In this program for college students the goal is to help students learn more efficiently and effectively. Designed primarily to aid the under-prepared student, the program attempts to fill in gaps in the student's background and help him or her learn those techniques that are necessary to college survival. A diagnostic survey is conducted with the…

The effect of testing on student retention was investigated to determine if it was the actual test taking, the prior preparation for the test, or the combination of studying for and taking the test which actually affected retention. Subjects were undergraduate students (N=90) who were divided into two different study conditions, i.e., test and…

A study was conducted at Queensborough Community College to determine if instruction in taking tests would significantly improve the responses of non-proficient readers to multiple-choice, open-ended, and cloze-type questions. Students enrolled in 18 reading and study skills improvement classes (N=394) were divided into three main groups: the…

The eight articles in this publication focus on different approaches to reading instruction. Specific topics discussed include reading and the gifted child, teaching reading in a youth shelter, children's attitudes toward reading, teaching reading at the secondary level, secondary reading programs in Indiana, teaching test-taking strategies, the…

This paper reports the findings of an attempt to improve test-wiseness (TW) through direct instruction in selected test-taking strategies. TW was defined as "a cognitive function, subject to improvement through both general exposure to a wide variety of test items, and specific training in test-taking skills." The total investigation included:…

Instructions are provided on how to create and take computer aided admissible probability measurement (CAAPM) tests using programs available on PLATO IV. Admissible probability measurement is a testing procedure that permits a user to express a degree of uncertainty as to the correctness of alternative answers. Section II describes PLATO IV, an…

Examines public education in Waltham, Massachusetts, over a 50-year period to illustrate the effects of the testing movement on a local American school. Findings support the contention of radical historians and economists that (1) the major objective of public schools has been social control and social sorting out of students and (2) testing and…

Black undergraduate students (N=262) randomly assigned to three groups read premarked reading materials having both correct and extraneous markings. Results indicated that markings significantly affected reading comprehension. Recommendations for educators concerning correct and extraneous markings are made. (Author)

Pretraining on test-taking strategies improved the reliability and predictive power of the Arithmetic Reasoning Test for seventh-grade Chicano students but not for non-Chicano students. Pretraining did not improve the reliability of the Missing Words Test for either group, but appears to have improved the predictive power of this test for both…

Presents several suggestions designed to assist teachers and students in the development of essay test-taking skills. Examines organizing the essay; brainstorming for ideas; composing the introductions and theses; establishing the historical setting; and writing the body and conclusion. Advocates proofreading, in-class practice, and allowing…

The current climate for excellence in education has set off a wave of reactions, especially in the demand for accountability based on the assessment of students' academic performance. The effects on one school district's summer school curriculum, and its implications for teachers, are discussed. (JL)

Using college entrance exams as a primary criterion for college admission discriminates against minorities and the poor, but the practice continues. Coaching for these exams is done in test preparation clinics. One clinic run by the NAACP substantially raised the scores of Blacks but not those of minorities as a whole. (VM)

Suggests ways of diagnosing problems in students' study habits and offers strategies for improving study skills and test taking strategies. (SRT)

This article discusses the validity issue in teacher-made tests. Seventh-grade students' comments about their responses to a test designed to illustrate faulty items suggests students are quite proficient in using secondary clues to figure out correct answers. Teacher comments suggest teachers are unaware they provide such clues. (Author/JAZ)

Examines how test anxiety affects children in certain evaluation situations and focuses on developing more valid and effective measurement procedures in school achievement testings. Third and fourth graders were divided into three anxiety groups and tested under time and no time pressures. Anxiety level, time pressure, and sex affected…