Contrary to findings of the Educational Testing Service and the College Board, the authors contend that coaching can effectively help raise student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). They argue that the SAT is not in fact a measure of "aptitude" and that high school grades and achievement tests are better predictors of…

Traditional predictors have modest correlations with medical school grades and scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners examination for minority students. Noncognitive minority admissions variables are discussed including self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, understanding and dealing with racism, long-range goals, having a strong…

Talent identification in most sports occurs through mass participation and the process of natural selection; track and field does not enjoy such widespread participation. This paper reports on a project undertaken for the following purposes: improve the means by which youth with the potential for high level performance can be identified; develop…

This report analyzes the 1987-88 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of Connecticut's college-bound seniors and includes the students' characteristics and their college plans. The SAT, comprised of a verbal and a mathematical section, is part of the College Board's Admissions Testing Program which also includes the Test of Standard Written…

The question of whether a new eligibility ruling will prevent 78 student-athletes in Iowa from receiving athletic scholarships was assessed. Four surveys of Iowa high school principals evaluated the effect of eligibility rules based on grade point averages (GPA), standardized test scores, and high school core curriculum requirements. Attention was…

Persistence and graduation rates of four types of undergraduate students at the University of California, Davis, (UC Davis) are examined: domestic students with fewer than 12.5 college transfer units, including both regularly admitted students and those admitted by special action; and domestic students admitted with at least 84 but less than 135…

Racial factors in personnel selection procedures and the performance of racial and socio-economic groups on a testing instrument widely used in personnel selection and in public schools are discussed. The study questions whether individual test items are relatively easier for one racial group than for another, and whether there is a relationship…

For Blacks and Hispanics, standardized admission tests and licensing exams are barriers to schools and occupations. Case studies are presented of college admission tests and teacher testing that place women and minorities at a disadvantage. Test biases and misuse must be eliminated and new forms of evaluation must be developed. (VM)

After adjusting for different background characteristics of students, effects on test scores were related to the length and type of test coaching programs offered. The data suggest that the test item types in the Graduate Record Examination General Test appear to show little susceptibility to formal coaching experiences. (Author/DWH)

Examines the differences between norm-referenced tests (standardized assessments of intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and personality) and criterion-referenced tests. Until school districts improve their potential to develop meaningful criterion-referenced tests, norm-referenced tests will be the major yardstick for measuring student…

The relationship between the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Revised (CELF-R) was investigated in 53 third graders from students in the 15 educational cooperatives across Arkansas. Additional information regarding race, academic achievement, and aptitude was gathered for…

Nineteen tables are presented, together with a brief discussion, showing the results of the College Entrance Examination Board's 1978 Admissions Testing Program, including Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), achievement tests, and Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) score distributions, and results of the Student Descriptive Questionnaire. A…

Studies conducted by the United States Military Academy and Air Force Academy showed that many cadets who had attended preparatory schools which prepared high school graduates for college admission performed below what had been predicted by their scores on college entrance examinations. Based on these findings, about 1,200 students from 10…

This norms study, initiated to aid in score interpretation, is designed to provide current information on Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores of a national sample of high school juniors. Earlier national norms were developed on the basis of tests administered in 1960 and 1966. The…

Information from tests, when considered in the context of decision theory, can play an important role in vocational development. This role is primarily one of stimulating and facilitating exploratory behavior. Objective procedures for converting test data into counseling information are discussed and illustrated with special attention being given…