Examined relationships between American College Testing Program (ACT) academic test and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), and 1986 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (Binet IV). Thirty college students for whom ACT scores were available took other tests. Concluded…

Using a sample of 160 students from New Hampshire's Brewster Academy, a study investigated possible improvements in student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test that covaried with participation in the School Design Model. Results were positive, indicating that a research-driven improvement process can enhance independent school performance.…

Differences among states' average SAT scores are almost entirely attributable to differences in percentage of test takers, parent education and income of test takers, and the high school rank and GPA of the test takers rather than to the quality of the states' education systems. Recommends changes in interpreting and reporting SAT scores.…

A sample of 22,923 students who had taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test in the academic years 1983-84 and 1984-85, and who had also taken the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) 4 or 5 years earlier was identified and classified by undergraduate field of study (four major curriculum categories) and sex. Several analyses were…

The Ability Explorer (AE) is a newly developed self-report inventory of abilities that is appropriate for group or individual administration. There are machine-scorable and hand-scorable versions of the test, and there are two levels. Level 1 is for students from junior high to high school, and Level 2 is for high school students and adults.…

Article presented three broad approaches to the problem of declining scores on Scholastic Aptitude Tests after analyzing the probable causes for the turn away from student literacy. (Author/RK)

The concept of aptitude is reviewed, and the uses and misuses of aptitude tests are considered. Many aptitude tests measure general ability plus certain more specialized abilities that are important for success in particular educational programs. Aptitude tests can be subdivided into: (1) group-administered aptitude tests, such as the Scholastic…

Variables that correlate with scores on the National Certifying Examination (NCE) for Physician's Assistants (PAs) were investigated. It is noted that NCE scores represent professional entry-level performance for PAs and that identification of variables related to PA performance may promote the development of standardized selection criteria. The…

Test repetition is a significant phenomenon in standardized admissions testing in terms of the numbers of examinees involved. This study was initiated to determine what additional advice might be offered to test takers contemplating repetition of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and test users confronted with how to interpret multiple test…

Most problems with tests have to do with their use, misuse, or lack of use. Test scores can be of value to teachers who know how and how not to use them. The purpose of this booklet is to provide a brief overview of standardized testing and to explain some of the commonly used terminology. Topics discussed include: teacher-made and standardized…

Georg Rasch has developed a new one-parameter latent trait model to explain the performance of examinees on achievement tests. The model can be viewed as a special case of Birnbaum's two-parameter logistic model where all items are assumed to have equal discriminating power. Birnbaum's model permits items to vary in discriminating power. Both…

Examination of measures used to predict the academic success of elementary education majors indicated that Scholastic Aptitude Test scores were valid predictors of school success. is noted that high school rank appeared to predict grades and took both ability and motivation into account. (CB)

Test scores of education majors have always been lower than those of other majors. The decline in scholastic aptitude of prospective teachers is only of consequence if it is related to the mastery of professional skills. Schools of education should recruit high-aptitude students and make them aware of career options in education. (JN)

The validity of scores from the Descriptive Tests of Mathematics Skills (DTMS) and the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test--Mathematics (SAT-M) are compared. Results show the DTMS as a valid predictor of remedial level college course grades; the higher level OTMS was as accurate a predictor as the SAT-M for grades in advanced courses.…