Abstract This paper argues that, although many colleges use the Scholastic Aptitude Tests or Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) to determine which students will be selected for admittance, this test is affected by family incomes. The author points out that students from low income or even middle income families usually have lower scores than students who have parents with higher incomes. The paper relates that the SAT scores were not meant to measure long term academic success. The author clarifies that children who live in richer communities receive a better education than those students in poorer communities because these higher income children may go to privates schools or because schools serving lower income communities may receive less funding and therefore are unable to provide an enriched curriculum. The paper stresses that, for admittance, the SAT scores should be eliminated and grade point average should be used instead.
From the Paper "Research shows that students who are involved in extracurricular activities perform better on SAT scores. Students involved in extracurricular activities can be "a measurable and meaningful gain in their college admissions test scores". Even with students who come from poor families can benefit from these extracurricular activities. Yet, it is important to remember that schools with low federal funding cannot afford to have many of the extracurricular activities that schools with higher federal funding have."
Abstract This paper contends that student aptitude should not be assessed through standardized testing because these tests are unfair to many students. It also claims that, these tests are unfair to underprivileged schools and poor test takers and that they take time out of class and don't prepare students for real life by teaching them to pass the test.
From the Paper "Not only does this form of testing cut out time from class, it is a poor assessor of student achievement. This means that a standardized test cannot measure the ability to create. A multiple choice test cannot determine a child's ability to "think or create in any field" (Fairtest 1). Standardized tests cannot give questions to do so because they are expensive and often the scoring is incorrect. Therefore this type of test should not be given if the ultimate goal is to assess student achievement because it cannot measure the student's ability to think at a high level; which is what all educators want for their students. Not only this says Fairtest.org, "Nor so these tests adequately measure thinking skills or assess what people can do on real-world tasks" (fairtest 3). Is not the sole purpose of education to prepare a student for college, and then ultimately the real world? Students are required to take classes such as FACS to prepare them for life situations, however if a standardized test cannot measure such skills then they are ineffective and obsolete. "
Abstract This paper explains the main criticisms of ability grouping practices, which refer to reading groups created by the teacher according to the size of the class, students' reading aptitudes, or the distribution of reading aptitudes within the class, are that such practices do not accomplish anything of benefit to students and that they fosters unequal opportunities for academic achievement among different groups of students. The author relates that the goal of guided reading is for instructors to provide an environment that will assist students in their progression toward independent, silent reading by fostering positive attitudes toward reading in students and by aiding students in the development of strategies to extract meaning from reading and to understand the reading process. The paper concludes that an approach that combines grouping strategies with guided reading practices may prove to be the most beneficial option for reading instruction.
Table of Contents
Ability Grouping
Guided Reading
A Combined Approach
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Four Blocks approach used guided reading as a crucial component to its instructional strategy. Guided reading was known as the basal block, because the basal reader drove instruction at this level. There are several purposes of this block, including exposing children to a wide range of reading material, teaching strategies for comprehension and challenging children by providing increasingly more difficult reading material. Guided reading provides a base for the following blocks. However, it is difficult to target guided reading practices to students that represent various literacy levels, and inevitably some students are struggling while others are not challenged enough."
Abstract This study assesses how accurately the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) can predict a student's suitability and capability for a particular job. The thesis of the study concerns student aptitude while attending the U.S. Air Force Jet Engine Technical Training School, but is designed to provide an important additional source of data on the level of effectiveness of selection and classification tests across all military services.
From the Paper "Historically, the demand for new enlisted recruits by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force is virtually always high, and runs from about 250,000 young men and women a year during peacetime to several million during periods of mobilizations such as today (Dillon, 1997). The pool from which the military draws its new recruits is overwhelmingly young (generally ranging in age from 18 to the early 20s) and almost all have high school diplomas or GED equivalents; however, the majority of new recruits frequently arrive without any advanced education (i.e., college education) or much previous employment history. According to Zeidner (1986), the factors that have the most serious implications for the available recruitment pool include unemployment, growth, immigration, technology, occupational supply and demand, education and training, standard and nonstandard recruitment age groups, compensation and benefits, households and families, working conditions and attitudes, women in the labor force, migration patterns, and unionization."
Abstract The paper discusses three principles of M. Rost on effective instruction for listening skills. The paper focuses on aptitude specific instruction, coordination of teaching and learning and a positive climate for learning, and critically evaluates them in light of the writer's own language teaching and learning experiences. The paper shows how all these principles have some positive implications for effective language instruction. The paper notes, however, that these principles cannot be implemented successfully without restructuring and reconsidering currently existing institutional systems and instructional goals.
Outline:
Introduction
Aptitude Specific Instruction
Coordination of teaching and learning
Positive climate for learning
Conclusion
From the Paper "In most cases, the setting contributes to the way in which language is taught. Therefore, it is necessary to outline my language teaching environment to evaluate the principles in relation to my own experience. I have been teaching intermediate level Japanese approximately five hours a week to college students ranging in age from 18 to 25 in New Zealand since the beginning of 2007. The classrooms are adequate for the average class size, which is between ten and fifteen, with equipment for visual materials. Course materials consist of the set textbook and the accompanying workbook, and not many other supplementary teaching materials are available. Also as a language learner myself, I studied English as a second language at school in Japan for six years."
