States using minimum-competency testing, by government level setting standards, grade levels assessed, and expected uses of standards: November 1992

Table 152.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                    |            |                   |             Expected uses               |            |
    States using    | Government |       Grade       |_________________________________________|   First    |  Still
      minimum-      |   level    |      levels       |       | High  |       |        |        | graduating |  using
     competency     |  setting   |    assessed\1\    | Grade |school | Early |Remedia-|Other\1\|  class     |competency
      testing       |standards\1\|                   |promo- |gradua-|exit\1\|tion\1\ |        |assessed\1\ |  tests
                    |            |                   |tion\1\|tion\1\|       |        |        |            | in 1992
____________________|____________|___________________|_______|_______|_______|________|________|____________|__________
         1          |     2      |         3         |   4   |   5   |   6   |   7    |   8    |       9    |    10
____________________|____________|___________________|_______|_______|_______|________|________|____________|__________
Alabama ............|   State    |     3,6,9,11      |       |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1985  |   Yes
Arizona ............|State/local |       8,12        | (\2\) |   X   |       |        |        |      1976  |
Arkansas ...........|   State    |      3,4,6,8      |       |       |       |   X    |        |            |   Yes
California .........|State/local | 4-11,16 yr. old+  |   X   |   X   |   X   |   X    |        |      1979  |   Yes
Colorado ...........|   Local    |       9,12        |       | (\3\) |       |        |        |            |
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Connecticut\4\ .....|   State    |       4,6,8       |       |       |       |   X    |   X    |            |
Delaware ...........|   State    |      1-8,11       |       |   X   |       |        |   X    |      1981  |
Florida ............|State/local |     3,5,8,11      |   X   |   X   |   X   |        |        |      1983  |
Georgia ............|   State    |   K,1,3,6,8,10    | (\5\) |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1985  |   Yes
Hawaii\6\ ..........|   State    |      3,9-12       |       |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1983  |   Yes
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Idaho ..............|   State    |       8-12        |       |       |       |   X    |   X    |      1982  |
Illinois ...........|   Local    |   Local option    |       |       |       |        | (\3\)  |            |
Indiana.............|   Local    |     3,6,8,10      |       |       |       |   X    |   X    |            |
Kansas\7\ ..........|   State    |    2,4,6,8,10     |       |       |       |        | (\3\)  |            |
Kentucky\8\ ........|            |       K-12        |   X   |   X   |       |   X    |        |            |
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Louisiana\9\ .......|   State    |      2,3,4,5      |   X   |       |       |   X    |        |            |   Yes
Maryland ...........|   State    |        7,9        |       |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1982  |   Yes
Massachusetts ......|   Local    |   Local option    |       |       |       |   X    |        |            |
Michigan ...........|   State    |      4,7,10       |       |       |       |   X    | (\3\)  |            |
Mississippi ........|   State    |     3,5,8,11      |       |   X   |       |        |   X    |\10\  1987  |   Yes
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Missouri............|   State    |        8+         |       |       |       |        |   X    |            |
Nebraska ...........|   Local    |        5+         |       |       |       |        |   X    |            |   Yes
Nevada .............|   State    |     3,6,9,11      |       |   X   |       |   X    |        |      1982  |   Yes
New Hampshire\11\ ..|   State    |      4,8,12       | (\2\) | (\2\) |       |        | (\2\)  |            |
New Jersey .........|   State    |       9-12        |       |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1985  |   Yes
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
New Mexico .........|   State    |Local option, 10-12|       |       |       |        |   X    |      1981  |   Yes
New York ...........|   State    |    3,5,6,8-12     |       |   X   |       |   X    |        |      1979  |   Yes
North Carolina\12\ .|   State    |     3,6,8,10      |       |   X   |       |        |   X    |      1980  |   Yes
Ohio ...............|   Local    | Local option\13\  |       |       |       |        | (\2\)  |      1990  |
Oklahoma\14\ .......|    None    |     3,6,9,12      |       |       |       |        |   X    |            |
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Oregon .............|   Local    |   Local option    |       |   X   |       |        |        |      1978  |
Pennsylvania .......|   State    |       3,5,8       |       |       |       |   X    |        |            |
South Carolina\15\ .|   State    |   1,2,3,6,8,11    |   X   |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1990  |   Yes
Tennessee\16\ ......|State/local |    3,6,8,9-12     |   X   |   X   |       |   X    |   X    |      1982  |   Yes
Texas\17\ ..........|   State    |  1,3,5,7,9,11,12  |       |   X   |       |   X    |        |      1987  |   Yes
                    |            |                   |       |       |       |        |        |            |
Utah ...............|   Local    |   Local option    |       |       |       |   X    |   X    |      1988  |
Vermont ............|   State    |        1-8        |(\18\) |       |       |   X    |   X    |      1981  |
Virginia ...........|State/local |     K-6,10-12     |       |   X   |       |        |   X    |      1981  |
Wisconsin ..........|   Local    |   1-4,5-8,9-10    | (\3\) | (\3\) |       |   X    |        |            |
Wyoming ............|   Local    |   Local option    |       |       |       |   X    |        |            |
____________________|____________|___________________|_______|_______|_______|________|________|____________|__________

