The development of the portion of a basic skills test that would adequately assess the writing ability of entering college freshmen in New Jersey is described in this paper. The stages of the test development process that are discussed include the decision to incorporate a writing sample in the form of an essay on a specified topic, the selection…

Competency testing in New York State began in the nineteenth century, first with a local testing mandate and later with the "preliminary Regents examinations," which were administered at the end of the eighth grade. Optional competency tests were introduced in 1962, and in 1976 the Board of Regents mandated the passing of a series of…

The Nebraska Assessment Battery of Essential Learning Skills (N-ABELS) is a goal-oriented instrument with an evaluation component providing a basis for determining acquisition of twelve skills defined as learning goals. Each goal is stated in terms of an acceptable performance standard which clearly describes what the student must do. The skills…

A sample of 1,731 North Carolina high school students who initially failed the state Competency Test registered improvements on subsequent reexaminations. The gains were apparently stable and related more to in-school factors than to individual background characteristics. (Author/PN)

The system of competency tests used by the University of Georgia System is examined. Arguments for and against the tests developed by the state board of regents are presented, and the issue of racial discrimination is also addressed. (JMF)

Future trends in high school basic skills testing programs are discussed. Topics include subject area testing, national comparison testing, test security concerns, and technology's impact. The future is likely to bring more testing, rather than less, but there will be significant changes in the ways tests are implemented. (SLD)

The New Jersey Assembly Education Committee studied the development and administration of the New Jersey Department of Education's skills testing program. A committee meeting received testimony about the program and reviewed correspondence. The committee has found that the academic standards of the state must be raised and that a high school…

The New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) was instituted in 1978 as a proficiency examination designed to measure the reading, writing, and mathematics skills of students entering college. In spring and summer 1982, 51,135 students at New Jersey's state and county colleges and at 10 independent colleges took the NJCBSPT. Of…

The writing objectives and the measurement specifications presented in this document are congruent with the Texas State Board of Education Rules for Curriculum. The objectives are provided for teachers and for test developers involved with the preparation of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests. As of 1985-86 academic…

This study was designed to illustrate the use of the Rasch model procedure to equate the Dade County Compensatory Education Skills Test (DCCEST) to the State Student Assessment Test (SSAT) for both mathematics skills and communications skills. The SSAT was a test developed by the Florida State Department of Education to measure students' level of…

This report presents the Austin (Texas) Independent School District's 1985 test results on the Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS). It was administered to all third, fifth, and ninth grade students and to high school students not meeting ninth grade state-set mastery criteria, the minimum competency requirement for graduation. Results are…

One of a series of studies examining Louisiana's compensatory education program, this study investigated four assumptions upon which a skill-specific intervention program was based. Framed as questions, these assumptions are: (1) Is retention effective for students who do not know basic content for a given grade level? (2) When is retention most…

Approximately 60,000 Delaware public school students in grades 1 through 8 and in grade 11 were administered a battery of achievement tests as part of the state-funded Delaware Educational Assessment Program (DEAP) in 1986. This was the second administration of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), in reading, language arts, and…

Compliance with South Carolina's Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP), involving test administration and instructional monitoring, was on schedule for the 1983-84 school year. Results of readiness tests given to over 50,000 first graders showed 72.6% "ready" to begin formal instruction. Teachers were given materials for areas in which…

Designed to be a tool for curriculum and instructional development consistent with assessment of the state objectives in reading, this teaching and testing guide provides a summary of the skills that should be considered instructionally and how each objective is tested. Information is included on state objectives for reading teachers for grades 4,…