Reviews the literature on the development and use of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Examines questions of the test's validity and appropriateness.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 16 sources, 1995, $ 87.95
From the Paper "Use of the Scholastic Aptitude Test
Review of the Literature
At the present time, over 90 percent of all American colleges and universities require applicants to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test and submit results of that test in order to gain admission. Approximately 1.7 million students take this test each year. However, the test has been questioned by many groups in terms of validity and appropriateness. How was this test developed and how appropriate is it as a measure of student aptitude for higher education?
SAT Development
There were a number of agencies interested in measuring intelligence during the period between World War I and World War ..."
Abstract It is the contention of this paper that the standardized SATs, intended as a tool to help predict a student's collegiate potential, fail to meet this objective. Instead, the exams often misrepresent or portray a potential student in a negative light because of the cultural bias of the test. The paper asserts that this is especially true for the African-American and Latino American population. Experts in the fields of education and social sciences are quoted, and data is presented that supports the author's contention. Other problems that are considered intrinsic to the SAT are also covered in this paper.
From the Paper "Today's educational system supports tests such as the SAT?s, which are often biased against minority students. The SAT's were developed by the Educational Testing Service as a means to predict successful collegiate performance. However, the tests in actuality seldom accurately predict the potential for a student's success. The SAT's have statistically in fact, been shown to have little value in predicting a student's future performance. They also negatively impact admissions representative's perceptions of a student's potential for academic success. The SAT's have also been shown to negatively impact minority groups, specifically African Americans, Hispanics and even low-income white students. The tests more accurately are a predictor of socioeconomic influences than a student's potential, and unwittingly favor middle and upper class students, who often have the opportunity to prepare and memorize for such tests, placing them at a disadvantage over their peers."
A discussion on the scholastic aptitude test (SAT) and whether or not it should still be considered a reliable predictor of how well a student will do in college.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 8 sources, 2006, $ 44.95
Abstract This paper explains that the SAT was once considered an accurate and predictive tool for selecting freshmen entering a college or university, but, today, it appears that the people most in support of the SAT are the people who develop and distribute it. According to College Board SAT, "the combination of SAT scores and high school grade point average has been shown to be the single most effective measure of a student's ability to succeed in college." The paper suggests that one conclusion that can be drawn from research is that the SAT is most effective when combined with other predictors.
From the Paper "The College Board solicited learning institutions to gain their participation in a validity study that tracked entering freshmen in the year 2006. This study will be published in 2008 (Dirks, 2005, pars. 6, 8). Given their interest in continuing to market the test, however, it seems possible to question its results. However, a backlash has been waged against the SAT in recent years. Schools in both the states of Texas and California have restricted the..."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that intelligence tests have long been a part of the educational landscape. The writer further points out that many tests have been used to determine intelligence and scholastic aptitude in elementary schools, middle grade schools, and in high schools. The writer discusses that some question does exist over the value of these tests in terms of validity and reliability, particularly in certain populations. This paper is used to briefly examine some of the issues that exist with the use of intelligence testing in the educational field.
Outline:
Literature Review
Conclusion
From the Paper "Although still uncommon in an educational setting, one trend that must be reviewed is the use of online psychological testing. With computers increasingly present in schools and the availability of online courses later in life, online testing and assessment is a real possibility in the future.
Computerized testing, online or not, is a consideration as the potential inefficiencies of RTI are addressed. More students can be assessed and processed more efficiently, as well as more objectively, when computers are used. However, in the case of students with SLD, this potential trend may not be entirely beneficial. Internet testing has made updating and translating testing materials much easier. It is also easier to record and to compile data from Internet-based testing. Three kinds of testing typically appear on the Internet: tests for layperson use; diagnostic measures, such as the MMPI; and cognitive ability or certification tests."
Abstract This paper begins with a history of the SAT exam, originally named the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and now called Standardized Tests. The paper then looks at those educators who approve of the exam as a fair and decent means of testing one's aptitude against another student. The writer then offers some counter-arguments, including subjectivity, unfairness, and racial bias.
From the Paper "Due to the fact that college admission officers do not have the knowledge of who has been imbibed the coaching and who has not undertaken the course, they cannot make a fair comparison of two applicant's marks. Test creators give a nod to the fact that high school grade point average (GPA) or class rank are the superior foreseers of the first year marks, in spite of the vast difference among high schools and courses. Again it has been criticized that as women attain higher marks than men in college, the SAT does not give credit to the grades achieved by women (Rosser, 1989). Critics argue that because the experiences of women students are often hugely different from their male associates, it can be anticipated that foreseers of their academic brilliance will differ from that of the men."
Abstract The paper discusses how, since the first employer-employee relationship, people have been engaging in an informal study of industrial and organizational psychology. The paper further discusses how, building on the experimental methods developed in psychology and other fields of science, industrial and organizational psychologists have developed specific research methods aimed at assessing and improving work environments. The paper shows how these research efforts have resulted in the development of aptitude tests, which industrial and organizational psychologists use to ensure that employees are in the most appropriate work environment. The paper concludes that industrial and organizational psychology has expanded beyond the application of aptitude testing, and industrial and organizational psychologists are now involved in almost every aspect of the employment process.
