The following papers are presented in this publication: (1) "The Technology of Teacher-Competency Testing" (Cordell Wynn); (2) "The Black Public School Teacher: Alabama's Endangered Species" (Charlena Bray); (3) "Early Identification and Preparation for Successful Entry into Teacher Education Programs" (M. Carolyn…

The effect of an advance organizer on post test performance was studied in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design with the effects of the organizer, pretest and mathematics learning passage controlled. An advance organizer of approximately 500 words and a learning passage of approximately 1,000 words were developed. A 41-item multiple choice test based on…

The survival of black public school teachers is contingent upon significant improvement in their performance on the National Teacher Examination (NTE). The soundest way to improve their performance is to improve the educational program in the black colleges and universities where the teachers are trained. As open admissions institutions, it is the…

The information and activities in this guide are offered to teachers who want to familiarize their fifth grade students with test taking techniques. The introductory sections of the guide discuss the types of tests administered to fifth grade students, test wisdom in general, characteristics of fifth grade students, the teacher's role in testing…

A revision of "Effective and Efficient Study," a guide to effective study for university students, is presented. Topics include: self-evaluation using a checklist of factors involved in college reading and study problems; self-evaluation regarding test anxiety; organizing work and budgeting time; remembering effectively; improving…

Five essays for reading instructors at two-year colleges are provided in this issue of "Forum for Reading." First, Kent Smith notes the increased recruitment of underprepared students and argues that colleges are responsible for assuring that admissions personnel, administrators, and faculty know the types of students they can and cannot…

The effect of commercial coaching on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores was analyzed, using 1974-1977 test results of 2,500 non-coached students and 1,568 enrollees in two coaching schools. (The Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center, Inc., and the Test Preparation Center, Inc.). Multiple regression analysis was used to control for student…

Describes the evolution of Howe's teaching style from a reliance on textbooks and lectures to the active involvement of students in the learning process. Stresses the importance of teaching transferable skills, such as writing and test-taking, and building an active learning environment which focuses on process as well as content. (GEA)

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)

This document includes the left-hand column ("What All Students Should Know") and the center column ("What All Students Should Be Able To Do") from "Missouri's Framework for Curriculum Development in Communication Arts K-12." Next to these two columns has been added a column which includes assessment notes for those…

The 55 medical students from the University of Alabama who used a commercial test-coaching company's services to prepare for the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination scored significantly higher than students with comparable basic science grade-point averages. The impact of such coaching on licensure is discussed. (Author/JMD)

Reviews aspects of our cultural environment that have changed over the past half century and that may significantly affect children's intellectual development. Positive influences include increased student and parental education attainment, decreased family size, increased family resources, and shifts in parenting style. One negative factor is…

The influence of test wiseness on the performance of 736 high school seniors in British Columbia on provincial school leaving examinations in English, algebra, geography, history, biology, and chemistry was studied. The performance of many students on the multiple-choice sections was spuriously enhanced by test wiseness. (TJH)

Using Halpern's 1997 psychosocial model of cognitive development, this article evaluates and extends the literature demonstrating that gender differences on standardized tests of quantitative reasoning may reflect underlying differences in cognitive processing that may be explained in part by socialization patterns inherent in American culture.…

No one can dispute that tests should measure important content, and for many (but not all) purposes, tests should be aligned with curricular goals. Thus in many cases, alignment is clearly better than the alternative, and nothing that follows here argues otherwise. Unfortunately, however, this does not imply that alignment is sufficient protection…