The sometimes poor performance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators on a state-mandated proficiency test is a major concern of CTE educators. This study examined whether (a) there are performance differences on state-mandated 11th-grade math and reading tests between CTE and non-CTE students with similar proficiency scores in the…

A recent study by Beilock, Reidell, and McConnell (2007) suggested that stereotype threat experienced in one domain (e.g., math) triggered by knowledge of a negative stereotype about a social group in that particular domain can spill over into subsequent tasks in totally unrelated domains (e.g., reading). The authors suggested that these findings…

THIS THREE-PART STUDY WAS CONCERNED WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH CERTAIN VARIABLES SEEMED TO BE RELATED TO THE OUTCOMES OF TEST INTERPRETATION AND TO STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR TEACHERS' PERCEPTION OF THEM. PART ONE WAS CONCERNED WITH THE OUTCOMES OF TEST INTERPRETATION AS RELATED TO SUCH FACTORS AS (A) COUNSELOR WHO INTERPRETED THE…

This document is a supplement to the Test Content Description for the Georgia High School Test in Science. The sample items are representative of items on the actual Georgia High School Tests. The strands (major areas) being tested are: (1) World Studies (18% to 20% of the test); (2) United States History since 1865 (18% to 20% of the test); (3)…

Prevailing procedures and standards practiced by the Educational Testing Service and the College Board deprive the consumer, the test-taker, of civil rights. Is there not a need to review policy and possibly draft legislation which will assure a student due process? (Author)

In response to the limitations of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), several states, including California and Connecticut, are moving away from exclusive use of standardized tests and toward more performance-based assessments. In Massachusetts, a committee is working to put SAT scores into context by finding other ways to judge and report school…

The purpose of this article is to analyze the issues and challenges faced by English Language Learners (ELLs) and the public schools that absorb them. Ample research has been conducted on the intrinsic validity of standardized assessments, and separately, on the factors affecting the assimilation and integration of ELLs. However, the reliability…

As part of its work in developing a performance accountability framework for higher education, the Commission conducted an analysis of student performance on standardized tests at the high school and middle school levels. National test results show that California is behind most other states in giving its students a high school education of the…

This review assesses the American College Test (ACT) Assessment and examines circumstances that can affect students' test outcomes. Understanding the ACT tests is important for using and interpreting test results appropriately. The ACT subtests incorporate both aptitude and achievement measures. The content scope and structure, and limitations of…

This discussion of proposed legislation in Congress regarding a national, standardized "Test for Academic Excellence" considers both its pros (lack of standards, incentives for excellence) and its cons (curriculum variations, funding, scoring). (CB)

The state in which the target school is located recently mandated a standardized examination to assess academic progress in high schools. This sparked the interest of the target schools administration and teachers in finding ways to assist students in improving standardized examination performance. A comparison group of 4 classes of approximately…

This is a bibliographic list of coaching studies on the SAT conducted by external researchers.

A study was undertaken of the predictive validity of the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery at a university high school. Correlations of foreign language final grades and total scores on the Pimsleur battery are presented. Reliance on the battery score as a simple predictor of foreign language achievement is not recommended. (MSE)

Never has any study received more national attention than that conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). The study was directed to determine why SAT scores in high schools throughout the country either remained unchanged or improved since 1973. The author disputes this study. (Author/CMG)

This report examines the preparation of California public high school graduates to do college-level work, based on high school coursework and state and national testing. A companion report examines the proficiency of adults enrolled in basic skills education programs operated by California's public schools and the state's community colleges. This…