This publication is a guide to assessing the subject-matter competence of prospective physical education teachers in California. The guide was developed as part of a statewide response to legislated entry and exit standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. An introduction describes the regulations and executive order, which are the basis for the guide, and the conference that developed the guide. The opening section lists premises for assessment and addresses each in detail, covering unity of purpose among the diversity of programs, multiple measures, and the assessment design (process, features, scheduling, and fairness to students). The next section establishes two categories of competence--first, generic competencies that are fundamental to all disciplines and, second, 26 competencies that are specific to physical education. The third section, on sources of assessment information, provides general guidelines and methods of assessment information gathering, including coursework, interviews, portfolios, testing, capstone courses, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Three model assessment formats representing different approaches to measuring and assessing competencies are presented in the fourth section. The final section treats recommendations related to resource and administrative issues. Two appendixes contain additional information on interviews and course requirements. (JB)