A full report is presented of testimony on teacher preparation given by witnesses before the subcommittee on postsecondary education. Included are the remarks and prepared statements of the following witnesses: (1) Marie D. Eldridge, Administrator of the National Center for Education Statistics, who discussed survey data on making teacher…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the eighth grade language arts minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of…

This annotated bibliography contains 44 references, dated from 1976 to 1989, intended for educators concerned with assessment of basic speaking and listening skills, with particular emphasis on minimal competency testing and basic skills improvement programs. The materials cited do the following: (1) assess broad assessment issues; (2) review a…

A study investigated the effect of kindergarten class size on reading readiness achievement. Subjects, 2,837 kindergarten students in 38 elementary schools that serve rural, urban, suburban, and inner-city schools, participated in the first year of Project STAR (Student Teacher Academic Ratio) in 1985-86. The subjects' 140 kindergarten teachers…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) test was administered to pupils in grade 1 for the first time, at state level, in April 1986. Students with certain disabilities and those with limited English proficiency were exempted from this testing cycle. This 84-item test measured 21 objectives: 8 for mathematics, 9 for reading, and…

These combined proceedings summarize presentations of two conference programs designed to address state-mandated student achievement issues. Dr. Terrel Bell delivered the keynote speech at a teleconference focusing on a broad perspective of competency testing. He discussed testing problems, as well as positive aspects such as comparison, diagnosis…

A study was conducted to assess the reliability of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) for the major ethnic groups in Florida; and to develop a standard error of measurement for the critical group that fell close to the cut score on each test. The October 1983 and March 1984 administrations of the CLAST were analyzed to determine…

This paper considers three areas related to the testing of minimum knowledge and skills: public policy, the nature of higher-order thinking and selected aspects of educational measurement. The discussion of public policy issues centers around an apparent dichotomy of egalitarianism and elitism in public education, schooling and the public economy,…

Use of nationally standardized tests to determine teacher competency continues to be a subject for review in state and federal courts. School district policies have promoted minimum score requirements as a basis for employment decisions concerning certification, hiring, renewal, promotion, and merit pay. Legal challenges to these policies focus…

This paper examined some of the issues surrounding the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Examination (ATPE), including the rationale for teacher testing, the Arizona approach to testing, and selected student outcomes. Arizona moved from Legislative directive in April 1980, to the implementation of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Examination in June…

In 1984 the Louisiana State Superintendent of Education directed the Bureau of Evaluation to conduct a study of alternative testing strategies for the State, keeping in mind the possibility that retaining the current testing program was an alternative to be considered. The Bureau designed a study calling for the involvement of four distinct…

The effects of feedback about the ratings of other judges on subsequent ratings using the Nedelsky method and the ability of judges to retain or eliminate options in a manner consistent with the judgments of minimally competent examinees were studied using data from a basic algebra examination administered to 227 college students in 1987. The…

The New Mexico High School Proficiency Examination (NMHSPE) assesses the extent to which New Mexico students have mastered the skills and knowledge specified on the New Mexico Basic Skills Plan. The test includes an objective portion and a writing assessment. A student passing both sections receives a diploma endorsement from the State Department…

The North Carolina Competency Testing Program in reading, mathematics, and writing has been administered in all public schools in the state to students in grade 10 and those in grades 11 and 12 who had not previously passed this test. A total of 72,324 and 72,393 sophomores took the reading and mathematics tests, respectively, in 1988. The reading…

The Georgia Teacher Certification Tests were developed and validated to be job-related and to reflect the minimum content knowledge that is necessary to teach in each certification area in Georgia classrooms. Three assessment instruments are used in evaluating the performance of preservice students and beginning teachers. The Teacher Performance…