Many low-income young people are not reaching important milestones for success (for example, completing a program or graduating from school on time). But the social-service organizations and schools that serve them often struggle to identify who is at more or less risk. These institutions often either over- or underestimate risk, missing…

Predicting the future is now in the hands of K12 administrators. While for years districts have collected thousands of pieces of student data, educators have been using them only for data-driven decision-making or formative assessments, which give a "rear-view" perspective only. Now, using predictive analysis--the pulling together of data over…

This "Practitioner's Guide to Growth Models," commissioned by the Technical Issues in Large-Scale Assessment (TILSA) and Accountability Systems & Reporting (ASR), collaboratives of the "Council of Chief State School Officers," describes different ways to calculate student academic growth and to make judgments about the…

Since 1959, ACT has collected and reported data on students' academic readiness for college. This report provides a college and career readiness snapshot of the ACT-tested high school class of 2011. ACT has long defined college and career readiness as the acquisition of the knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll and succeed in…

A method of assessment using six one-hour tests, with provision to repeat four of them, is described. Performance in the course, high school background, and the first test's results are used to determine entry criteria for the course. (MSE)

The predictive usefulness of certain scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) may be greater than generally believed. The evaluation of one program of selection, retention and graduation of Masters-Level students determined the relationship between selection criteria and rated effectiveness. Approximately one half of the criteria…

The Kentucky Career Ladder Commission has funded a special project on "expected student achievement," to study the evaluation of teachers while avoiding the indefensible use of standardized student achievement tests. As proposed, the plan uses student achievement as one aspect of evaluation. The problem is in determining the degree to…

Describes using high school chemistry grades along with mathematics scores from the Scholastic Aptitude Test to predict college chemistry grades. Discusses rationale for the choice of predictive measures, the effect of teaching assistants, and supplemental study skills workshops on the grade received. (JM)

Traditional predictors have modest correlations with medical school grades and scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners examination for minority students. Noncognitive minority admissions variables are discussed including self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, understanding and dealing with racism, long-range goals, having a strong…

Alternatives for testing the achievement of college students in Maryland are reviewed by committee members appointed by the State Board for Higher Education and Maryland's public institutions of higher education. The achievement testing alternatives would be a means of assessing institutional effectiveness; all entail the use of tests currently in…

During the last two decades of work in predicting and explaining school achievement, much research has emphasized the identification and measurement of student cognitive and affective processes which predict and also promise to help explain and facilitate school achievement. This review focuses on modifiable cognitive and affective processes, as…

Background information is provided on the development and activities of Project Cooperation, a demonstration project to help institutions improve educational effectiveness by employing outcomes measures and assessment strategies. After highlighting the various activities of the project (e.g., a national survey, research on different plans and…

In pursuit of creating a culture that would contribute to the successful learning outcomes envisioned by the superintendent of the Beaufort County, South Carolina, School District, the author returned to her roots and experiences in organizational development. She discovered an article about McBassi and Co., an agency specializing in the…