In 1972, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia instituted the Regents' Testing Program (RTP) to provide systemwide information on the status of student competence in reading and writing and to provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain minimum levels of competence in these areas. Since 1972, some…

This report consists of data tables summarizing test results statewide for students in grades 11 and 12 who took the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills (MBS) test in March, 1987. The MBS assesses minimum skills in reading and mathematics. It is used as the graduation test for students who entered ninth grade prior to September 1985 and have not yet…

This test booklet contains a two and one-half-hour achievement test in Social Studies 30, administered in June 1985. It is used as a twelfth grade diploma examination in Alberta, Canada. The multiple choice section, comprising 70 percent of the total score, contains 70 items. For the essay test, which counts toward 30 percent of the total score,…

This test booklet contains a two and one-half-hour achievement test in Social Studies 30, administered in January 1985. It is used as a twelfth grade diploma examination in Alberta, Canada. The multiple choice section, comprising 70 percent of the total score, contains 70 items. For the essay test, which counts toward 30 percent of the total…

This handbook contains suggestions for the use of results from the New Mexico High School Proficiencies Examination (NMHSPE) and describes procedures for developing programs and planning intervention strategies. The information and guidelines will facilitate administrative action for program improvement through integration of the NMHSPE results…

The first of a series of self-instructional learning modules designed to familiarize users with Oregon minimum standards for public schools, this document includes background and expectations concerning Oregon's minimum standards and introduces the publication "Elementary-Secondary Guide for Oregon Schools: Part I, Minimum Standards for…

Rasch model statistics and domain-referenced test development methods were used in the Virginia Basic Learning Skills (BLS) testing programs and the Graduation Competencies testing program in order to increase the fairness and effectiveness of those programs. Mastery of each of the 83 objectives in reading and mathematics for grades one through…

An historical sketch of minimum competency testing programs and issues is presented. Among the state and local programs briefly described are: 1960, Denver Public Schools, CO; 1976, Richmond Public Schools, VA; 1977, Kern Union High School, CA; 1977, Berea High School, OH; 1977, Westside High School, NE; 1973, Oregon; 1975, California (High School…

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 current study is a comparison of the characteristics of the candidates from the Grossmont Union High School District who took the March 1976 administration of the California High School Proficiency Examination, with special attention to the differences between those candidates who passed the examination and those who did not . Significant…

This study compared tenth grade scores on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) assessment in the Lafayette School Corporation in mathematics and language arts. The sample was taken from a high school with a total enrollment of 1,990 students, 296 of whom were considered special needs students. Data were gathered for the…

Five methods of equating minimum-competency tests were compared using the Florida Statewide Student Assessment Test, Part II, for 1984 and 1986. Four of five methods yielded essentially comparable results for the highest scoring 84% of the students. Different lengths of anchor items were compared, using the concurrent item response theory equating…

The New Jersey High School Proficiency Test--a new, more rigorous competency test required for high school graduation in New Jersey--was evaluated for three years of its use. The impact of the state's testing program on curriculum, high school graduation, state compensatory education funding, and district certification is discussed. (SLD)

This document tabulates extensive and detailed information about the assessment programs of each state. It is the third edition of the database and remains the single best source for information about the student assessments that states conduct. The database is compiled from a survey completed by state directors of assessment. The first section of…

Results of an evaluative study of the Texas Alternative Certification Program (ACP), conducted by the Texas Educational Agency staff during the 1988-89 school year, are reported. The first ACP was implemented in a single urban school district during the 1985-86 school year. The program was designed, in part, to address the shortage of teachers. By…