This report summarizes five-year global GMAT testing trends and includes: (1) GMAT exams taken by citizenship; (2) GMAT exams taken by gender; (3) Mean age of GMAT examinees; (4) Mean GMAT Total score; and (5) GMAT score-sending breakdowns by program type (MBA, non-MBA master's, and doctoral/other), TY2014. This data brief can help build candidate…

Operational testing programs employing item response theory (IRT) applications benefit from of the property of item parameter invariance whereby item parameter estimates obtained from one sample can be applied to other samples (when the underlying assumptions are satisfied). In theory, this feature allows for applications such as computer-adaptive…

This dissertation argues that changing ideas about race and engagement with race science were at the heart of a major transformation of political science in the 1920s, a transformation that I characterize as "becoming modern." This transformation was at once conceptual--visible in the basic categories and theoretical apparatus of the…

GED (General Educational Development) testing candidates have many options available to them to prepare for the GED Test, including adult education (AE) classes, practice tests, and self-study. This study focused on candidates who voluntarily took the GED Test and could choose freely among preparation activities. We examined GED Test preparation…

The economic and employment outlook for individuals without a high school diploma is bleak. For many of these individuals, passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test is the first step in competing in the increasingly demanding job market. GED test-taking policies vary across test centers and jurisdictions, and have the potential to…

In 1975-76, 26 institutionally administered tests gave students at the University of Texas at Austin the chance to earn credits for 52 lower division courses in 15 departments: anthropology, biology, chemistry, communication, English, French, German, government, history, Latin, mathematics, physics, psychology, Russian, and Spanish. Results were…

An analytic framework is presented for examining the properties and objectives of assessments and scoring systems piloted in a number of state and district testing programs. The article explores the application of this framework, which considers the cognitive components of competence described in studies of expertise, to the analysis of science…

This pamphlet presents answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). They include questions about the history of MEAP, its costs, subject coverage, test validity, the type of tests, administration of the tests, and use of MEAP results. (BW)

This report covers the 1986-87 testing year in which eight colleges or schools at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin participated in the credit-by-examination program. Test results in 18 subject areas are reported. The summary section includes a discussion of the overall impact of credit-by-examination on eight participating schools or…

Twelve teachers and two principals from the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union School District (Vermont) met to consider what a small rural school district can do to assess its own programs and to discuss how to go about program assessment with the goal of helping schools become effective learning organizations. The district serves about 1,800…

In 1986, the Florida State Legislature passed a law requiring teachers to demonstrate knowledge of their subject areas before being granted teacher certification. The state also provided funding for developing subject area examinations. The generic procedures for developing these examinations are outlined. During the first phase of the project, an…

This paper surveys the status of current state and district level practice in content assessment, highlights related research efforts currently underway, and identifies high priority areas for subsequent research in content assessment. A needs assessment for research in content area assessment was conducted during 1986 by the Center for Research…

Two reports on the current status and future trends of state assessment programs are presented. Among the results summarized for 1977-1978 and also presented in chart form for the 41 states which administer testing programs are: 19 programs are mandated by state legislatures; 22 programs test all students in the grades or ages assessed;…

The University of Texas (UT) at Austin's credit by examination program is described. In 1985-86, credit by examination was offered in 55 subjects. Details were provided for each of 18 subject areas in which over 20 tests were administered: Biology; Chemistry; Chinese; Computer Science; Economics; Electrical Engineering; English; French; German;…