After adjusting for different background characteristics of students, effects on test scores were related to the length and type of test coaching programs offered. The data suggest that the test item types in the Graduate Record Examination General Test appear to show little susceptibility to formal coaching experiences. (Author/DWH)

Articles in this series on testing and evaluation specifically address the use of tests to assess and improve educational status; achievement test selection; and trend toward increased use of coaching materials to improve test performance. Professional literature on educational measurement is reviewed. (MBR)

This document includes the left-hand column ("What All Students Should Know") and the center column ("What All Students Should Be Able To Do") from "Missouri's Framework for Curriculum Development in Communication Arts K-12." Next to these two columns has been added a column which includes assessment notes for those…

The 55 medical students from the University of Alabama who used a commercial test-coaching company's services to prepare for the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination scored significantly higher than students with comparable basic science grade-point averages. The impact of such coaching on licensure is discussed. (Author/JMD)

Students' experiences of revision were used to clarify the concept of understanding for 24 undergraduates through interviews describing the nature of their understanding and how it was reached. Contrasting forms of understanding were discovered. Implications for teaching and learning in higher education are discussed. (SLD)

No one can dispute that tests should measure important content, and for many (but not all) purposes, tests should be aligned with curricular goals. Thus in many cases, alignment is clearly better than the alternative, and nothing that follows here argues otherwise. Unfortunately, however, this does not imply that alignment is sufficient protection…

In addition to acquiring an appropriate undergraduate degree and passing a subject area ExCET exam, preservice teachers in Texas are required to pass the Professional Development Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET PD) to become certified teachers. This study was designed to examine the effects of a 5-week WebCT online…

Research bears out the assertion that the traditional tests and measures used to define achievement have incorporated societal attitudes about class, race, and gender. Cultural factors, teacher behaviors, and teacher bias can account for early differences in the reading achievement of girls and boys. Furthermore, girls' grades for English and…

This booklet provides parents with insights as to what study skills are needed for successful learning and to illustrate their role as encouragers, motivators, and guides. It also provides parents with a review of the study skills students must use in order to improve their ability to learn. The ultimate aim of a study skills program is to develop…

This paper studied whether or not elementary school classroom teachers in a large urban midwestern school district were able to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate testing practices in a large-scale mandated program. Fifty of 62 teachers and paraprofessionals in 2 elementary schools completed the Teacher Assessment Preparation Practices…

Beliefs that psychometricians hold about learning were examined through telephone interviews with directors of testing from all 50 states and with a sample of test directors from 50 selected school districts. Interpretations of what these measurement specialists believed were based on reanalyses of the primary narrative interview data. A majority…

This user handbook includes four main sections: (1) components of the American College Testing (ACT) Program Assessment; (2) ACT Assessment Reports and Data Services; (3) using ACT student data; and (4) ACT assessment participation. The components described are the four tests of educational development, the High School Course/Grade Information…

Nearly 15 percent of the high school diplomas issued in the United States in 1981 were based upon performance on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED). The purpose of this study is to describe: (1) the ways that adults prepare for the test; (2) the test performance of population sub-groups, and (3) the test candidates employment and…

This guide is intended to help teachers administer tests to adult students so that the students achieve the highest possible test results. The booklet is divided into five sections. The first section reminds the teacher of the various differences in and needs of the adult learner, while the second section gives some tips on how to conduct a…

This digest explains basic elements of standardized tests in order to help teachers in making students feel comfortable about taking such tests. Usually created by commercial publishers, standardized tests are designed to provide a common measure of students' performance. They help compare an individual student's performance with the performance…