Development of the mathematics functional literacy test (MFLT) is described, issues of predictive and content validity are discussed, and implications for educational policy are presented. Ten basic skill areas identified by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics were used as the basis for the development of the MFLT. (RL)

Discusses the decisions made in the development of a functional literacy test used in Philadelphia. (MKM)

According to studies using the Degrees of Reading Power system for estimating readability, most high school graduates cannot read at a level enabling them to understand much of what they read in newspapers, periodicals, work-related documents, or many high school texts or tests. (PGD)

This study compared performance of 300 mildly handicapped and 300 nonhandicapped adolescents on the Florida State Student Assessment Test, Part II, a test measuring functional literacy in math and communication skills. Substantial differences indicate severe consequences for handicapped students forced to pass minimum competency tests to graduate…

An analysis of the performance of 3,355 high school learning-disabled students on the State Student Assessment Test (part of Florida's minimum competency testing program) revealed that large numbers performed poorly on basic skills assessments. Less than half demonstrated mastery on 16 of 34 communication skills tested. (JW)

This guide is designed to provide secondary teachers and administrators with the information necessary to adapt or develop a functional curriculum for children and youth who display academic difficulties. (A functional curriculum teaches functional skills in the most appropriate setting for specific skill acquisition.) It provides suggestions of…

A study was conducted to assess the impact of the Florida State Student Assessment Test (FSSAT) (Functional Literacy Test) on the enrollment in secondary-level vocational education courses. The 67 school districts in Florida were grouped according to population density into three levels of urbanization (low, medium, and high). Ten percent of the…

This paper describes a computerized environment for teaching the conceptual patterns of critical literacy. While the full implementation of the software covers both reading and writing, this paper covers only the writing aspects of R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment). R-WISE consists of a suite of computerized…

Mississippi students are now being tested at almost every grade level. Passage of the Functional Literacy Examination (FLE) will be a prerequisite for a high school diploma beginning with the 1989 graduating class. This emphasis on testing, without an accompanying commitment to ensuring all students equal access to a full academic core curriculum,…

A study determined whether the gap that separates bilingual reading disabled high school students from English speaking high school students could be bridged in a more efficient manner than the methodology presently being used in many schools throughout the New York City Public School System. Subjects were 33 bilingual students diagnosed as…

This report describes a program which grew out of a study that explored writing and literacy skills in Anglo, Black, and Hispanic high school students in North Philadelphia. Section One describes writing in the lives of adolescents as viewed within the home, community, noninstitutional, and broader sociopolitical settings. Particular emphasis is…

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Youth Literacy Task Force of New York City. Included in the report are the following: a brief description of the Task Force's activities; a description of what the Task Force decided were appropriate and feasible effectiveness criteria for literacy programs for 14-21 year olds; a list of…

A procedure which employs a method of item substitution based on item difficulty is recommended for developing parallel criterion referenced test forms. This procedure is currently being used in the Florida functional literacy testing program and the Georgia teacher certification testing program. Reasons for developing parallel test forms involve…

The "Assessment of Functional Abilities of Moderate Learning Students" test is presented, along with a list of objectives being tested and brief test administration instructions. The test, which was developed by special education teachers of Cortland-Madison, New York, contains test items for the following 12 strands of a curriculum for secondary…

This summary for administrators describes the Cultural Literacy Test, which is designed to help monitor students' progress in attaining essential general knowledge and to serve as a rational means for assessing education in one of its most important dimensions: the achievement of functional literacy. Summary topics include test development,…