Study abroad programming has seen substantial growth at U.S. institutions of higher education over the past few decades. It has cemented itself as an integral educational option at nearly all U.S. colleges and universities, including for students in teacher preparation programs. While a growing body of research shows evidence that teacher…

The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) conducted a one-year research study comparing performance on the traditional continued professional certification assessment, administered at a test center or online with remote proctoring, to a longitudinal assessment that required answering quarterly…

Before nursing graduates can practice as a registered nurse, they must successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Low first-time pass rates on this high-stakes test can cause concern for multiple stakeholders including graduate nurses, nursing programs, health care organizations, and society. The…

The purpose of the retrospective quantitative cohort regression study was to identify predictors of success on the Next Generation National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NGN-NCLEX-RN) and determine if changes are needed in the nursing program curriculum. Nurse educators and nursing administration are responsible for aligning…

This study aims to examine the potential impacts on repeat examinees' performance by reusing simulation-based items in a high-stakes standardized assessment. We examined change patterns of item scores, ability estimate, score pattern change, response time and compared the performance of repeat examinees who have received repeat items and those who…

We investigate the predictive validity of teacher licensure tests using data from the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). MTEL scores predict teachers' in-service performance ratings and contributions to student test scores (i.e., value added). We then explore whether these relationships vary for teacher candidates of color.…

The passing rate in the Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE) is considered a key indicator of the quality of the nursing program. While a plethora of studies has identified the factors affecting NLE success, no study has tried to explore the role of an institutional standardized competency examination on NLE. The purpose of this study was to…

The field of early childhood and its teacher education programs, globally, have experienced intensified policy reforms to "professionalize" the workforce. This has had (un)intended consequences of standardizing how Latinx preservice educators in the United States have learned about engaging in early years education and care. To discuss…

This article reports the results of an academic program evaluation in which standardized admission test scores are compared to intermediate and final program outcomes. We used two intermediate program measures of progress-first semester nursing grades and performance on a standardized exit exam prior to graduation. Program final outcomes compared…

This retrospective correlational study was conducted to examine the relationship between admissions criteria and performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for undergraduate nursing students at one institution. The study also investigated factors from the existing data set that could be used to…

This article traces how high-stakes teacher exams have shaped the career entry opportunities for Black teachers and makes recommendations for the emerging era of high-stakes performances exams brought about by the edTPA. We begin our analysis in the 1980s and the testing for competencies movement during which scholars critiqued the rising use of…

The aim of this article is to discuss a portfolio of interventions used to improve student outcomes in an accredited southeastern university's baccalaureate nursing program. Faculty identified three specific student-focused issues challenging student learning: (a) a steady trend of increasing student enrollment, (b) increased difficulty level of…

High-stakes testing can be a major hurdle for individuals who know the material well, but have trouble understanding the language of the test. Many people have difficulty understanding test questions when the wording of the question is different from the language variation typically used by the test-taker. This research builds on prior research…

Faced with a pressing demand for eldercare workers, Japan signed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to recruit workers from Southeast Asian countries. The EPA limits the employment period for migrant workers, unless they successfully pass the healthcare licensure examination in Japanese. Therefore, they receive on-the-job training and prepare…

Historically, the government has sought to improve the quality of the teacher workforce by requiring certification. Teachers are among the most licensed public personnel employees in the United States. Traditionally, an education degree with a student teaching experience and passage of licensure exams were necessary for licensure. In the 1980s,…