed.…

Test scores on the Test of Basic Concepts, a school readiness test, were compared with actual performance in school for 186 low-scoring and 133 high-scoring groups of first graders from Spain at the beginning of the school year to explore the issues of competence testing and prediction of performance. The measure of school performance was derived…

The relationship of scholastic aptitude and achievement to performance on the Oklahoma Curriculum Proficiency Examination was investigated. Results indicate a need for further study of the validity of competency tests. (Author/DF)

The need for improved accountability has led to more competency-based testing. This provides test makers with the opportunity to have greater impact on the curriculum. Several strategies are suggested for measurement-based instructional improvement. (Author/PN)

Increases in competency testing as a basis for student promotion and graduation are described. Examines the complexities and implementation of minimal competency testing and argues for consideration of unresolved issues: (1) definition of "minimal competency," (2) determination of appropriate measures, and (3) use of minimal competency concept in…

The enthusiasm for competency testing poses a contradiction, for it comes at a time when questions and criticisms are being increasingly raised about tests and their use. In three sections, this paper explores the competency testing movement: 1) main features and basic issues in the competency testing movements; 2) observations on the politics of…

Opinionnaires were sent to one person in each of the 50 states who was knowledgeable about minimum competency testing. Results showed significant differences in opinion, but there was agreement that tests should be used to improve instruction and identify students needing remedial help. (JHZ)

Competency testing often refers to a system devised to assure successful performance on a specific test, in addition to other mandated criteria as a requisite to obtaining a high school diploma. Minimum competency testing is usually defined in one of two ways: as the acquisition of basic skills or as the demonstrated ability to apply basic skills…

This study explored some factors associated with learning disabled high school students who passed the North Carolina Minimum Competency Test on the second administration. Factors examined include reading score on the first competency test, intelligence quotient, locus of control, mother's education, teacher support, student/teacher ratio, and…

Administrative and technical problems were encountered in carrying out a minimum competency program for high school students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. The history of required minimum competency testing was reviewed briefly, and the process of clarifying and operationalizing the requirements was described within the Austin…

Student test scores are increasingly used to judge the competence of the educational enterprise. Exaggeration of scores is the result of directing attention away from the individual student achievement to the average scores of schools, districts, and states. Implications and recommendations are discussed. (BJV)

To explain the discrepancy between median scores on the 1976 administration of the California Achievement Tests (CAT) and the Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP) in the Austin Independent School District (AISD), ten technical variables typical of achievement tests were considered as explanations. (1) The STEP may measure different…