1st Reading                             January 21, 1997



     2nd Reading                             February 4, 1997



     3rd Reading                             February 18, 1997



     Passed



     President's Approval

     

     Senate Sponsor                     Academic Affairs

                                        Chair:  Ballester





  I. Purpose:  Previous Faculty Senate actions established a

     requirement that "All students who earn a baccalaureate

     degree from Emporia State University must pass competency

     examinations in reading, writing, and mathematics."  [FSB

     83005, May 1, 1984] However, no further instructions were

     provided for the administration of the tests, the

     establishment of policy and procedures in the

     administration of the tests, nor for assessing the

     future need for the test.  After this action, competency

     examinations [currently the PPST] were also required of

     all Kansas college students entering education programs;

     these external regulatory agency requirements will

     continue to be subject to modification.  This bill

     narrows the competency mandate to non-teaching degree

     students and designates jurisdiction for overseeing the

     competency test functions to the General Education

     Council.  This includes advising the Faculty Senate on

     the future need for such an assessment.



  II.     Previous Senate Action:

          77002:  Writing Proficiency Examination Requirement

          77008:  Writing Competency Assessment Program

          83005:  University Wide Participation in the

                  Competency Testing Program



 III.     Definition of Terms:

     a)  Collegiate Assessment of Academic Progress-

         [CAAP Test]; alternative to PPST used by many

         non-teacher education students at E.S.U.



     b)  PPST- Pre-Professional Skills Test; currently required

               for admission to teacher education programs

               [with changes imminent]; external agencies

               establish minimum acceptable scores.





 IV. Attachments:  1) 83005:  University Wide Participation in

                              Competency Testing Program

                   2) Bill



 1   All students who earn a non-teaching baccalaureate degree

 2   from Emporia State University must pass competency

 3   examinations in reading, writing, and mathematics.



 4   The Faculty Senate designates the General Education

 5   Council as the faculty body responsible for advising the

 6   Administration concerning policy and procedures affecting

 7   the university-wide competency examination requirements.



 8   The General Education Council may direct Assessment and

 9   Educational Measures office, or other appropriate

10   agencies, to evaluate the reliability and validity of

11   tests.



12   The General Education Council designates minimum

13   performance levels.



14   The General Education Council may establish course

15   performance levels as equivalencies.



16   The  General Education Council may assess the need for

17   competency  testing and recommend to the Faculty Senate

18   the expansion, modification, or termination of the

19   program.