Background: Chronotype refers to individuals' preference for morning or evening activities. Its two dimensions (morningness and eveningness) are related to a number of academic outcomes. Aims: The main goal of the study was to investigate the incremental validity of chronotype as a predictor of academic achievement after controlling for a number…

Discussions of the barriers to completion in community colleges have largely focused on student success in introductory college-level math and English courses, and rightfully so, since these courses are typically required for degrees. However, there is a much broader range of courses that also serve as "gatekeepers" in the sense that they are…

Suggested are ways to improve the SAT and its face validity. Suggestions include greater emphasis on more-realistic problems, inclusion of realistic percent problems, modification of the multiple-choice format, and the use of the National Council of Mathematics "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards" as a guide to construct the test. (MDH)

The New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) is designed to measure certain basic language and mathematics skills of students entering New Jersey colleges. The primary purpose of the two mathematics sections is to determine whether students are prepared to begin certain college-level work without a handicap in computation or…

This report presents an analysis of the content validity of a series of secondary school mathematics tests designed by university mathematicians in California to help improve the articulation between secondary and postsecondary mathematics instruction. The purpose in conducting this analysis was to improve understanding of what it means to…

A project provided teachers and other school personnel with a set of practical instruments for assessing students' generalizable mathematics skills in the secondary vocational training programs in Illinois. The major accomplishments of the project were advisory committee identification and selection; population and sample identification and…

Examined 6 widely used grade-8 standardized tests for content, required processes, and level to determine their alignment with the 5-8 NCTM "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards." Concluded that these tests inadequately covered the 5-8 standards. A follow-up study examined items from newly developed and foreign tests to demonstrate the…

Data from the Stanford Test of Academic Skills Level I, administered to 10,910 tenth graders in Hawaii in Fall, 1985, are analyzed. The purposes of this report are to provide information on the effectiveness of the mathematics program in the high school, including the identification of deficiency areas and recommendations for improving…

Described are important changes that will be introduced in the mathematics sections of the new Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The three main changes are (1) permission to use calculators; (2) inclusion of open-ended questions; and (3) content revisions consistent with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics "Curriculum and Evaluation…

The North Carolina Test of Algebra II was developed for use as an achievement test following the completion of the Algebra II course of study. Its design serves two purposes: (1) a normative measure of student achievement; and (2) an objective-based measurement of curriculum coverage. The test's curricular validity, content validity, instructional…

Presented is a summary of the actions taken by American College Testing in response to calls for reform in standardized testing. The areas of reform discussed are test development, test content, skills levels, test criteria, and new testing initiatives, such as alternative-response-format questions and calculator use. (MDH)

This manual is intended to provide students, teachers, counselors, and other school personnel with a set of practical instruments and procedures designed to measure the generalizable mathematics skills of students in secondary vocational programs. Three types of assessment instruments and procedures are presented and discussed: (1) student…

To assist administrators, teachers, and other school personnel in understanding and implementing the various components of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) program, this manual details the ISTEP program, a broad-based achievement testing plan providing Indiana schools with a means of assessing their overall…