The purpose of this study was to determine superintendents' and special education directors' perceptions regarding a special education minimum competency testing framework in Texas. Additionally, this study attempted to determine a relationship between school districts' demographic characteristics and superintendents'and special education directors' perceptions. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of seventy five superintendents, seventy-five special education directors of single districts and seventy-five special education directors of cooperatives in the State of Texas.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil

This study contains four case study reports. Each case has an introduction, a detailed story of a student's scholastic trials while trying to pass Virginia's Literacy Passport Test (LPT), a behavioral record, and a summary which includes graphic illustrations of grades and attendance. Three interview instruments were developed to gather data from the students, their parents, and the teachers who had helped with LPT remediation. Using these data, along with transcripts and test results, case study databases were constructed. Contact forms, document forms, and case-level matrices helped provide a formal organization of the data. Multiple sources of evidence and triangulation of data assured reasonable construct validity. Conclusions were drawn from a cross-case analysis of the data. The primary conclusion was that the consequences of the "ungraded" Status given to high school students who hadn’t completed LPT requirements (no sports, non-graded label, and tracking) acted to motivate them by creating extrinsic and intrinsic pressures. However, it was discovered that once the LPT requirements were met academic achievement dropped. Because the anticipated result of the consequences of failing the LPT seems to be working, it was recommended that similar consequences be added for middle school students. Furthermore, it was recommended that meaningful consequences (maintaining a driver's license) beyond those associated with the LPT be aligned with achievement in order to keep students motivated through graduation. Improving parental involvement in the academic endeavors of at-risk students and sanctions for derelict parents were also recommended. / Ed. D.

The problem of this study was to examine the current practices and evaluations of the uses of minimum competency testing as perceived by the representatives of thirty large city school districts of the nation. In order to conduct this study, a questionnaire was developed and validated by panels. Members of the two five-member panels included various level personnel. The survey instrument was mailed to the superintendent of thirty large-city school districts. Twenty-nine were returned representing 96.67 percent of the population surveyed.

The problem of this study was to identify a minimum competency-testing framework for the state of Texas, based upon perceptions of superintendents of schools. Additionally, this study attempted to determine whether relationships existed between school district characteristics and the superintendents' perceptions of minimum competency testing. In summary, eight conclusions were reached with regard to minimum competency testing. Two implications have been presented which would direct the application of a minimum competency framework within the state of Texas. Finally, six recommendations have been made. Five recommendations dealt with additional studies, while one recommendation dealt with the Texas Education Agency's use of results from the five recommended studies.

This qualitative case study provided a narrative portrait of 12 students in the 11th grade in one north Texas district who failed the initial administration of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) exit-level test. It also presented an account of their perceptions of the test and their efforts to overcome this educational hurdle. The following conclusions were drawn from the study. Limited English proficiency (LEP) students had difficulty mastering the language arts section of the test. A majority of the students reported that TEAMS failure had no social impact. Most of the students declined district-offered remediation. Students tended to perceive the test as a personal challenge. Those students who attended remedial tutoring sessions performed better on the following retest than those who declined remediation. Hispanic and Asian students expressed additional study as being the key to passing the test. Black students felt that the key to passing was to spend sufficient time while taking the test. Those students who were more verbal during their interviews tended to be more successul in passing the language arts section of the TEAMS. The following recommendations were made from the study: (a) students who fail the TEAMS by minimal margins should be encouraged to take remediation; (b) an intensive remedial English course for LEP students should be offered; (c) "high interest" TEAMS mini-lessons should be presented daily for several weeks as a lead-up to the TEAMS; (d) a TEAMS ex it-level orientation program which stresses the importance of the test for the student's future should be implemented; and (e) additional research should be conducted on older students' verbal responses to see if a rich language approach in English classes including listening, reading, writing, and speaking will develop higher level language skills.