Many Pennsylvania colleges and universities require that teacher candidates pass a standardized assessment in order to gain formal entry in to their education programs. Standardized tests are also required for Level I teacher certification within Pennsylvania. The initial assessment required of all Pennsylvania preservice teachers for…

In the Louisiana Basic Skills Testing (BST) program, initiated in 1982, criterion-referenced tests of language arts and mathematics were administered to all second grade students. Longitudinal data over three years tracked four cohorts of students to address when retention appears to be most effective and whether a combination of repeated…

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…

These three papers represent the results of the third phase of Florida's Impact of Testing Project. After reviewing the background to the project, the first paper discusses third-phase findings in terms of project objectives, i.e.: to determine entry-level assessment procedures and their uses in student placement; to determine the impact that…

The present system of testing and placement at Lane Community College (LCC) provides for voluntary assessment in reading, writing, and mathematics during orientation period, followed by recommendations for enrollment in appropriate courses. While only 15% to 20% of the new students at LCC participate in the testing/placement program, it must be…

This report focuses squarely on strategies for instructional improvement in American high schools. Specifically, this study examines how high schools that perform below average incorporate their state's accountability goals into their own goals, identify their challenges, and search for strategies for instructional improvement. It focuses on how…

As part of Louisiana's minimum competency program, the Basic Skills Test (BST) was administered in grades 2 through 5. Student promotion rates in these grades between 1980 and 1985 were examined. Results showed that, in all four grades, the percentage of students retained to repeat the grade increased slightly. The BST was the main, but not the…

Mathematics achievement test scores of high school students in the Austin Independent School District who graduated before implementation of minimum competency testing were compared to the scores of students who were more recently enrolled in mathematics tutorial classes in order to meet minimum competency requirements. The percentages of…

Persistence rates and College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) passing rates are the two outcome measures most often used to assess success at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC). A study was conducted to examine these two measures for comparative groups of students whose performance on the basic skills assessment measure ranged from passing no…

The longitudinal effects of Louisiana's Compensatory/Remedial Program upon student performance were assessed using data from four administrations of the Basic Skills Test (BST) between 1982 and 1985. Language arts and mathematics tests were administered in grades 2 through 5. Scores increased slightly between 1982 and 1984, and declined in 1985;…

Following a 1984 study revealing the limited preparation of its entering college freshmen, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) intervened dramatically on behalf of underprepared students, providing enhanced funding for remedial courses and requiring that students complete remediation before enrolling in any degree program. Based on their…

Florida state legislation has mandated the evaluation of its compensatory education programs. The Florida Accountability Act of 1976 called for minimum basic skills testing in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 (subsequently amended to grade 10). In 1977, the Florida Compensatory Education Act mandated remedial programs for students performing below the…