Outline:
Introduction
History
Basics of I/O
Tools Used by I/O Psychologists
The Application of I/O to the Workplace
Conclusion
From the Paper "Other than aptitude testing and the development of aptitude tests, it is somewhat difficult to identify the tools and methods used by I/O psychologists. This is not because there is a lack of tools or methodology, but because I/O is such a broad category. In fact, research in I/O is very similar to research in other areas of mainstream psychology. It is "based largely on positivism, using quantitative studies and the scientific method to test and disprove hypotheses, often in an experimental context." (Wikipedia, Psychology, 2005). Quantitative research methods rely on tests, rating scales, questionnaires, and physiological measures. (Ehigie and Ehigie, 2005). In addition, I/O psychologists also utilize qualitative research, which "utilizes interpretive techniques and is descriptive in nature, enabling the gathering of rich clinical information unattainable by classical experimentation." "
Abstract This paper critically analyzes psychometric testing and other assessment techniques used in the selection process. The author discusses whether assessment techniques add value to organizations by focusing on using selection techniques that are related to job description. The applicability of the selection techniques to the South African context is also mentioned.
From the Paper "Selection is "the process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position" (Carrell, Elbert, Hatfield, Grobler, Marx & van der Schyf, 1996, p.174). This process involves making a judgment about the fit between the person and the job, which is difficult because there are many subjective factors involved (Carrell et al., 1996). The selection process "hinges on which applicants have the necessary ability and the greatest motivation to be successful employees" (Carrell et al., 1996, p.178). Most importantly a selection technique must have validity and reliability. Furthermore, all applicants are to be treated equally and in conjunction with the Labor Legislation. Selection techniques include: (1) psychometric testing, of which there are various tests to use, and (2) assessment techniques, which measure behavior and potential performance, using specifically developed simulations, based on a job analysis (Spangenberg, 1991)."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed description and discussion about the SATs. The writer focuses on the expertise of Nicholas Lemann to draw comparisons and conclusions about the SAT and its place in society, colleges and class distinctions.
From the Paper "While Lemann has tried to correlate the test use growth with the attempt to bring forth women and minorities detractors say he has failed. Lemann also details the evolutionary events that lead to the test and the detractor's claim he leaps to far from point to point. While critics are quick to point out what they believe to be holes in Lemann's theory those who follow his beliefs insist they are valid. Each person has to look at the points Lemann makes and weigh it against what they believe to be the case. In this day of SAT scores being the most important factor to college acceptance it is hard to understand why detractors claim he is wrong. The college entrance system has a ranking that is heavily based on the scores a student achieves on the SATS. The SATS are achievement based, in both the verbal and the math portions. It is well known that there are areas of the nation in which students are not being given the advantages that students in other area high schools are given. Those students are usually minority groups. It is not a far leap from that already proven fact to the idea that the SAT has created an elite club with membership reserved for white middle class students only. Whether it was done on purpose is the only thing debatable and it doesn?t really matter. It needs to be fixed."
Abstract This paper examines some of the major forms of standardized testing used in the United States today and assesses them for both fairness and validity.
Contents:
Introduction;
An Overview of Testing and Some Basic Definitions;
History of Standardized Psychological Testing;
Functions of Tests and Testing;
Typology of Current Tests;
The Key to Psychological and IQ Tests: Who Interprets Them;
Conclusion: Do Any of These Tests Do What They Promise
From the Paper "The usefulness of psychological tests depends on their accuracy in predicting behavior. By providing information about the probability of a person's responses or performance, tests aid in making a variety of decisions. One of the sustained criticisms of psychological tests is how well in fact they are able to do precisely this ? predict future behavior. Many tests have the word "aptitude" in their titles to reassure us that they are in fact not simply testing the subject on how much he or she knows, what his or her mental state is at present, or what his or her experiences have been to date. And it is certainly true that to some extent tests do have a predictive value ? although of course the validity of this predictive value varies widely from test to test. But it is also true that one of the most important aspects of human nature (or the human psyche or human intelligence) is that we are capable of learning and changing. How much each one of us is capable of changing has remained a difficult aspect of human behavior to assess. And whether the particular circumstances that might cause someone to change will come about remain in the realm of crystal ball gazing (Nash 119)."
Abstract This paper discusses the book "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman. It explores the concept of emotional intelligence through a review of the psychological research dating back to the 1920s. The gap between the popular and scientific literature is examined.
From the Paper "Emotional intelligence is a concept of current interest, largely communicated to the public through Goleman's bestselling book on the subject, Emotional Intelligence. The book itself is based on psychological theories and research that date back as far as the 1920?s. To understand emotional intelligence it is necessary to consider the psychological research that supports the book.
"The concept of emotional intelligence first surfaced in the psychology literature in 1920, as what was then defined as ?social intelligence.? Thorndike described three types of intelligence: abstract intelligence; concrete intelligence; and social intelligence. Social intelligence was defined as "the ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls -- to act wisely in human relations" (Thorndike 228)."
