Sections 51215-51217 of California's Educational Code require that school districts in that state provide remedial instruction to students who do not pass district-developed proficiency tests. As a result of this requirement, school districts have had to create remedial courses for some 100,000 students who did not pass one or more tests in…

By 1985, nearly half of the nation's public school students will be required to pass a minimum competency test (MCT) for high school graduation. Supporters of objectives underlying the MCTs suggest that the tests will force school systems to take their responsibilities to all children more seriously. Critics argue that students who fail will…

The purpose of this proficiency legislation is to create a public dialogue regarding high school graduation standards, restore meaning to the high school diploma, and ensure that students who have difficulty with basic skills receive appropriate instruction. (Author/IRT)

Holds that current competency tests for teachers do not predict actual ability to teach and cause educational, social and cultural problems by exacerbating teacher shortages and reducing the number of minority teachers. Calls for development of valid measures of teacher competencies and training and support of minority teachers. (GC)

This brief report states that recent emphasis on minimum competency testing has been on using the test results to make better decisions for improving the instructional program and providing remediation. State and local school districts, using advisory committees and commissions, are in various stages of identifying instructional goals and…

Included in this review of the literature on grade retention are annotations for 13 articles supporting nonpromotion policies, 13 articles refuting nonpromotion policies, and 5 articles arguing that both policies result in undesirable consequences. Articles are identified as being: (1) original research comparing students retained with students…

This report represents the first attempt by the Council of the Great City Schools to assess the states of minimal competency testing in its twenty-eight member cities. This report does not focus on the results of the tests, but on the general characteristics of each competency testing program. Few cities use the same tests or collaborate in…

Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh initiated an education reform package, "Turning the Tide: An Agenda for Excellence in Pennsylvania Public Schools" in October 1983. The statewide competency testing program which followed was "Testing for Essential Learning and Literacy Skills (TELLS), and it tested reading and mathematics…

A study was conducted to consider alternative approaches and make specific recommendations for funding Programs on Pupils with Special Educational Needs (PSEN) in New York State. First, the study reviewed various methods for estimating district need including tests and socioeconomic indicators. Second, the effect of the Board of Regents 1979…

The forces or pressures that have produced a concern for fundamental skills of literacy are briefly considered, and a number of related questions are raised about willingness and capabilities for dealing with the issues in a deliberative, systematic manner. A major premise is the belief that the back-to-basics movement can be understood best in…

After studying the testing and remedial programs used in Florida's public schools, the Task Force on Educational Assessment Programs presented its findings and recommendations. Findings are reported regarding: the schedule for implementing the testing program (which requires that students pass the Functional Literacy Test before they may graduate…

The work performed by New Jersey's Minimum Basic Skills Advisory Committee in studying the state's remedial programs is described. The committee's findings are summarized, as are its recommendations for enhancing program effectiveness. Descriptions of data collection activities involve interviews with representative school districts, major…

The administrators' and teachers' manual for the New York State Preliminary Competency Test in Reading provides information on the student population to be tested; the degrees of reading power (DRP) methodology to measure students' reading comprehension; the test content; and the state reference point, a cutoff score expressed in terms of…

The public schools reform movement has led to a proliferation of minimum competency testing programs by states. At the 11th/12th grade level, the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS), mandated by Texas House Bill 72, is an exit exam, divided into two sections which measure minimum competencies in math and language skills.…

Students failing to master minimum competency tests are categorized as dropouts in this description of the results of and remediation efforts for the statewide Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) Testing Program. TEAMS assesses minimum competency in basic skills at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11-12 exit level. The first…