Assessment programs, which have recently been implemented in colleges around the country, have indirectly affected the quality of education in ways that are both researchable and measurable. Admissions and placement testing affect educational quality by separating high and low achievers, and making it possible for high-level texts to be used and…

This guide is designed for educators involved in teaching, developing curriculum, or counseling students. It describes six new forms used to report the results of 10th-grade student performance on the Florida State Student Assessment Test, Parts I and II (SSAT-I and -II): (1) Parent Report, SSAT-I; (2) Student Report, SSAT-I; (3) Student Report,…

Success in performing the medical calculations required of nurses demands a competency in basic mathematical skills. This competency cannot be assumed of a number of college students and the nursing student is not an exception to this trend. A test was designed to assess basic mathematical competency and administered to two groups of sophomore…

The use of standardized tests for program evaluation, student placement, and student progression in order to improve the quality of higher education is discussed. It is noted that student achievement is being used as a criterion for judging programs as part of state assessments. Although standardized test scores have long been used by institutions…

An overview is presented of the current status of competency testing for teacher certification. The question of the effect of certification tests on the quality of hired teachers is briefly discussed. Statistics are presented on types of tests used by various states, with particular attention to differences in the cut-off scores for passage of a…

A final report is provided of the CASAS Project, a comprehensive educational assessment system designed to measure the identified competencies of local educational programs for all levels of Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL). The report begins with lists of personnel involved in the project, and an overview of…

Kansas law requires setting passing scores for the reading and mathematics competency test for 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th grade students, administered annually since April of 1980. New objective-referenced tests are prepared each year. Both judgmental (Angoff, Ebel, and Nedelsky) methods and empirical (contrasting groups and borderline) methods…

In certain skills and attitudes, expected competencies of new teachers may be unreasonable in relation to both their college preparation and in terms of what they confront in their first classrooms as professionals. This study was undertaken, in part, to assess how first-year teachers may fare in relation to proposed competency testing models.…

The efforts of researchers to produce a pool of approximately 30 validated and field-tested topics for use in future administrations of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination in writing are reviewed in this paper. Various sections of the paper (1) describe the procedures followed; (2) explain the reasons for making certain important…

Discussed are the procedures implemented in the Orleans Parish Schools in response to the Louisiana state-mandated promotional testing program (Act 750, 1979), and concerns regarding its value. Recent findings raise fundamental questions about whether an exclusively skills-focused curriculum in the early years provides the needed grounding in…

The minimum requirements for sequential programs in the language arts and related enrichment programs recommended in this document were determined by the results of an Alabama State Department of Education survey, which ranked 60 educational goals in order of importance and in which the top five goals reflected an overwhelming concern for language…

This brochure lists science objectives developed by the Texas Education Agency considered basic or essential for mid-point level (grade 5 or 6) and for high school exit level. Objectives are grouped under three major headings: (1) science processes; (2) laboratory manipulative skills; and (3) use of science and technology (content). Suggestions…

This "minimum teaching essentials" bulletin presents the minimum in basic skills and knowledge which must be taught to students in grades 9-12 in the subject areas of algebra, geometry, and mathematics fundamentals. Each subject area is prefaced with a section on work study skills to be used by students. (APM)

This "minimum teaching essentials" bulletin presents the minimum in basic skills and knowledge which must be taught to New York City school students in the subject areas of English and communication arts. Content areas and performance objectives for each grade in literature, reading, listening, writing, and speaking are listed. (APM)

This article discusses the potential for discrimination inherent in competency-based testing and suggests some provisions which might be included in a fair competency-based program. Discussed are: (1) racial discrimination; (2) inadequate phase-in periods; (3) tests which are not reliable or have not been validated; (4) inadequate matching of the…