This study tried to determine whether (1) the ACT composite score, (2) high school percentile rank (HSPR), or (3) a combination of these were good predictors of academic success in college for the marginal student. The marginal student was defined as one not meeting standard admission requirements, but one whose ACT scores indicated some…

This study assesses the effects of a specifically designed perceptual-motor training program on the level of perceptual-motor development, self-concept, and academic ability of kindergarten children. Forty kindergarten children were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group was exposed to a specifically designed…

The differences in learning potential among educable adolescents is discussed in terms of high scorers, those who learned to solve problems on the Kohs test while doing the first trial, gainers who experienced difficulty but showed marked improvement following tutoring, and nongainers who did not improve after tutoring. The reliability of the Kohs…

The Rasch model for the probability of a person's response to an item is extended to the case where this response depends on a set of scoring or category weights, in addition to person and item parameters. The maximum likelihood approach introduced by Wright for the dichotomous case is applicable here also, and it is shown to yield a unique…

Three complementary studies comprise the report: (1) Descriptive Grade Distributions, (2) Measured Trends in Grade Distributions, 1969-1972, and (3) Grade Distributions among Academic Subsets. In the first, percent grade distributions are tabulated by subject field, by year, by upper and lower division, and by two categories of course enrollment.…

The effect of preparation and organization of studies on learning is examined in this article. Research that has been done in this area is reviewed and compared according to variables such as grade level, subject area, and student ability. (DEP)

Personality variables and teachers' ratings will explain more than 50 percent of the variance, with the latter being the most significant and economical method for predicting mathematical achievement of seventh graders. (MP)

Teacher effectiveness was defined by students' mathematics score on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills while achievement was measured by the Cognitive Abilities Test. Relatively effective teachers generally produced achievement gains from all aptitude levels. Similarly, relatively ineffective teachers did not disproportionately depress achievement for…

A new formula for the correction for chance success due to guessing was advanced and investigated, the mathematical solution of which has the property of equating the scores of fast and slow examinees of equal ability. (Author/JKS)

In this interview, James Block explains the model of mastery learning, developed by himself and B. Bloom, according to which individual differences in academic ability are lessened by appropriate teaching methods. (GW)

Differences in ratings of initial expectancy of success, perceived scholastic ability, and causal attributions were assessed for male and female high school students for a simulated academic test. As predicted, higher expectancies were found for high performance achievers and nontraditional females. (Author)

Examines major issues in the debate over Crouse's research and recommendations concerning the (SAT) Scholastic Aptitude Test's incremental value in admissions; the nature of the admissions process; other benefits to colleges of the SAT; its possible benefits for college applicants; and the use of college admissions tests as interventions for…

Discrepancies between ability and achievement were examined in second grade scores, and again in fifth grade test scores, for two groups of low achievers: learning disabled (n=20) and non-learning disabled (n=20). The two groups differed significantly in relative discrepancy scores in fifth grade, but not in second. (Author/JW)

Determined the influence of selected instructional, student, and home variables on 11th grade Jordanian students' (N=313) attitudes toward science. Attitudes were measured with an instrument constructed by the author utilizing the Thurstone-Chave Technique. Student's perception of science ability was found to be the only variable affecting…

A school board member, pursuing literature findings on the relationship between classroom size and student achievement/quality instruction, discovers that data support "any hypotheses." The investigator concluded that educational research does not reflect actual student-teacher classroom interactions. (CJH)