The licensure of public school personnel in Tennessee is a function of the State Department of Education (SDE). Additional requirements for this certification function were added by the Comprehensive Education Reform Act (Senate Bill Number 1) of the 1984 Tennessee General Assembly. The Act mandated that the SDE use tests to assess the competence of initial teacher licensure applicants in three areas--basic communication skills; general knowledge; and professional knowledge. A statewide study has indicated that the Core Battery of the National Teacher Examinations and 24 of the 25 specialty area tests are valid for use in Tennessee. The State Board of Education has adopted recommendations for minimum qualifying scores. Five of six tests developed by a consortium of states with state-sponsored testing programs were also accepted, and minimum scores were defined. The development of subject-matter tests was still required for some areas because candidate tests were not available. Test development begins with the design of specifications by a subject-matter panel of experts. An item-writer team of experts then prepares a pool of items, subject to rigorous review, that is used to prepare multiple forms of the test for review by the Educational Testing Service--the technical assistance organization for development. Tests are under construction for: (1) economics; (2) history; (3) political science and government; (4) sociology; (5) accounting; (6) general science; (7) geography; and (8) office technology. Development of additional tests awaits the determination of specific needs. Full implementation of the provisions of the American College Testing program will require several years. (SLD)