The Italian educational system's experiences with national examinations might help United States educators understand the impact of state tests on students, schools, and education in general. (JT)

Describes the Passaic County Community College Academic Foundations Program which: (1) conducts student assessment; (2) provides academic and basic skills training through the Program's learning center; (3) integrates the teaching of thinking skills with instruction in writing, reading, and mathematics; and (4) established high academic standards…

Describes a competency assessment system developed for use with preservice and inservice teachers and reports the reliability and validity of the instrument. Presents data from a tryout of the assessment system with a group of preservice science teachers. (CS)

Two years after the implementation of Florida's Educational Accountability Act, which mandates statewide competency testing in reading, writing, and arithmetic, the author cites the advantages of the program, refutes criticisms of it and reviews the challenge to it in Federal District court, the Debra P. V. Turlington case. (SJL)

McClung has written several articles on the legal aspects of minimal competency testing. In this article he states that Getz and Glass ("High School Journal," January, 1979) seriously distorted his earlier works. He attempts to set the facts straight regarding avoiding litigation by practicing preventive law. (KC)

This is a slightly abridged version of the report of the National Academy of Education panel, convened at the request of HEW Secretary Joseph Califano and Assistant Secretary for Education Mary F. Berry, to study recent declines in student achievement and methods of educational improvement. (SJL)

A study to determine the professional competencies needed by beginning teachers of vocational agriculture in Delaware revealed that teachers and supervisors felt that at least average competence was necessary for 246 of the 250 competencies included in the study. (LRA)

The authors critique legal arguments which have been used by attorneys, especially Merle S. McClung of the Center for Law and Education, in opposing minimum competency testing programs in the schools. The arguments mainly concern the 14th Amendment, racial discrimination, and the denial of due process. (SJL)

This article discusses some of the technical aspects of competency testing with attention to the psychometric and decision theory aspects, specifically, instrument validity, the establishment of cutting scores, and the cost-benefit analysis of program decisions. (Author/SJL)

Current conflicts over test bias and "truth-in-testing" reflect differing aims of education and the increasingly important social role of testing in our society. (Author)

Discusses issues and implication underlying the graduation competency testing movement in the social studies. Presents advantages and disadvantages of commercially and locally developed tests and outlines steps in selecting competencies and preparing tests. (KC)

Evaluation of student minimal competency should be based partly on national concerns, partly on local concerns, and partly on the needs of the learner. Evaluation must be built into all levels. (JMF)

The controversy over minimum competency testing (MCT) is multi-faceted and it is the Local Education Agency (LEA) which will bear the burden of the MCT movement. Among the concerns of the LEAs are the means of assessment, the content of tests, and the curricular implications of MCT. (RLV)

The growth in the minimum competency testing movement stems not only from a concern with what students are getting from their schooling, but also from a desire to make sure that the public gets a return on its investment in education. (Author/RLV)

Identifies the areas of knowledge in the field of blindness rehabilitation and provides outlines and references for the areas of access technology, business enterprise programs, and low vision. The outlines list information areas that specialists should know and skills they should be able to do in the specified area. (CR)