Used several alternative analytic methods to estimate the effects of coaching on Scholastic Assessment Test I scores in a sample of more than 4,000 examinees, approximately 500 of whom had attended formal coaching programs. All estimates suggest that the effects of coaching are far less than claimed by major commercial test-preparation companies.…

The relations between examinee background characteristics and performance on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test were studied through structural equation modeling for 3,145 examinees. Findings regarding examinee characteristics underscore the importance of socioeconomic status and intervening process variables in research on group…

Differing patterns of abilities among high school males of four ethnic groups were investigated, as reflected in the interrelationships of scores on a multi-test aptitude battery. If such differences in patterns of ability exist among these groups, their existence and nature should be revealed in the interrelationships of the various test scores…

The authors introduce readers to the research documenting racial and ethnic gaps in school readiness. They describe the key tests, including the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), and several intelligence tests, and describe how they have been administered to several important national samples of…

The relationships between examinee background characteristics and performance on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test were appraised by a structural equation modeling analysis. The initial characteristics of 3,145 examinees (i.e., sex, ethnicity, parental education, geographic region, and age) had modest relationships with their…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is designed to monitor the transition of a national sample of young adults as they progress from junior to senior high school and then to postsecondary education or the world of work. An in-depth description is provided of the rationale, development, and psychometric properties of the…

Sixty tables are presented, which examine the test achievement of a national probability sample of eighth graders in public and private schools. Statistics were obtained from the base-year student survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The NELS:88 monitors the transition of a national sample of young adults as they…

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Seniors Class of 1972 (NLS) and from High School and Beyond (HS&B), this study documents changes in the academic achievement of high school seniors between 1972-1980. It also identifies the school and student factors related to these changes. Its purpose is to inform…