The test-optional movement in American college admissions emerged as a response to the challenged notion that standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, predict student success. Research has shown that the tests may be discriminatory towards students from disadvantaged racial and ethnic backgrounds. This study examined two cohorts of incoming…

This dissertation presents the details of a study that explored the experiences of "roninsei"--Japanese students who are preparing to re-attempt the university entrance examination. Though an influential population later in life, its defining educational experience has rarely been researched. The questions this study sought to answer…

This paper deals with a course of mathematics at an university in the Czech Republic. This course is for incoming students. It prepares students for math entrance exams. During the coronavirus pandemic period (2020-2021) we taught the course online. We had to solve the problem with communication with students and obtain feedback from them. For…

In considering whether to retain the GRE in graduate school admissions, admissions committees often pursue two objectives: (a) performance in graduate school (e.g., admitting individuals who will perform better in classes and research), and (b) diversity/fairness (e.g., equal selection rates between demographic groups). Drawing upon HR research…

We sought to replicate prior findings that admissions tests' underprediction of female college performance was driven in part by the omission of Big 5 personality factors from the predictive model, using 5,400 college students. We investigated gender differences in an elaborated model subdividing the Big 5 into ten aspects. We found differences at…

Post-transformational neoliberal reforms in the Czech Republic have established a competitive quasi-market, in which -- at the lower-secondary level -- academic-track schools (grammar schools or gymnasia) compete for students in the regular-track schools. These reforms have also brought a rise of shadow education (private supplementary tutoring)…

This study investigated the growth trajectory of academic achievement in Math and English among 519 students in a vocational senior high school in Taiwan. Covering the complete individual learning profile, our dataset included pre-enrollment variables, periodic test scores, and college entrance examination scores. We employed a group-based…

As testing programs transition from paper to online testing, they must study mode comparability to support the exchangeability of scores from different testing modes. To that end, a series of three mode comparability studies was conducted during the 2019-2020 academic year with examinees randomly assigned to take the ACT college admissions exam on…

The American College Test (ACT) serves as the most utilized college admissions test in the United States. With disparities existing in the scores of Black males on the ACT exam compared to their peers, it is imperative to explore how these students are perceiving and experiencing the ACT. This study explored how Black male students experience the…

In light of the current discourse around the alleged discriminatory nature of the SAT and ACT exams against underrepresented minority students, and the increase in American institutions of higher education choosing to adopt test-optional freshman admission policies, this study sought to identify weather these policies are associated with changes…

We studied ALEKS PPL placement scores, SAT scores, and entry-course grades for a population of 1659 students who placed into College Algebra or below over a span of 5 years. In addition to representing an understudied range of placement level, the study was conducted at an HBCU with majority Black/African American students, a demographic that is…

The idea of sources other than the test-takers' knowledge leading to different results on high-stakes tests was the motif based on which the present investigation was initiated on the probable sources of unreliability of a test. For this purpose, the researchers went through a thorough literature review with the aim to identify the issues to be…

Despite research studies on TESOL materials and textbooks addressing a wide range of pedagogical issues as well as evaluation strategies, reference books for examination preparation have received little attention from TESOL researchers. This study reports an attempt to develop a checklist for evaluating the reference books for the examination for…

Social and emotional (SE) skills are interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors that are important for adaptation to and successful performance across all domains of life, including education and workplace settings (Casillas et al., 2015). Family engagement affects the development of these important skills (Brooks & Lambert,…

The Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) Accessibility and Accommodations Information for Statewide Assessments is intended for school-level personnel and decision-making teams as they prepare for and implement Indiana statewide assessments. Information is provided for school personnel as a reference to inform guidance on universal features,…