In 1979, the state of Massachusetts identified 11 listening and 14 speaking skills as part of a basic skills program in elementary/secondary schools. The authors were asked to recommend methods of assessing these skills. The article summarizes their decision process and includes the recommendations. (PD)

Reports on the development of an assessment instrument to test basic communication skills necessary for students' success in college. Covers the instrument's conceptual foundation, administration procedures, development, and analysis. (PD)

Cut-off scores from two approaches for setting standards are examined. Standards determined from judgments about groups and from inspection of test content are compared. Results indicate that there was neither consistency nor pattern to cut-off scores set from the two procedures. (Author/RD)

Investigates (1) the impact on business and education of demographic, economic, political, and technical developments; (2) strengths and weaknesses of competency based education; and (3) future implications for business education in terms of job prospects and educational preparation. (SK)

Citing experience with declining ability in Navy personnel, Admiral Rickover calls for a redirection of the schools toward intellectual development, with improved academic standards and objective measures of student performance. He advocates a federal panel to establish model standards and tests in the basic skills. (SJL)

The author, Assistant HEW Secretary for Education, reviews some of the evidence and recommendations on declining achievement in American schools, especially the National Academy of Education report, "Improving Educational Achievement." She examines point-by-point the current proposal for a national standards panel and a national…

Nearly all high school students in the Choctaw School System (Mississippi), which operates without a curriculum or a comprehensive evaluation program, function below grade level. Minimum competency evaluation revealed that as many as 50 percent of those entering high school need remedial instruction. There are implications for educational change.…

Describes the work of the Speech Communication Association Task Force on Minimal Speaking and Listening Competencies for High School Graduates and provides recommended minimal speaking and listening competencies and implications for further curriculum development and research. (JMF)

Educational researchers must rely on their informed judgments and assume responsibility in setting minimum competency standards to meet the public demand for quality education. There are both advantages and disadvantages of implementing, as well as not implementing, a minimum competency program. (MH)

The system of competency tests used by the University of Georgia System is examined. Arguments for and against the tests developed by the state board of regents are presented, and the issue of racial discrimination is also addressed. (JMF)

This article identifies several reasons for demands for teacher and student accountability. Minimum competency testing of students and teachers is discussed within the context of the accountability movement, and the implications of such testing as an evaluation tool are considered. (IAH)

Standard-setting practices in states using the National Teachers Examination (NTE) were examined. Passing score-setting procedures, recommended study scores, passing scores established by the states, and the implications of the passing scores were studied. States have typically adopted standards lower than cut scores recommended by advisory…

Five methods of equating minimum-competency tests were compared using the Florida Statewide Student Assessment Test, Part II, for 1984 and 1986. Four of five methods yielded essentially comparable results for the highest scoring 84% of the students. Different lengths of anchor items were compared, using the concurrent item response theory equating…

The New Jersey High School Proficiency Test--a new, more rigorous competency test required for high school graduation in New Jersey--was evaluated for three years of its use. The impact of the state's testing program on curriculum, high school graduation, state compensatory education funding, and district certification is discussed. (SLD)

This article discusses advantages and disadvantages of competency-based education and training (CBET), with emphasis on its application to vocational and higher education in Australia. Argues that, although CBET model is suitable for most vocational programs, the very nature of higher education prohibits its use at colleges and universities. (MDM)