THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: A new study by a pair of Harvard University researchers discounts earlier findings that coaching can substantially improve student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). "There is simply insufficient evidence that large score increases are a result of a coaching program," write…

Data collected by the Federal Trade Commission from the Educational Testing Service (1975 to 1977) and two commercial coaching schools in the New York metropolitan area are used in an observational study to test the hypothesis that commercial coaching can improve performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. (Author/PN)

Parents are an essential component in their children's SAT success, says Starlett Craig, director of outreach and enrichment programs at Clemson University in South Carolina. Clemson is home to a successful two-week SAT summer camp, where students are immersed in workshops that prepare them for the exam. But whether a child goes to a SAT camp or…

Presents a compilation of strategies, exercises, and ideas that have been most helpful with students receiving private tutoring on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). (RS)

Improving the verbal scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of a group of 20 high school juniors was addressed by the implementation of an SAT coaching program. A computer program, "SAT Success," and a video, "SAT Prep Video," along with practice tests from the Educational Testing Service were employed. Students were…

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of disclosing a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) form on the retest performance of examinees who initially had been tested with the disclosed form and subsequently retested with a different form. Retest performance was compared for three random samples of examinees who had been tested with the SAT as…

This is a bibliographic list of coaching studies on the SAT conducted by external researchers.

Offers strategies for improving student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Covers three areas: improvement in instructional quality in high schools; analysis and refinement of opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice test-taking skills; and enhancement of understanding and support among parents, community, and staff. (PGD)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: In general, coaching improves student scores on achievement and aptitude tests--including the SAT--but not very much. While the SAT is not invulnerable to coaching programs, only a few students have found impressive results. Coaching produces the following average gains: On the SAT, .15 standard…

A national sample of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) candidates was surveyed to determine the ways in which they had prepared for the examination. Candidates' SAT scores were retrieved from test files, along with selected background information that included rank in high school class and scores on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT),…

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)

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

Prepublication copies of an extensive test familiarization booklet were sent to a random sample of Scholastic Aptitude Test candidates. The booklet had little, if any, effect on test scores, but it did alter examinees' tendencies to omit questions and improved their confidence with various aspects of test taking. (Author/PN)

Reviews several currently available test preparation options and discusses some recent studies on the effects of these methods of preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. While special test preparation may not dramatically affect scores, some methods can improve students' confidence and familiarity with procedures. (JAC)

The writer looks at the often contradictory ways in which tests are seen and used. We are told by its defenders that the SAT is a superb measure of academic promise, but its detractors insist that it is next to useless in helping colleges and universities select their entering class. Test-driven accountability systems have been criticized as…