Community college students are often placed in developmental math courses based on the results of a single placement test. However, concerns about accurate placement have recently led states and colleges across the country to consider using other measures to inform placement decisions. While the relationships between college outcomes and such…

Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in placing students with seminar leaders in an undergraduate childhood education course was investigated. Eight null hypotheses were tested individually for six areas of student perception: perception of self-in-general; self-as-teacher; self-related-to-others; others; the Childhood Education Program;…

The predictive ability of a mathematics test organized into a branching test for computer-interactive administration was investigated. Twenty-five blocks of five items were used in the branching. Each testee took 25 items, with each subsequent block being determined by prior performance. Results supported the branching technique. (JKS)

Moderate correlations were observed between the grade point average and nonverbal battery IQ scores of the Lorge Thorndike Intelligence Test administered to 27 elementary school students representing 12 countries during their first semester at a private American school overseas. Reasons are cited for additional research needs in the United States…

A kindergarten screening battery of 4 well-validated commercial instruments was used to predict educational placement of 519 white and 183 American Indian children. The battery predicted educational placement equally for both groups, but it correctly identified only 39% of the special education students. (Author/JDD)

The American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program is reviewed in this four-part report in terms of its use at North Harris County College (NHCC). Part I briefly reviews the contents of the four ACT tests: English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Social Studies Reading, and Natural Science Reading. It goes on to discuss the stability, limitations, and…

Annotations of twenty English placement tests are presented, providing for each a general description, information on content, publication of results, diagnostic capabilities, and predictability. Tests are arranged in three categories: (1) standardized English placement tests, including The College English Placement Test, Comparative Guidance and…

This study investigated the relationship of standardized test scores and locally developed test scores to course placement and academic success in a developmental program. The sample consisted of 281 students who matriculated in the Division of Developmental Studies at a southern university. Eligible students for enrollment in Developmental…

A major concern for those in higher education is whether the instruments they use for screening students are valid and predictive. Of particular interest is whether a grammar test, used in many institutions to screen students for developmental English, and a reading comprehension test, used to screen students for developmental reading, truly…

In 1992, a study was conducted at Golden West College (California) to determine the predictive validity of the Math Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) tests. A total of 1,137 students were tested in-class; 601 took the Algebra Readiness test, 376 took the Elementary Algebra test, and 160 took the Intermediate Algebra test. Two correlation…

A study investigated the use of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) subtests and combinations of subtest composites as placement qualifiers for the Aviation Electrician's Mate AEA(A1) school. It examined the relationship of the independent variables Arithmetic Reasoning; Math Knowledge; General Science; and Composite ASVAB score…

In May 1991, Golden West College (California) conducted a validation study of the English portion of the Assessment and Placement Services for Community Colleges (APS), followed by a predictive validity study in July 1991. The initial study was designed to aid in the implementation of the new test at GWC by comparing data on APS use at other…

This report of the California State Postsecondary Education Commission discusses standardized testing at the higher education level in California and is comprised of three parts. Part 1 describes six tests related to undergraduate admission, placement, and financial assistance. Part 2 describes five tests required by graduate programs and…

To improve the accuracy of college placement, Rasch scoring and person-fit statistics on the Comparative Guidance and Placement test (CGP) was compared to the traditional right-only scoring. Correlations were calculated between English and mathematics course grades and scores of 1,448 entering freshmen on the reading, writing, and mathematics…