Many school districts have adopted minimum competency tests as part of the requirements for high school diplomas. It is important that the needs of special education students are included when planning and implementing competency testing. Included are three levels of options to consider for modified testing of special students. (MD)

Developers of high stakes criterion-referenced tests are urged to formulate test tasks so that efficient instruction can promote student mastery of the domain. Time-on-task has been promoted by instructional psychologists as preferable to test teaching. (DWH)

Florida mandated high school competency tests in 1978. Evidence presented in the court case of Debra P. versus Turlington indicated students learn what they are taught. Low failure districts reported more concentration on basic skills. The issue of educational equity versus educational excellence has not been more resolved. (DWH)

The California State Department of Education has appointed a Master Plan Committee to develop methods to reform education. As a main objective the committee formulated a model for high school graduation requirements. The issues of teacher education and shortage of capable mathematics teachers are also addressed. (DF)

This paper describes the philosophic assumptions underlying the movement towards minimum competency testing. Definitions of such concepts as scientific educational management, what is worth knowing, and the knower are explored. (DF)

Steps can be taken in the areas of curriculum, testing, and tracking to raise educational standards for all students. Specifically, local and state authorities should cooperate to tighten course requirements, tie standardized examinations to the curriculum, and institute a demanding common curriculum in the years before high school tracking. (MJL)

In a districtwide student and community survey, reading with comprehension was considered the most important skill necessary for graduation, while decision-making skills were rated the most important general category. Many respondents believed that the home, community, and school should share the responsibility in such areas as values education.…

Observing that an undesirable byproduct of competency testing for teacher certification has been a nationwide decrease in the number of Blacks entering teaching, this article analyzes Louisiana data on race of National Teacher Examinations takers and declining percentages of Blacks entering the profession. (MJL)

This chapter presents eight competencies approved by the American School Counselor Association and the Association for Assessment in Counseling that provide the knowledge and skills school counselors need in the areas of assessment and evaluation. Because effectiveness in assessment and evaluation is critical to effective counseling, these…

According to the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) which compared student performance in mathematics and science in 41 countries in 1995, fourth grade students in the United States perform only slightly above the international average in mathematics. The study showed that most U.S. students are mastering basic arithmetic;…

This guide was developed to provide teachers, related service personnel, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other individuals charged with assisting in the development of Minnesota's paraprofessional workforce, with information and strategies to build strong, effective, supportive teams to ensure successful educational services for all…

Establishing statewide standards that define what a Minnesota public high school graduate should know and be able to do to function effectively as a purposeful thinker, effective communicator, self-directed learner, productive group participant, and responsible citizen, this legislation outlines the graduation standards in Written Composition that…

This report reviews the current status, empirical findings, theoretical issues, and practical considerations related to state-level minimum competency testing programs. It finds that, although two-thirds of current testing programs now use direct writing prompts to assess writing achievement, essentially all programs rely on multiple choice tests…

Outlines recent court cases related to schools concerning such things as tax exempt status for private schools, minimum competency testing as a graduation requirement, religious groups meeting in schools, and racial discrimination when rehiring teachers who were laid off. (JM)

Much of the debate on testing over the last two decades has centered on issues of equity. In this review of testing and the minority child, the ways in which schools can test and use test results to help all children learn are explained. (Author)