In this technical brief, the authors summarize empirical evidence from their full report comparing the stated intentions and actual outcomes of test-optional practices. An overview of five commonly stated assertions of test-optional practices along with empirical evidence that contradicts these assertions is provided in this brief. [For the full…

In the 2012/13 school year American Indian students accounted for 1.1 percent of K-12 students nationwide and 1.4 percent of K-12 students in North Carolina (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Research has identified substantial achievement gaps between American Indian and other students on national tests, in graduation rates, and in…

The issue of over or under representation of ethnic minority students in special education placement has received a great deal of attention in recent years. An equally important question that has not received as much attention centers on the impact of special education placement, particularly early in a child's education career, on subsequent…

This study compared college course grade outcomes, both during and after high school, of dual-enrollment students to those of traditional students. The study was based on a large, multiyear sample of Iowa high school and community college students. The results showed that while in high school, dual-enrollment students consistently outperformed…

A substantial body of evidence has shown large academic test score gaps between black and white students in early childhood. These gaps remain, and probably grow, as students progress through school. Many researchers have sought to explain these persistent test score gaps, and particularly, to understand the role of students' socio-economic status…

The Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) was created to provide access to rigorous, college-level curricula to motivated and prepared high school students. This study evaluated whether the AP Exam scores from the summative exams associated with 10 courses were valid for the placement of students into higher-level college courses in the subject area…

With the increase of students applying to pharmacy programs, it is imperative that admissions committees choose appropriate measures to analyze student readiness. The purpose of this research was to identify significant factors that predict the academic performance, defined as grade point average (GPA) at the end of the first professional year, of…

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the language arts proficiency levels of 2,080 fourth grade students with regard to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from 2010 through 2012 on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. Specifically, this study considered the possibility that a difference existed in language…

We are living in a conceptual world which we build through both informal and systematic interaction. Concepts enable us to simplify and organize our environment and communicate efficiently with others. The learning of concepts is represented by a general idea, usually expressed by a word, which represent a class or group of things or actions…

Chemistry self-efficacy has been defined as a student's beliefs about his or her own capability to perform a given chemistry task. These chemistry self-efficacy beliefs can be influenced by students' experiences in a course, and eventually, these beliefs could affect students' decisions to continue into STEM related-careers. In this study, we…

There is significant debate over the value and ethics of IQ testing for children, including those from diverse cultural groups, particularly in light of studies examining performance on various subtests that are uncovering important processing differences between cultural and linguistic groups (Sotelo-Dynega, Ortiz, Flanagan, & Chaplin, 2013).…

The authors describe the four stages of the closing the loop process undertaken by a college of business (COB) over a 6-year period. The COB developed and offered an online, noncredit review course to help students prepare for the Major Field Test in Business (MFT). Early results demonstrated the efficacy of the course as student scores rose from…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference over time on standardized test scores for reading and math between fourth grade students attending Title I and Non-Title I schools in three select school systems within District 8 of North Alabama. In an effort to determine if Title I schools are successfully closing the…

Do schools reduce or perpetuate inequality by race and family income? Most studies conclude that schools play only a small role in explaining socioeconomic and racial disparities in educational outcomes, but they usually draw this conclusion based solely on test scores. We reconsider this finding using longitudinal data on test scores and…

Black-white test score gaps form in early childhood and widen over elementary school. Sociologists have debated the roles that socioeconomic status (SES) and school quality play in explaining these patterns. In this study, I replicate and extend past research using new nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal…