No one can dispute that tests should measure important content, and for many (but not all) purposes, tests should be aligned with curricular goals. Thus in many cases, alignment is clearly better than the alternative, and nothing that follows here argues otherwise. Unfortunately, however, this does not imply that alignment is sufficient protection…

A study skills course offered through Project Start, a summer program for high-risk incoming college freshmen at Ball State University, Indiana, is described. While primarily designed for students who were denied regular admission because of low high-school rank and low Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, the program also allows previously…

This book recounts the successful 8-year effort on the part of Grambling State Univesity, a historically black college in Louisiana, to raise the success rate of its students in passing the National Teacher Examination. The chapters in the book include: (1) "Excellence: In Search of Meaning" (Johnnie R. Mills); (2) "Literacy in…

Discusses some difficulties that medical students experience in taking exams containing multiple choice questions. Differentiates between multiple true/false type questions, in which several answers may be true, and one-out-of-four type, in which only one answer is correct. Provides tips for taking and making multiple choice tests. (TW)

This conference, whose theme was "The Testing Issue," addressed problems encountered with standardized testing in Alabama's historically black colleges and universities, and predominantly black high schools. It focused on immediate intervention strategies designed to provide access to high school diplomas, college, graduate and professional…

This guide for French-speaking parents of students with learning disabilities in Alberta presents a variety of strategies parents can use to help their children in grades 1 through 9 become successful learners. Section 1 offers ideas for helping students get and stay organized, such as using self-talk to create a positive attitude and organizing…

This practitioner's guide is designed to provide an overview of a schoolwide study skills program that accommodates individual student learning styles of at-risk students who may be potential dropouts at the secondary education level. The schoolwide skills model described here is appropriate for all grade levels especially secondary levels as it…

During 1987-88, Manor Junior College, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, developed a semester-long freshman seminar designed to help students understand the college system, to strengthen students' identification with their vocational program and career choice, and to improve students' academic competencies and confidence in their ability to achieve…

The Health Care Skill Builders Program designed and implemented innovative basic skills courses for health care workers at three hospitals in Alameda County, California. The 10 courses focused on skills identified as necessary for improved job performance and career mobility in the health care field. A team approach integrated social support with…

Describes a University of Texas project for increasing the pool of future minority teachers. Academically knowledgeable secondary students who lacked skills for coping with minimum competency testing were given "The Effective Test Performance Study Guide" to help prepare for standardized testing. Results indicate the guide contributed to…

In this article, the authors describe their efforts to improve the performance of their middle school students on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). As middle level educators, they knew that in addition to addressing the curriculum, they also had to address the psychological needs of their students. To administer a standardized…

Mt. Hood Community College (Oregon), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Union Local 162, Fred Meyer, Inc., and Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. offered training to improve study, test taking, and basic and critical reading skills and prepare drivers to pass the Commercial Driver's License test before April, 1992. Training was targeted for…

Since elementary school counselors frequently provide or interpret achievement test scores for academic placement decisions, they must be vigilant for invalid data. Standardized norm-referenced achievement tests can underestimate achievement or potential of low-income black children because of different learning styles and test bias. Recent…

A college-level integrated study skills and orientation course is described. The unique aspect of the course is that learning/teaching occurs in the context of the university environment. Learning experiences generally utilized with this approach to reading and study skills instruction are illustrated by the following projects: an organized…

Describes summer school sessions developed by Houston schools to improve performance of academically at-risk eighth graders on the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS). Highlights include content area lessons in language arts and mathematics; study and test-taking skills; multimedia instructional materials; and student and…