It is proposed that a national examination be used as the standard for awarding degrees to persons attending insitutions of higher learning. (CK)

The paper reviews the disadvantages, as well as the advantages, of minimum competency testing (MCT) with mentally retarded high school students. Among disadvantages pointed out are the discrepancy between teaching methods as testing methods and the unproven relevance of MCT for adult success. (SB)

Excerpts from an Internet debate identify issues and opinions on mandatory community service as a graduation requirement and court-ordered volunteering. The debate ranges over such topics as quality of the service experience, freedom of choice, intended outcomes, and values conflicts. (SK)

The classes of 2006 in California, Arizona, and Utah are those states' first that must pass high school exit exams to earn diplomas. Twenty-three states now have such exams. Maryland will require a graduation test for next year's class, and Washington state will do so for the class of 2008. In most states with such a requirement, students take the…

Writing across the curriculum has been a pedagogy associated with faculty development since the earliest days of the movement. Carleton College, an early adopter of WAC pedagogy and faculty development, has, in the last decade, added portfolio assessment to the combination with positive results. Among the unexpected consequences has been a…

The number of English language learners has grown significantly across the United States and this is reflected in Missouri's public school system. English language learners lack the academic achievement as compared to their peers. General education teachers are responsible for children of diverse backgrounds; children enter school with limited or…

This case study examines the motivational structure of a group of male students (n = 10) in a grade 11 General Science class at an independent single-sex school. We approach the concept of motivation through the integration of three different theoretical approaches: sociocultural theory, future time perspective and achievement goal theory. This…

State testing or end-of-course exams are recommended to determine if high school graduates are ready to enter college or the workforce because these assessments are aligned to content area expectations and standards that are measurable within each state as well as from state to state (Achieve, 2006). However, such assessments do not measure all…

This paper provides information about Louisiana's Graduation Exit Examination, a comprehensive standards-based exam. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (3) Encourage districts and schools to identify and…

This paper provides information about Idaho Standards Achievement Test, a comprehensive standards-based test. The purpose of the test is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum, grade 10; (2) Encourage districts and schools to identify and serve students at risk of academic failure; (3) Provide data to…

This paper provides information about Indiana's Graduation Qualifying Examination, a comprehensive standards-based exam. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the…

This paper provides information about Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course Exams. The purpose of the end-of-course assessments is to measure the achievement of students on the Standards of Learning adopted by the Virginia Board of Education for specific high school courses, and to ensure that students graduating from Virginia…

This paper provides information about Oklahoma's End-of-Instruction Exams. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment aligned to the American Diploma Project (ADP) benchmarks; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates'…

This paper provides information about Tennessee's Gateway Examinations. The purpose of the test is to: (1) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (3) Encourage districts and schools to identify and serve students at risk of academic failure;…

This article presents questions and answers about ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks. ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT test scores required for students to have a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses--English Composition, social sciences courses, College Algebra, or Biology. Colleges can use the…