Maintains that surprisingly little attention has been given to secondary modern schools by historians. Maintains that a new approach is needed to examine the impact of social differentiation in English and Welsh schools. Asserts that a more current history of secondary schools will provide new insights into British social history. (CFR)

Describes development of qualifying examinations in English and Welsh secondary schools. Evaluates forms and quality of testing in history. Presents suggestions by experts and changes made in England and Wales over 21-year period. Finds that most problems stemmed from desires to cover long periods of time while providing the depth of coverage…