Background: Over the past several decades, a significant number of states have either adopted or increased high school exit examination requirements. Although these policies are intended to generate improvement in schools, little is known about how high schools are responding to exit testing pressures. Purpose: This study examined how five…

This paper provides information about Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (2) Provide data to state policymakers on student attainment of state education goals to inform education policy decisions; (2) Increase alignment of local…

A new approach for examining the quality of judgments from standard-setting judges using a Binomial Trials Model (BTM) is presented and illustrated with 26 judges from the Georgia High School Graduation Test. Results suggest that the BTM provides information not available from other methods. (SLD)

Since 1960 Denver has operated a testing program designed to assure that high school graduates possess minimum competence in four basic areas--arithmetic, spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension. (Author/IRT)

All students except the mentally handicapped are required to show by examination that they are able to read, speak, and understand ordinary English; write a simple, correct, intelligible paragraph; and perform with reasonable mastery fundamental mathematical processes. (Author)

Discusses the plaintiffs' arguments, the state's responses, and the specific findings in the context of major themes of "GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency," which found that the Texas graduation test was valid and reliable and met applicable professional standards, including motive and opportunity to learn. (SLD)

This is the fourth biennial survey on the state of economic and personal finance education in the fifty states conducted by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE). NCEE conducts these surveys to gauge how the state standards, their implementation, and state testing change from year to year. Since the last survey, published April 2003,…

The New York State School Report Card is an important part of the state's efforts to raise learning standards for all students. This guide provides an overview of the changes for the year 2000, answers to frequently asked questions, and descriptions of the state's testing program and other performance measures. This document focuses on questions…

Students graduating from Westside High must meet hour and competency test requirements. The seven competency tests are in reading, writing, mathematics, democratic process, problem-solving, oral communication, and consumerism. (IRT)

This document is the Grade 12 diploma examination in mathematics at Level 33 from the Office of the Ministry of Education in Alberta, Canada. The two-and-a-half hour test is a closed-book examination consisting of 37 multiple choice and 12 numerical response questions of equal value worth 70% of the examination, and four written response questions…

This document is the Grade 12 diploma examination in mathematics at Level 30 from the Office of the Ministry of Education in Alberta. The two-and-a-half hour test is a closed-book examination consisting of 40 multiple choice and 9 numerical response questions of equal value worth 70% of the examination, and three written response questions worth…

This document is intended to help mathematics teachers prepare students for the "exit exam of essential skills" required by the new Student Accountability Standards enacted by the North Carolina State Board of Education. Unlike current End of Grade and End of Course tests, the North Carolina High School Exit Exam (NCHSEE) focuses on…

This report describes the Body of Evidence approach taken in Wyoming to implement standards-based graduation. The Body of Evidence plan calls for more than a single test to justify issuing a high school diploma. Graduation requirement rules, known as Chapter 31 rules, establish the requirements for a diploma. The body of evidence is to be…

This paper explores common concerns about competency testing as they relate to the certification of high school graduates seeking a diploma in the United States. Competency testing is widespread in the United States, with 40 states engaged in competency testing in at least one grade. In general, and particularly for graduation requirements, the…

Provides a chronological summary of the evolution of statewide achievement tests in Texas to facilitate understanding of the issues behind the "GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency" litigation (1999), which challenged the curricular links of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and other "opportunity to learn" issues. (SLD)