Educational data mining is an emerging research field concerned with developing methods for exploring the unique types of data that come from educational context. These data allow the educational stakeholders to discover new, interesting and valuable knowledge about students. In this paper, we present a new user-friendly decision support tool for…

Data from the ALEKS-based placement program at the University of Illinois is presented visually in several ways. The placement exam (an ALEKS assessment) contains precise item-specific information and the data show many interesting properties of the student populations of the placement courses, which include Precalculus, Calculus, and Business…

This study was designed to identify the help seeking behaviors of preservice teachers who are at risk for failure of state certification examinations through use of a scale adapted to the arena of teacher education, the Preservice Teacher Help Seeking Scales (PTHSS). In the past, self-report measures of help seeking behavior patterns have been…

The article "Thinking About Linking" by Newton (2010) presents a novel philosophical perspective on the way that educational assessments should be linked. Newton starts by describing the linking framework as it was characterized in various publications and identifies a cross-cultural dimension in the definitions and uses of test…

Expectancy tables are discussed as a device for interpreting the meaning of test results for those untrained in statistics. Three ways of organizing an expectancy table are discussed: (1) to determine the probability that a student with a given test score will succeed in a specified course; (2) to find out how to pick the best applicants; and (3)…

Of all the areas related to the validity of the Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship Examination (CSSE) tests, that of predictive validity seems to have been studied most intensively. Since the inception of the CSSE scholarship scheme, a series of studies which have either examined the predictive validity of certain aspects of the scholarships, or…

Insufficient predictive validity on academic variables of the Structure-of-Intellect Learning Abilities Test Gifted Screening Form (SOI-LA-GSF) was found with 172 gifted grade four and 109 gifted grade seven students. The predictive validity of other measures was examined with 107 grade 10 students. (MC)

Study to help provide a data base on which medical administrators could base their decisions on students' admissions and continuance credentials. (IR)

Reports a study that evaluated the efficacy of a nonranking grading system in assessing superior performance. (JT)

The selection and development of six tests measuring the ability to receive and interpret nonverbal communications are described, as is an attempt to gather evidence of their value as predictors of success in two occupations requiring high levels of interpersonal skills-- psychology and counseling. The tests were: (1) Inter-Person Perception Test;…

Attending faculty members completed a rating scale at the end of each clinical rotation in a general pediatrics residency training program. The rating scale items assessed medical knowledge, interpersonal and professional relationships, and attitudes toward education. Interrater agreement is reported. (Author/MLW)

The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a widely used multiple-choice test battery of basic skills in reading, language, and mathematics. The Test of Applied Literacy Skills (TALS) is an applied literacy battery consisting of document, prose, and quantitative literacy tests. The central issue in this study was the relationship of the TABE and…

In 1987, Santa Barbara City College, California, received a grant to develop valid and culturally fair assessment procedures for placing students into appropriate level courses. Specifically, the project sought to: (1) determine faculty and student perceptions of the skills needed to succeed in entry-level college classes; (2) examine the…

Investigated whether the emphasis on ACT scores for admission to engineering school is justified. Using stepwise regression procedures, multiple regression equations were derived using data from 328 students. Results indicated that ACT scores plus college transfer credits and advanced placement credits do aid in predicting academic performance.…

Interrelationships among IQ, academic achievement, and teacher ratings of pupils' classroom achievement were evaluated in a large sample of children from various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. A substantial relationship between standardized measures of IQ and achievement was found and was independent of race, but decreased with increasing…