These two reports examine the passing rates of St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) students on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). The first report focuses on the 549 SPJC students who took the CLAST for the first time in June 1989, while the second report offers information on the 756 SPJC students who took the CLAST in October 1989.…

High-school and college officials blamed the dip in verbal scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test on students' reading too little. The average verbal score dropped from 427 to 424 while the average mathematics score remained at 476. A total of 1,025,523 high-school seniors took the test in 1989-90. (MLW)

In this presentation to the Kanawha County Board of Education (West Virginia), a community member argues in favor of the reopening of Kenton Elementary School (Elkview, WV). Despite community protest, in 1991 the Kanawha County Board of Education voted to consolidate Kenton and three other elementary schools in rural Elkview. This presentation…

A study compared the performance of six cohorts of family physicians (711 practice-qualified physicians certified in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1,233 residency-trained physicians certified in 1977, 1978, 1979) recertified in 1977-1991. Results indicate declines in performance on each recertification examination and better performance by…

The average overall Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) score for high school seniors in 1994 remained at 902 of a possible 1600. Math scores showed a one-point gain whereas the average verbal scire fell one point. Despite recent improvements in minority group scores, these dropped or remained stable in 1994. Math and verbal test scores for specific…

The first "recentering" of Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores in 50 years is described. As of April 1995, test results are reported in terms of a new reference group, high school students graduating in 1990. The history of SAT scoring, suggested reasons for test score declines, and implications of the change are discussed. (MSE)

Reports the increase of the black-white scoring gap on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). As race-sensitive college admissions decline, these scores present barriers to educational progress by Blacks in selective institutions. Explains the scoring gap noting why so few Blacks have top SAT scores and thus will be shut out of major universities…

Data from nine representative U.S. population samples in the General Social Survey data file for 1974 through 1990 confirm systematic declines in verbal scores for cohorts born after World War II, with the trend beginning earlier. The importance of social change must be acknowledged in trend analysis. (SLD)

This paper estimates the effects of state-imposed curriculum mandates on the test scores of public-school students who took the SAT in 2001. By 1998, 14 states had mandates that high-school students should take an economics course. For these states, the proportion of public-school students taking high-school economics was around twice that of…

The documented decline in test scores of the 1960s and 1970s and the unclear picture since then result from educational and noneducational factors. Aspects of the misuse of test scores are (1) simplistic interpretation of performance trends; (2) unsupported evaluations of schooling; and (3) a reductionist view of education. (SLD)

The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) objective test is used by colleges and universities to monitor the success of their undergraduate programs and as part of general assessment efforts. At Northeast Missouri State University (Kirksville), 102 students were identified as having suspect COMP scores based on the three criteria of: (1) COMP…

In recent years, public dissatisfaction with education has led educators, citizens, and policymakers to consider creating a national system of standards and assessments. This dissatisfaction resulted in movement to establish national standards and assessments in U.S. education. These standards are designed to raise the achievement levels of all…

When properly understood, scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) support the hypothesis that the performance of American students as measured by the SAT is steadily improving. As the overall pool of SAT takers increases and as pressures to adopt SAT scores as an administrative measure of instructional performance mount, SAT averages at the…

Calls for education improvement are often predicated on a decline in U.S. education. Past U.S. high school students' knowledge is examined through U.S. history test data from 1915 to 1925 and national achievement test data for 1932 to 1965. Evidence does not support a decline in student knowledge. (SLD)

In 1988, a study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College to explain declining scores on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) since 1984. Specifically, the study sought to determine whether students had changed in terms of their basic skills at college entry, native language, needs for English as a Second Language instruction,…