Although memory retrieval often enhances subsequent memory, Peterson and Mulligan (2013) reported conditions under which retrieval produces poorer subsequent recall--the negative testing effect. The item-specific--relational account proposes that the effect occurs when retrieval disrupts interitem organizational processing relative to the restudy…

The percentage of students retaking college admissions tests is rising (Harmston & Crouse, 2016). Researchers and college admissions offices currently use a variety of methods for summarizing these multiple scores. Testing companies, interested in validity evidence like correlations with college first-year grade-point averages (FYGPA), often…

Some high schools are moving towards standards-based grading in an attempt to produce consistent grading practices; however, the change's impact on college readiness is not clear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of high school's grading practices as it relates to ACT scores and grade point averages (GPAs). Existing data were…

Self-control has been related to positive student outcomes including academic performance of college students. Because of the critical nature of the first semester academic performance for engineering students in terms of retention and persistence in pursuing an engineering degree, this study investigated the relationship between freshmen…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether the use of non-cognitive assessment in combination with traditional criteria predicted potential academic success as measured by first-semester GPAs of provisionally admitted students. Survey data were collected with a non-cognitive questionnaire (NCQ) from provisionally admitted…

Recent studies have found a large earnings premium to attending a more selective college, but the mechanisms underlying this premium have received little attention and remain unclear. In order to shed light on this question, I develop a multidimensional signaling model relying on college grades and selectivity that rationalizes students' choices…

A statistical equation for predicting success at specific colleges was developed. High-school grade average and the American College Test Composite were two measures used in ratio to develop the general equation. The college profile scores developed by Astin and Holland were used to estimate mean equations for the institutions. The complete…

A correlational study was conducted using ACT (American College Test) sub-test scores and actual grades earned in corresponding subject areas in order to determine if the ACT was an effective predictor for student's grades at Southern West Virginia Community College (SWVCC). Study subjects were all students (n= 241) who had ACT test scores on file…

The feasibility and effectiveness of a Bayesian method for estimating regressions in m groups is studied by application of the method to data from the Basic Research Service of The American College Testing Program. Evidence supports the belief that in many testing applications the collateral information obtained from each subset of m-1 colleges…

Distinctions were made between three classes of statistical linkage: equivalence, concordance, and prediction. These distinctions were based on rational content considerations and empirical statistical relationships. A large database involving SAT I and ACT scores was used to determine which type of linkage was best suited for different scores and…

Six methods for smoothing double-entry expectancy tables (tables that relate two predictor variables to probability of attaining a selected level of success on a criterion) were compared using data for entering students at 85 colleges and universities. ACT composite scores and self-reported high school grade averages were used to construct…

The validity of prediction equations based on American College Testing (ACT) Program test scores and high school grades is investigated. Presented are separate results for prediction equations based on ACT scores only, on high school grades only, and on both kinds of prediction jointly. Also included is a discussion of the relationship between…

In an effort to improve the predictability of course grades in the College of Fine and Applied Arts the Torrance Figural Test (Form B) of Creative Thinking was administered to entering 1968 freshmen. Four figural creativity variables (Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration) were correlated with course grades, American College Testing…

This study compared the ability of the ACT Assessment Battery (ACT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and six other variables to predict first semester Grade Point Average (GPA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a "highly selective midwestern university". Additional purposes were to determine: (1) the effect of using…