Six modifications of minimum competency tests were found to enhance performance of 345 learning disabled third graders. Modifications included administering fewer subsections of the test per session, grouping similar skill items in sequential order of difficulty, and using symbols to organize the flow of items within the test. (CL)

Stresses the need for examining the minimum competency testing movement in terms of: (1) the relationship between the goals of the curriculum and the content of such tests; (2) the concept of remediation; (3) the issue of discrimination; (4) open v secure (secret) testing: (5) the impact of standardized testing practices on early education. (GC)

Claims the data from the Ohio Proficiency Test is rich but hard to use. Describes a process for analyzing the data to make it more manageable. Provides suggestions for using the results to make data-driven decisions. (NH)

Alternative group judgment approaches to setting minimum competency standards were compared. Replication of results was possible for eight different tests (reading and mathematics, across four grade levels). The Kansas Competency Based Tests in reading and mathematics were administered statewide to students in grades two, four, six, and eight.…

Ways of attempting to ensure competence in teaching reading have changed dramatically over the past 60 years. By comparing tests designed to be administered to 1923 and 1983 teacher candidates, this article illustrates the ways in which they are qualitatively different and considers the implications of those differences. (MT)

Supports "The Ohio Literacy Initiative" (a document the Ohio Department of Education developed as a resource for districts interested in designing and implementing an effective, comprehensive literacy framework) as it calls for community efforts to help districts attain and support confident and articulate readers and writers. (NH)

Data from 202 out of 311 surveyed school districts in Arkansas were collected to assess the congruence of course content guides, developed under administrative mandate by the school districts, with associated parental reporting forms. The guides outline skills associated with three instructional/skill levels--basic, developmental, and…

This manual outlines specific guidelines for testing students for Education Consolidation Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 eligibility in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District in 1985-86. Section 1 states that all students in Chapter 1 schools must be tested annually and must score at or below the 30th percentile for their grade level to…

This booklet serves as an advisory reference to available software programs that address specific objectives for students in grades 1-8 in all three Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) curriculum areas--language arts, mathematics, and science. A description of the basic skills objectives precede each curriculum section. Information provided for…

In 1979-80, the Arkansas minimum competency tests were administered to a sample of 5,000 students in grades 3, 6, and 8. To determine how well test objectives matched the curriculum, their teachers estimated how many of the four items per objective a randomly selected student would answer correctly. Because chi square test comparisons of teacher…

The Test of Essential Learning and Literacy Skills (TELLS) has been administered to all Pennsylvania students in grades 3, 5, and 8 since 1985. An analysis of results from the 1,505 public elementary schools that served both third and fifth graders between 1986 and 1990 show that in 150 of these schools more than 50 percent of the students scored…

One of the most prevalent and controversial accommodations for students with disabilities is an audio presentation of written test material, the "read-aloud" accommodation. This study used test administration data from the Missouri Assessment Program to examine effects of using the read-aloud accommodation on the characteristics of…

A survey of principals and second- and fifth-grade teachers in 25 Puerto Rican schools reveals that (1) they value and use reading tests; (2) province and district-wide reading assessments primarily affect curriculum decisions; (3) the generally accepted goals of testing programs are being met; and (4) their attitudes are similar to educators…

Virtually every school system is concerned with two educational considerations: (1) where the students are academically, and (2) how to get the students to a particular set of points. Minimum competency testing has been proposed as one way to handle these concerns. Competency testing has, however, been criticized for encouraging "teaching to…

This pilot edition provides current information to local educators on the Spring 1981 Basic Skills Tests. Input forms are included as a means of obtaining information from district level curriculum coordinators and teachers on the utility of this guide. The guide is designed to be a tool for curriculum and instructional development consistent with…