The author outlines current federal interest in the competency testing movement, explaining the federal role as supportive, with no plans for a national test, but with concern for equal educational opportunity. Federal activities are described, including the new NIE Office of Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation. (SJL)

Reviews the possible dangers of mandated competency testing and suggests some alternatives. (JM)

This overview of the problem of linking testing and instruction describes two general policy areas which have focused attention on these links: studies of school effectiveness and minimum competency testing. Techniques used to investigate links between tests and instruction and policy issues that must be addressed are also discussed. (Author/CM)

Principals and teachers involved in implementing benchmark testing in a large, urban, midwestern school district progressed from lower to higher stages of concern during the 4 years of a longitudinal study. A random sample of the teachers and all the principals in the district's 49 elementary, 9 junior high, and 10 high schools completed the…

Discusses issues involved in the construction, validity, and use of tests that evaluate educational progress, especially those that assess higher-order cognitive functioning. Reviews the four articles in this special issue. (FMW)

Parents are interested in testing, but they need information about what types of tests are given to their children, what tests measure, and how tests can be used constructively. Standardized tests are the particular concern of parents because they believe testing is an integral part of education. (Author/CM)

The 1986 Comprehensive Assessment Report on the Pearl River (New York) Public School District describes the district's 1,807-student population (grades K through 12), the community, and its schools. Tables provide data on: (1) students' performance on standardized tests, including the California Achievement/Aptitude Tests; New York State Pupil…

Part of the plan by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to prepare training materials and conduct conferences on improving teachers' use of standardized tests was to survey a representative sample of elementary/secondary teachers. This survey ascertains teacher preparation and knowledge in testing, teacher assessment of the importance of…

Provides an overview of legal issues concerning the testing of handicapped students and employees in elementary and secondary schools and in institutions of higher education. The first part of the paper summarizes the major specialized sources of applicable statutory and administrative law. The second part synthesizes the relevant case law.…

Citing William Spady's distinction between capacity and competence, the author asserts that current competency tests mainly measure academic (capacity) not life (competency) skills. He then considers problems inherent in delineating, teaching, and testing essential practical living competencies and presents some alternatives. Part of a theme issue…

Presents the preliminary results of a comparison of Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) and conventional testing of English competency for students with limited English proficiency. The CAT procedure, which uses computers and a measurement theory known as Item Response Theory (IRT), provides several benefits that traditional paper and pencil…

This synopsis of the Committee on Ability Testing report (see ED 213 770 and ED 213 771) discusses recent controversy over testing limitations, test fairness, admissions testing, test disclosure, and test use in public schools to improve substandard performance. (CM)

Cut-off scores from two approaches for setting standards are examined. Standards determined from judgments about groups and from inspection of test content are compared. Results indicate that there was neither consistency nor pattern to cut-off scores set from the two procedures. (Author/RD)

The proposed standard for judging proficiency test score reliability requires that the proportion of items passed for each objective assessed be a dependable estimate of the universe score for the domain strata established by the objective. Domain breadth is the focusing issue. Data from a field trial of the Tennessee Proficiency Test are analyzed…

Examines factors contributing to increasing acceptance of and dependence on state and local educational testing. Factors examined include the accountability movement, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, National Assessment of Educational Progress, growth in statewide and local assessment, and minimum competency testing. (SM)