This manual contains a description of the procedures to be used when administering the Nevada High School Proficiency Examination in mathematics, reading, and writing. Test administrators should read and understand these instructions thoroughly before testing sessions. The parts are: (1) "General Instructions"; (2) "Instructions for…

In 1972, the Oregon State Department of Education changed its standards relating to graduation requirements after a survey revealed concern that the high school diploma had lost its credibility. Parkrose School District developed a goal-based curriculum and measurement program to meet the new requirements. From the program's inception, District…

These five papers describe the methods, results, and implications of a multimethod approach to the establishment of standards for the three subject areas of the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE). James E. McLean introduces the problems and methods involved by identifying three general approaches to scoring procedures found in the…

Due to the current legislative trend toward competency-based education, and the accompanying minimal competency testing, a variety of local school districts and state education agencies are concurrently developing programs to meet the standards set by their state's legislation. This selective bibliography was compiled in order to aid those…

This model is based on the belief that all those affected by a competency-based high school diploma program should help formulate it. School systems should begin by considering two fundamental questions: (1) What competencies should all graduates possess? (2) How can these competencies be tested? The first step is the establishment of an advisory…

The items of the Florida minimal competency test have never been validated as measures of "survival skills," and the pass/fail standards were set mindlessly and capriciously. (Author/IRT)

This booklet provides parents and students with answers to their questions about ISTEP+ (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus), which measures tenth-grade student achievement in English/language arts and mathematics. After a letter from Suellen Reed, Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction, the booklet discusses what…

This document presents results for students in the Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS), North Carolina, on the North Carolina Tests of Computer Skills. In 1991, North Carolina established a computer proficiency requirement for graduation, which is now effective for the class of 2001. Beginning in 1967, eighth graders were to have at least one…

Reports on a survey of state assessment directors (100% response rate) in 1994 documenting assessment policies and practices concerning English language learners (ELLs) within state assessment systems. In the 1993-94 school year, 17 states required students to pass one or more content-area tests to receive a diploma, testing ELLs in several ways.…

A survey was conducted by the Learning Assessment Retention Consortium of the California Community Colleges to determine the extent of community college involvement with academic standards in California. The survey investigated the relationship of the colleges to adult education, assessment practices, entrance standards for vocational and…

This study explored the performance of students with disabilities on a field test of the revised New York State Regents Comprehensive Examination in English, the first of two new Regents examinations that almost all students in the state will have to take to obtain a high school diploma. Data from the field test were gathered statewide, although…

This paper reviews recent developments in the growth of testing as a requirement for high school graduation for K-12 public school systems throughout the United States. It then examines performance patterns on such tests by focusing on results for students indifferent racial and ethnic groups in several states. The multiple meanings of the…

This field memo to all teachers and administrators of public and nonpublic schools is the first of three in a series of updates from the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education on standards and assessments in New York. This document contains information on New York's learning standards and the…

In 1984 an evaluation team examined the Maryland Functional Testing Program (MFTP), a statewide competency-based, criterion-referenced testing program that was instituted to limit awarding of high school diplomas to those students who had earned scores above cut scores on a series of achievement tests. This article examines the procedures the…