At present, states have no consistent manner in which limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are assessed on statewide or district-level minimum competency examinations. In some states, LEP students need to take the same minimum competency examinations under the same rules as other students to graduate or be promoted. Competency tests have the…

A brief overview of trends in assessment in psychology degrees is presented. Both natural evolutionary changes in education and external, professionally-based forces have exerted considerable influence upon both the psychology curriculum and the methods of assessment to which psychology students have been subjected. (MLW)

The implementation of uniform standards for assessing prospective teachers' competencies in basic skills prior to admission is growing rapidly. There is also a trend toward increasing the grade point average required for admission. Policies on admission to teacher education programs reflect concern about the decline in both the number and quality…

In this report four educators discuss the issues which they see to be most current in the fields of testing, measurement and evaluation. The first section discusses the mastery of basic skills, defined by minimum levels of competence. Factors such as accountability, social policy, instructional implications, and psychometric issues are brought to…

This report reviews literature pertaining to testing accommodations for students with disabilities. It draws on such information as empirical studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service and the American College Testing Program as well as policies for state assessment programs. The report addresses policy and legal considerations,…

The effort to institute minimum competency testing (MCT) is nearly universal despite the need to debate its basic definitions, implications, and consequences beforehand. There are seven distinct reasons for the MCT movement: (1) legislative zeal; (2) unfavorable allegations by local and national press; (3) economic accountability; (4) the…

This combined discussion guide and questionnaire, intended for public or professional audiences, consists of three major sections. The first section is a narrative background description of major issues, options, and arguments for minimum competency testing: Will you test minimum competencies? What competencies will you require? How will you…

The New Jersey Basic Skills Assessment Program was created to determine the status of basic skills preparedness of freshmen entering public colleges and universities and to offer data to help colleges place freshman students in appropriate courses. The New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) is a 3-hour-and-20-minute examination…

In this article, the authors describe various rationales for accountability testing programs over the past century. This history forms the backdrop for current test-driven reforms, including Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which was signed into law in January 2002. The goals of the authors are first, to illustrate…

This paper focuses on ways in which one state policy for improving education--standard-setting through testing mechanisms--affects the classroom teacher-learner relationship. That uniform policy-making is problematic is clear from observations of 43 Mid-Atlantic school district teachers. Responding to three types of standards, 45 percent found…