An administrative rule allowed students who failed an exam to retake it shortly after, triggering strong `teach to the test' incentives to raise these students' test scores for the retake. We develop a model that accounts for truncation and find that these students score 0.14 standard deviations higher on the retest. Using a regression…

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…

This study assessed the effects of an intensive 64-hour Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) coaching program on urban, gifted students' test scores. Ninety-seven students participated in the summer coaching program; 47 formed the comparison group. Results are discussed and analyzed. (JL)

Compared Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of coached and uncoached students (over 1,100) generally and relative to sex, race, high school attended, when coaching occurred, and specific coaching course taken. Found average coaching effect of 6 points on verbal section of SAT and 18 points on mathematics section. Reviews claims made by several…

This list of resources for use in classrooms and media centers as well as for individual use describes a range of materials about preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). It does not include every available resource, however. Only items submitted by publishers or vendors within a specified time period and that received positive…

Control groups' scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Verbal were compared to scores of secondary school students who were exposed to their school's special test preparation programs. Special preparation resulted in an overall difference of eight points on the total score, corresponding to one additional correctly answered item. (Author/GDC)

A collaborative effort by the College Board, Educational Testing Service, and Hispanic Higher Education Coalition resulted in a test-familiarization pilot kit--"Preparing for PSAT/NMSQT for Hispanic High School Students." The kit contains practice tests for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying…

Two experimental programs, designed to increase Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of inner city, low achieving students by using computer-assisted SAT preparation, produced differing results. Forty volunteers from a nearby high school were assigned to two groups of 20 each--one experimental and one control group. The first program provided six…

A guide is presented for educators, parents, and students to help students prepare for college admissions tests: American College Testing (ACT) programs, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Information is provided on the content of the tests and the services and publications available from the ACT…

A College Board-sponsored survey of a nationally representative sample of takers of the 1995-96 SAT I: Reasoning Test yielded a database for more than 4,000 examinees, about 500 of whom had attended formal coaching programs outside their schools. Several alternative analytical methods were used to estimate the effects of coaching on SAT scores.…

The fourth year of the Test Preparation Program for Gifted and Talented Sophomores (TPPGTS) is evaluated. This 6-week, 75-hour test coaching program was developed to teach high-achieving students principles/strategies required for doing well on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to increase…

The history of test coaching has shown that positive benefits can be produced from short-term orientation, practice, and drill. Coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) has been especially scrutinized for efficacy and has shown modest program effects, despite the limited scope and duration of such programs. The present investigation expands…