The consequences of the minimum competency testing movement may bring into question the basic assumptions, goals, and expectations of our school system. The intended use of these tests is the assessment of students; the unintended consequence may be the assessment of the school system. There are two ways in which schools may fail in the context of…

Connecticut's experience with four different standard-setting methods regarding multiple choice proficiency tests is described. The methods include Angoff, Nedelsky, Borderline Group, and Contrasting Groups Methods. All Connecticut ninth graders were administered proficiency tests in reading, language arts, and mathematics. As soon as final test…

A detailed analysis of standard setting and criteria for test scores and educational decisions is presented. The author contends that present procedures are in need of re-examination. (JKS)

The items of the Florida minimal competency test have never been validated as measures of "survival skills," and the pass/fail standards were set mindlessly and capriciously. (Author/IRT)

Consisting of four articles taken from the "Minneapolis Star Tribune" with 10 questions for each article, this Practice Test gives an answer sheet and an answer key (including specification to the type of question either Literal Comprehension or Inferential Comprehension). These practice tests are not intended to be psychometrically…

A structured Delphi procedure was used to secure the informed judgments of three types of adult participants (n=170) on appropriate standards for the North Carolina High School Competency Tests in Reading and Mathematics. The feasibility of the method and the amount of agreement between groups are discussed. (Author/PN)

An overview and critique, with special reference to independent schools, of the minimum competency testing movement as a solution to the political and educational furor over declining student achievement. (SJL)

One of the few states to link reform in elementary and secondary education to higher education is Maryland, which is working toward linking statewide minimum competency testing to business hiring practices, college admission, and eventually even scholarship money. The plan is designed to end the need for remediation classes for recent high school…

This report is the third in a series of "Reality Check" reports finds that five years into the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and over a dozen years into the so-called standards movement in American education, the public now sees these reforms as "necessary, but not sufficient." This is consistent across a…

A Carnegie Foundation survey, conducted in 1988, found that teachers were critical of the education reform movement in general and standardized statewide testing in particular. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the impact of state-mandated testing programs on the work lives of teachers and students. It compares two states'…

Public school districts that have new policies establishing minimal competency programs that consequently deny some handicapped students a standard diploma have been subjected to litigation. Legal decisions are discussed, addressing, first, the question of fair standards and, second, the fairness of the procedures for administering new graduation…

Although the topic of effective schools is a popular one among today's educators, researchers, and publishers, there still is no commonly agreed upon definition of an effective school. One definition given by Ronald Edmonds and Lawrence Lezotte is notably precise, measurable, attainable, and easy to determine. They defined an effective school as…

A major barrier to minority student participation in the Arizona State University teacher preparation program is the state-mandated requirement that all sections of the PreProfessional Skills Test (PPST) be passed before any teacher preparation courses can be taken. This paper describes the significant features of a minority recruitment/support…

When a variety of groups became concerned with a perceived deficiency in public education in the 1970's, critical attention was successively focused on student accountability, the school curriculum, and teachers. This digest briefly reports on teacher competency testing. The 1980 Gallup Poll showed that 85% of citizens polled said teachers should…

The use of standardized tests for program evaluation, student placement, and student progression in order to improve the quality of higher education is discussed. It is noted that student achievement is being used as a criterion for judging programs as part of state assessments. Although standardized test scores have long been used by institutions…