Although isolating the degree of association that exists between a teacher's specific knowledge and his or her particular classroom performance is extremely difficult at best, that is the focus of the knowledge and performance based instruments used in the evaluation of preservice English teachers in the University of Georgia teacher education…

To help school officials avoid litigation, this newsletter examines two separate issues: student competency testing and educational choice. The authors propose objective certification--in which student achievement is described solely by objective, defensible scores--as a way to avoid the possible injury to students inherent in competency testing.…

Results of the Tennessee Basic Skills Test administered statewide to more than 64,000 grade 8 pupils in April 1980 demonstrate that achievement of pupils with kindergarten background is superior to that of non-kindergarten pupils in mathematics, spelling, language, and reading. The effect was greater for mathematics and language than for reading…

The bibliography lists approximately 150 educational materials designed for remedial instruction with secondary students working at levels below their grade placement and having difficulty in passing the state-required competency tests. Entries include information on title, author, publisher, date, price, difficulty and interest levels, and brief…

A good applied performance test (APT) concentrates on measurable objectives which are relevant for today's society in general, for the local community, and for the students. APTs should be valid, objective/reliable, straightforward in format, simple to understand, and able to maintain student interest. Scoring procedures should be standardized and…

Three competency catalogs of tasks for industrial arts programs are presented. These include catalogs in Communications Technology, Materials and Processes Technology, and Power and Transportation Technology. The purpose of each catalog is to establish a basis for program content selection and criterion levels from which one may measure to see if…

Four competency catalogs of tasks for industrial arts programs are presented. These include catalogs in Metals Technology, Woods Technology, General Industrial Arts, and Industrial Crafts. The purpose of each catalog is to establish a basis for program content selection and criterion levels from which one may measure to see if individual learners…

This journal issue addresses itself to the humanism versus back to basics controversy in education by focusing on its relationship to reading skills. The eight articles explore the following issues: (1) the importance of reading skills as a foundation for any type of curriculum; (2) the necessity of some balance between teaching basic skills and…

Experiences with competency testing at the elementary level in the area of English language are presented, as well as suggestions for improving the quality of competency tests. In order to modify curricula and requirements to meet the demands of assessment and to ensure sufficient student instruction, the following suggestions are made: (1)…

Intended for use by those who have direct responsibility for providing leadership in the area of English, this monograph provides a process for improving the English curriculum in a way that is true to the intellectual and emotional needs of students while meeting society's expectations for a practical curriculum. The monograph begins with a…

This exercise set provides access to the 134 items released from the first National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment conducted in 1970-71 with students aged 9, 13, and 17. The exercises are intended for use by state and local education agencies who may want to build their own assessment instruments. An overview of the…

The holistic procedure used to score 2,800 student papers in the New Jersey Writing Project is described in this booklet. Characteristics are given of papers that received high, middle, and low scores. It is noted that (1) papers receiving high scores were characterized by a clear understanding of and a direct approach to the assignment, a…

The issue of minimal competency testing for high school graduation and grade to grade promotion as a method of emphasizing the teaching of basic skills and guaranteeing that the high school diploma will "mean something" has received widespread legislative attention in recent years. In this report, data pertaining to the enforcement of minimal…

Georgia Institute of Technology has created a preparatory workshop that avoids focusing composition courses on the state competency exam while helping its students pass the exam. In checking the exams of students who had failed, three problems appeared: lack of motivation, lack of awareness of the standards for grading the exam, and an inability…

A unit plan for a course in consumer education, required for graduation from the Portland, Oregon, public schools, is presented in the document. The course, called Personal Finance, covers two semesters and involves instructors in mathematics, social studies, and home economics. The course covers 10 subject areas: (1) money management; (2)…