This article concerns how noncognitive constructs--personality and motivation--can be assessed and developed to increase students' readiness for college. We propose a general framework to account for personality and motivational differences between students. We review numerous studies showing that personality and motivational factors are related…

This report examines the construct validity of the Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB), a multiple ability test battery designed to measure aptitudes related to successful work behavior. Construct validation has focused attention on the role of psychological theory and on the need to formulate hypotheses that can be examined in the validation process.…

Adult norms are shown as cutting scores for each of the aptitudes judged significant for a given occupation. Tables for converting adult scores to their ninth and tenth grade equivalents are included. The standard error of measurement is reported for each of the nine aptitudes of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB): intelligence, verbal…

Houston, Texas has experienced a phenomenal growth in the arts. The opening of its High School for the Performing and Visual Arts enabled students who were gifted and talented in the fine arts to participate in a program of combined academic instruction and artistic training. (JN)

This investigation was concerned with determining the degree of relationship between scores on ability measures included in the standardized General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) and self-estimates by high school students of their level of ability in the same aptitude areas as those in the GATB. (Author/AL)

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and the Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP) were given to a sample of 37 Yakima Indian students. The predictive validity of the Academic Ability Scale was statistically significant with respect to four of five STEP subtests. (Author)

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), composed of the common elements of operational classification batteries used by the different services, has been given to high school students since 1968. Results are used by the schools for counseling and by the Armed Services for selecting and classifying potential recruits. The present…

The study attempted to determine the effect of availability of scholarships and loans on the career choice of high school juniors and seniors. A survey of 911 college-bound students revealed that 89 percent considered availability of scholarships important to career choice, and 84 percent considered loan availability important. (CH)

The number of schools and students tested in the Department of Defense (DoD) High School Testing Program has declined since the program reached its peak in the school year 1974-75. Telephone interviews with school counselors indicated that the decline was due to school-related difficulties of test administration, lack of student interest, and the…

The 12 subtests of the Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB) listed in the administration manual were described. The reviewer believes this aptitude battery, designed for use with high school students and adults in job selection and placement, needs major improvements. It is suggested that the BAB be used solely for research purposes. (DWH)

John Holland's Self-Directed Search-Form E (SDS-E) is a vocational personality assessment instrument based upon the well-known Self-Directed Search (SDS) but designed for use with poor readers or children. Virtually no data are available in the professional literature pertaining to the SDS-E. High school students (N=44) in five remedial reading…

Compared aptitude, vocational, and personality measures of high school dropouts with those of a normative population. Also studied the relative contribution of selected variables to achievement. Suggests that achievement motivation, social class, and the institutional impact of the school must be examined to identify reasons for academic failure.…

A survey of 45 severely disabled high school students and their parents and teachers found that students and parents perceived that the students' greatest need was for social development and vocational competence. Teachers indicated that some independent living skills were not adequately covered in existing courses. (JOW)

This study was part of a longitudinal research project to establish the validity of the Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB) relative to various academic criteria. The BAB is a multiple ability test battery of specific work skills for use in career counseling. Previous research has demonstrated that adequate validity coefficients exist for both job…

The nine aptitudes measured by the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) are intelligence, verbal aptitude, numerical aptitude, spatial aptitude, form perception, clerical perception, motor coordination, finger dexterity; and manual dexterity. This revised test manual presents: (1) percentile equivalents of aptitude or standard scores for adults,…