Seventeen behaviorally disordered adolescents received training in specific test-taking skills relevant to content area and teacher-made tests. The experimental subjects scored significantly and substantially higher on a posttest of test-taking skills than did untrained matched controls. Deficits on test-taking skills may contribute to observed…

Studied factors that might differentially underlie test anxiety and academic performance of college students (N=72). Results revealed that high anxious students differed from low anxious students on traditional cognitive and somatic indicators of text anxiety but not on any measure of study or test-taking skills. (WAS)

High and low academic achievers from each of two grades, fourth and seventh, were assigned to one of two experimental conditions. Some were told they were going to take a test. Others were told they would play a game. Findings suggest that game task-definition does not always enhance performance. (Author/BEF)

Examined impact of intervention emphasizing metacognitive awareness to develop practical intelligence for school in middle school subjects. Found that program enhances practical and academic skills in reading, writing, homework, and test-taking in students from diverse SES backgrounds attending diverse types of schools. Evaluated results in terms…

The Study Habits Inventory examined strengths and weaknesses in secondary education majors' notetaking, studying, and test-taking skills and found students were well-prepared to teach important studying and testing skills. Research indicates that prospective teachers' academic skills may positively affect their achievement in academic settings.…

The relative contributions of test anxiety and exam-taking skills to information-processing deficits were investigated in a dual-task paradigm comparing high and low test-anxious students with either good or poor exam-taking skills. Sixty-four undergraduate students (21 males, 43 females) were selected based upon pre-test scores on the Test…

The effect of testing on student retention was investigated to determine if it was the actual test taking, the prior preparation for the test, or the combination of studying for and taking the test which actually affected retention. Subjects were undergraduate students (N=90) who were divided into two different study conditions, i.e., test and…

Examines public education in Waltham, Massachusetts, over a 50-year period to illustrate the effects of the testing movement on a local American school. Findings support the contention of radical historians and economists that (1) the major objective of public schools has been social control and social sorting out of students and (2) testing and…

The current climate for excellence in education has set off a wave of reactions, especially in the demand for accountability based on the assessment of students' academic performance. The effects on one school district's summer school curriculum, and its implications for teachers, are discussed. (JL)

Examines how test anxiety affects children in certain evaluation situations and focuses on developing more valid and effective measurement procedures in school achievement testings. Third and fourth graders were divided into three anxiety groups and tested under time and no time pressures. Anxiety level, time pressure, and sex affected…

This document examines whether early targeted academic intervention can improve college admission test scores and pre- college planning for students identified through the Duke Talent Search and the school system Challenge Program. Students selected for the Early Awareness Test Preparation Pilot Program were invited to participate during their…

The Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) is New Jersey's test for fourth graders. It is designed to give the school information about how well students are achieving in the areas required by New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards. This guide offers parents, students, and teachers information about the ESPA. The parent…

Paper demonstrates that the standardized reading test scores of test-naive second-grade students can be significantly raised through instruction and practice in content-independent test-taking techniques. (Author)

Provides suggestions and guidance to help students who are good readers, but have low self-efficacy for taking reading tests. Discusses four sources of self-efficacy: enactive mastery; vicarious experiences; verbal persuasion; and physiological/affective state. Concludes that these four sources provide a framework for developing and evaluating…

External assessments for accountability may be taking precedence over other educational assessment purposes and are beginning to direct teaching and learning in schools. Four common concerns include teaching to the tests, narrowing instructional focus and allowing tests to determine curricula, deemphasizing higher order thinking skills, and…