The teaching behaviors used by successful teachers, often presumed to be measured by student achievement on standardized tests, remain largely unexamined. Baseline data on normative teacher competency is not readily available. A two-year study was undertaken to begin identification of specific teaching competencies as demonstrated by teachers whose students performed above average on a standardized proficiency test. Of the 97 elementary school teachers in the seven educational zones of Cairo, Egypt, the 31 with the classes having the highest and lowest averages on an English language proficiency test were observed using a competency-based observation instrument developed by the Ministry of Education. Statistical analysis of the data on observed teacher competencies for nine criteria and class averages revealed that there is no significant correlation between the nine areas of teacher competency and high or low average student performance on standardized tests. Four possible explanations are suggested: (1) too small a sample; (2) restriction of the study to classes with high and low average test scores, resulting in considerable loss of information; (3) irrelevant measures of teacher competency; and (4) the inappropriate use of class averages as a measure of student performance. Further research is recommended. (MSE)