In 1991, an analysis of student graduation, transfer, and persistence rates throughout the Colorado publicly supported postsecondary system was conducted by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Data were drawn from files submitted to the Commission by institutions from fall 1986 through fall 1990. Selected findings included the following:…

This study examines the October 1991 exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) mathematics results of 18,290 11th-grade Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and White non-Hispanic Americans from Texas urban districts. Substantial differences existed in the passing rates of the three ethnic groups. The passing rate for White…

This volume of Colorado special education administrative decisions contains all Impartial Hearing Officer Decisions, State Level Review Decisions, and Complaint Findings issued since 1988. The full text of each decision or finding is preceded by a case summary which includes a listing of key topics, a statement of the issues, the decision, and…

The study investigated, for both poor and minority students, how demographic characteristics, college aspirations, and high school courses affected college attendance and college completion. The issue of minority college attendance and completion is explored, and previous studies and available data are reviewed. The High School and Beyond database…

Two studies investigated the performance of Florida high school seniors on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests). The GED Test Battery, as revised in 1980, consists of 290 items in 5 subject areas (writing, social studies, science, reading, and mathematics). In the first study, the performance of 1,200 Florida students was…

In it's first year, Project Aprendizaje served 250 students from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico at Seward Park High School in Manhattan (New York). Project objectives were to improve participants' language skills in Spanish and English, help participants successfully complete content area courses needed for graduation, and provide career…

This monograph reports on an exploratory investigation of the impact of minimum competency testing on local schools. The implementation and impacts of test requirements in three Missouri and four Ohio local school districts are studied through interviews with teachers and administrators and through the analysis of written materials on the test and…

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals,…

The first part of this report is a question-and-answer survey of minimum competency legislation, testing programs, and remedial programs. It includes the questions of both the educator and the lay person. Topics include: minimum competency tests, the debate over minimum competency programs, what happens after testing, and what citizens should look…

Three areas of concern for those considering competency-based graduation requirements are discussed. First, what is involved in implementing a competency-based graduation requirement? The first tasks are the specification of performance standards and the performance skill areas. Then, appropriate certification procedures can be selected, and their…

To establish an objective measure of English skills for graduation candidates and to determine whether objective and subjective measures of English skills produce different results, 101 volunteers completed a writing sample and the Reading and Written English Expression tests of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program (CGP). Scores obtained…

In a national study to help assure that programs meet the legislative mandate and are socially responsive to black students' needs, federal vocational education administrators surveyed black leaders. Respondants included 1,252 persons. The first of three major survey questions--"Is it desirable for black students to enter and complete…

This pamphlet was developed to facilitate responding to common inquiries about the California community colleges. In single-paragraph answers, it deals with 19 frequently asked questions: (1) What are the California community colleges? (2) How do I know if I am eligible to attend? (3) As a resident of another state, am I still eligible? (4) If I…

Addressing often neglected broad issues, rather than the pragmatics of test development and administration, this Conference on Minimum Competency Achievement Testing was organized around six topics: (1) social and philosophical roots, uniqueness among testing movements, and policy issues; (2) legal, curricular, and social-demographic consequences;…

An annotated bibliography on minimum competency testing is arranged by subtopics: overview; basic skills; compensatory education; competencies; cost effectiveness; curriculum; district programs; graduation requirements; handicapped students; legal aspects; readiness; reading; writing; state programs; teacher education; tests; math; and testing.…