A national proficiency testing program would weaken local decision-making capacity, resegregate the schools, and further the negative effects of nonpromotion of students. Such a program would also have several negative effects on the curriculum. (Author/IRT)

Minimum competency testing will help restore concern for cognitive development to the highest priority, and motivate teachers to teach more purposefully and students to work harder. A discussion of the kinds of tests to be used is included. (Author/IRT)

This study investigated the relationships among scholastic aptitude, achievement, and performance on a state-mandated teacher competency test for secondary school teachers. The sample consisted of 215 secondary teacher candidates who had completed the Oklahoma Curriculum Proficiency Examination between 1982 and 1985. Results are discussed.…

Legal decisions from the past 20 years that have been influential on the direction of the competency-based and teacher certification testing movement are described. Suggestions for test developers are made to guide them in developing tests that are fair and that comply with legal precedents. (JL)

Questions are addressed to the British Secretary of State for Education concerning: conflicts between the national curriculum and testing program and abilities of the disabled, the potential for the increased segregation of emotionally or learning disabled children, and the pattern of special education services 10 years from now. (DB)

The Vermont State Board of Education is required to approve competencies for each vocational program. This has resulted in a comprehensive, broad-based approach that can readily be adapted by local schools. Instructors' committees draft curriculum that reflects core competencies for entry-level employment in a given occupational area. (JOW)

The performance of various ethnic groups on teacher competency tests in several states are reported. The data indicate that disproportionate numbers of minority candidates are being screened out of teaching. Implications for the national teaching force are examined. (Author/MT)

The Florida legislature recently mandated several testing programs to improve the quality of teacher education entrants, students, and graduates. These requirements and their impact on teacher education in Florida are discussed. (MT)

Results indicated that high school students (N=30) who had failed the North Carolina Minimal Competency Test (MCT) and were given a 10-week remedial training program consisting of reattribution, success-only training and feedback with an aide, were more likely to pass the MCT and to have higher self esteem scores than control groups. (Author/DB)

Surveyed 300 Black high school students, 77 parents and 79 Black teachers to determine their reactions to minimum competency requirements for high school graduation. Black parents were strongest in their approval, followed by teachers and students. Being able to communicate and handle money were agreed upon as necessary. (JAC)

Suggests that those who feel the need for competency testing in their program should find or construct a test that reflects the faculty's expectations, locate a coordinator to put the test into the curriculum, and find ways to bring the marginal student up to expectations. (EL)

Setting minimum competency levels for teachers is a symptom of what is wrong with educational attitudes in the United States. Without an adequate commitment of education, and in light of the entrenched position of the educational establishment, the nation's stopgap efforts will not serve education's critical need for fundamental change. (PGD)

This essay looks at the background of teacher competency testing and the conditions contributing to dissatisfaction with the educational system. Short-term consequences of testing are described. (MT)

Proposes redefining the problem of illiteracy in terms of a "social-interaction perspective" that would emphasize the need "to acculturate students to the practices of reading in their communities" and the broad range of reading competencies required by today's society. (JBM)

Instructional validity indicates that a district is testing what is taught. Minimum standards of fairness in pursuing educational equity are proposed. The standards include efforts to remediate students who fail competency tests, use instructional validity studies; present an adequate opportunity to learn, make an appropriate use of results, and…