The increasing use of high-stakes tests has focused attention on test preparation activities. The term test preparation can apply to a number of different practices that vary on the degree to which they are defensible. Although some test preparation is legitimate, there are concerns that certain test preparation activities may have a negative…

Describes computer programs designed to help students prepare for such tests as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing Program's ACT Assessment. Includes list of special benefits the computer can provide in several areas as well as reviews of several programs. (JN)

Curriculum alignment, which links instructional content to state-designed tests, is destigmatizing "teaching to the test." Ignoring this linkage can have painful consequences. Substandard school performance can cause Texas principals to lose their jobs and Maryland schools to forfeit substantial monetary rewards. Indianapolis schools try…

Describes a game that was developed in lieu of the traditional end of the chapter review used to assess student knowledge of a subject. (ZWH)

Surveyed 90 elementary and secondary school counselors to examine strategies employed in test preparation programs, degree to which counselors follow structured curriculum in presenting test-taking activities to students, extent to which counselors target particular strategies, and how counselors evaluate program success. Found counselors more…

Used several alternative analytic methods to estimate the effects of coaching on Scholastic Assessment Test I scores in a sample of more than 4,000 examinees, approximately 500 of whom had attended formal coaching programs. All estimates suggest that the effects of coaching are far less than claimed by major commercial test-preparation companies.…

Explores the level of self-regulation of learning by college students. Addresses three questions: (1) what strategies students use as they prepare for tests; (2) whether students change strategies throughout the semester; and (3) whether changes in strategies are reflected in improved academic performance. Finds little evidence of the…

SkillsTutor and its competitors (including dot.com companies) are tapping a potentially lucrative market--kids wanting academic coaching to improve test scores. Some experts worry that test-prep could overemphasize skill-building materials or usurp broader-based, critical-thinking classroom activities. The jury is still out. (MLH)

The School of Physics at the University of Sydney has introduced voluntary workshop tutorials in large first-year courses. The tutorials are based on informal cooperative groupings with structured worksheets and short hands-on activities. In this study we explore the relationship between attendance at the workshop tutorials and student performance…

Teachers can do something to help ensure students will do better on tests. They can actively teach test-taking skills so pupils will be better armed in the battle to acquire knowledge. The author challenges teachers to use the suggestions provided in this article in the classroom, and to share them with their students. Test-taking strategies will…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of teaching eight secondary students with disabilities, including seven with learning disabilities, a strategy for answering a variety of inferential questions. A multiple-baseline across-subjects design was employed. Outcome measures included scores on researcher-devised comprehension…

This article evaluates the use of instructor-created crossword puzzles as a means of reviewing course material. Students completed one crossword puzzle in class to prepare for an exam, and then they had the opportunity to complete a second crossword puzzle outside of class to prepare for the second exam. Students generally rated the crossword…

This review of the literature examines the effectiveness of instructing students in various test-taking strategies, particularly in reference to multiple choice questions. Among findings reported are that while test-wiseness strategies may be taught, these strategies have limited generalizability across exams and learners who proactively process…

A practicum addressed the high percentage of high-level high school students not making minimum Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) verbal scores required by area colleges for placement in regular college course work. Two advanced sophomore English classes received 12 weeks of instruction with five components, including the use of: (1) the College…

A quantitative method, meta-analysis, is used to integrate research findings from a representative group of 38 coaching studies. Because different studies reported results on different scales, effect size was used to transform all results to a common metric. This meta-analysis showed that there are two distinct literatures on the effectiveness of…