Race and subject-matter influences on performance on the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) were assessed in a study of the effects of changes in content of so-called general education items designed to reflect contributions of black and "modern" subcultures. The test used in the study was a 65-item subtest of the NTE designed to measure candidates' knowledge of subject-matter content in the areas of social studies, literature, and fine arts, sometimes called the general education subtest. Original and replication studies were made and showed consistently the impact on relative performances of black and white candidates that relate to decisions about relative numbers of black, modern, and traditional items included in the NTE. The results leave little doubt that black candidates tend to possess a different set of knowledge than white candidates, and that these differences have little to do with conventional subject-matter areas. (LH)