Explores materials in the ERIC system that discuss all sides of the minimum competency issue. (RL)

Discusses the growing interest in competency testing in writing at the college level, the growing dependence on minimal essays as the norm for "correct" composition, and the resulting decline in grace and style in college composition. (Author/HTH)

Because Illinois public school districts have been mandated to develop a minimal competency testing policy by 1980, the Illinois Council for Exceptional Children commissioned a study on competency testing and the handicapped to generate recommendations that could be used by local districts in developing policy. Recommendations are listed.…

Suggests that competency reading programs should be based on a definition of functional reading that applies reading skills to real-life tasks, that materials should be real and timely, and that activities should center on finding meaning. (MKM)

Both the Evaluation Research Society and minimum competency testing proponents have searched for evaluation standards. A need exists for ethical standards which are universal and absolute, as well as methodolgical guidelines which are particular and relative. (CP)

Summarizes and supports the position of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Project Committee, which favors a state-provided educational framework of goals, funding, and monitoring technical assistance, and the establishment by local school districts of their own instructional programs that meet individual needs rather than…

The author presents an overview of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) movement, including the impetus for it and its advantages and disadvantages. (SJL)

Concludes that literature can serve the basic skills by providing a very powerful incentive for their mastery. (MKM)

Investigates the viability of a negligence action for inadequate public school education. Explores the problems inherent in proving each element of negligence, the available defense, and the potential consequences for plaintiffs, defendants, and educational policy-making that would flow from judicial recognition of a cause of action. Journal…

A solution is offered to problems associated with the inequality in the manipulability of probabilities of classification errors of masters versus nonmasters, based on competency test results. Eschewing the typical arbitrary establishment of observed-score standards below 100 percent, the solution incorporates a self-correction of wrong answers.…

Claims the data from the Ohio Proficiency Test is rich but hard to use. Describes a process for analyzing the data to make it more manageable. Provides suggestions for using the results to make data-driven decisions. (NH)

The primary goal of this project was to increase schools' resources and staff skills in providing function-based behavior support to individual students with chronic problem behaviors. Over the course of a 3-year period, 10 school teams received training in and on-site consultation on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavior support…

Unclear definitions and limited system-level assessment measures inhibit cultural responsiveness in children's mental health. This study explores an alternative method to conceptualize and assess cultural competence in four children's mental health systems of care communities from family and professional perspectives. Concept Mapping was used to…

The authors discuss the establishment of a program at a state university that prepared teachers of the visually impaired (TVI) and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists using distance education and intensive, face-to-face instruction. The authors evaluated the self-assessed competencies of 8 participants who completed prescribed TVI and…

Designed for policymakers and programs planners involved with the topic of teacher testing, this publication outlines issues involved in teacher testing and describes state-level activities in this area. A question-and-answer section provides general information on major types of teacher tests, prevalence of teacher tests, problems addressed by…