As of the fall of 1984, 40 states had by state mandate adopted some form of student minimum competency testing; 19 are or will be using test performance for the award of high school diplomas. In the other 10 states, local initiatives had implemented such testing programs on the school district level. Five states were using competency tests to…

Use of nationally standardized tests to determine teacher competency continues to be a subject for review in state and federal courts. School district policies have promoted minimum score requirements as a basis for employment decisions concerning certification, hiring, renewal, promotion, and merit pay. Legal challenges to these policies focus…

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has had a competency-based vocational instructor approval process for more than two and one-half decades. Perhaps the most important element in this process has been the vocational competency testing. Although some say that Massachusetts is out of step, others feel that Massachusetts has a well-established testing…