\1\Based on information from November 1985.
\2\Legislation in 1983 called for development of a minimum course of study and criteria for high school graduation standards and for grade-to-grade promotion. Local school districts were to implement standards.
\3\Local option.
\4\A new program of state testing for grade 4 began in 1985 and expanded to grades 6 and 8 in 1986. The 9th grade state proficiency test, begun in 1980, was administered for the final time in 1986.
\5\Beginning in fall 1985, 3rd grade students had to demonstrate acceptable performance on criterion-referenced tests in mathematics and reading before promotion to the 4th grade. Beginning in 1988-89 school year, students must pass school readiness test to be eligible for first grade.
\6\Students have three options: paper-and-pencil test; performance test; or course. First time taken (grade 9) must be paper-and-pencil test.
\7\The Kansas Minimum Competency Assessment (MCA) was re-established by 1984 legislative action (SB 473). The MCA was in effect for 5 school years, 1984-85 through 1988-89.
\8\Legislation in 1984 required the state superintendent to recommend process of using test results for promotion and graduation to the 1986 legislature.
\9\Grade 8 was added beginning with 1986-87 school year.
\10\Although first class assessed graduated in 1987, the first class required to pass for graduation was the class of 1989.
\11\Students are tested in elementary, middle, and high school. Some local districts test at grades other than 4, 8, and 12.
\12\Grades 3, 6, and 8 are given an annual standardized achievement test. Local school districts use the results as a diagnostic tool.
\13\Locally based tests in the areas of English composition, mathematics, and reading are required at least once in grades 1-4. Tests in grades 5-8 and 9-11 will be implemented no later than 1989-90.
\14\Test was given in Oklahoma during the 1978-79 school year. There has been no followup to the program. However, a plan for statewide testing was submitted for legislative action in January 1985.
\15\The South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984 specified that the 11th grade test being used to gather baseline data be replaced in 1985-86 school year with an exit examination in the 10th grade. All students graduating in 1990 and after must pass the examination.
\16\Local districts use the state-designated tests at grades 3, 6, and 8 for remediation and to advise on grade retention. The Tennessee high school test, first taken at grade 9, is required for graduation.
\17\Texas HB 72 (1984) mandated the new testing program. New requirements became effective in 1985-86 school year.
\18\Vermont Basic Competency Program requires students to master the basics before they complete 8th grade.

NOTE.--Some states have dates for assessing the first high school graduating class but do not expect to use the results to determine whether students will graduate.

SOURCE: Education Commission of the States, Clearinghouse Notes, "State Activity--Minimum Competency Testing, as of November 1985"; and "Student Minimal Competency Testing." (This table was prepared March 1993.)

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