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Objectives: To evaluate an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) adapted for social work in a lab course and examine the degree to which it predicts competence in the practicum. Method: 125 Masters students participated in a one-scenario OSCE and wrote responses to standardized reflection questions. OSCE performance and reflections were rated on previously standardized scales, competence in field was evaluated using the online practice-based evaluation. Results: A wide range of scores on OSCE scales indicate that differences in student competencies were captured. Correlational analyses revealed an association between OSCE scales and field final evaluations. Nevertheless, a number of students who performed poorly on the OSCE did well in the practicum. Conclusions: The OSCE method of evaluation warrants cautious optimism and requires further replication and adaptation for social work educational outcomes assessment. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

Within the field of SLA, the incidence of nativelikeness in second language (L2) speakers has typically been explained as a function of age of acquisition. An alternative interpretation, however, is that L2 learners do not attain nativelike proficiency because of first language (L1) maintenance. This interpretation has nevertheless remained mostly theoretical due to the lack of empirical evidence. This study sets out to address the role of L1 proficiency in L2 ultimate attainment by examining L1 and L2 proficiency in 30 early L1 Spanish-L2 Swedish bilinguals. Language proficiency was assessed through grammaticality judgment tests and cloze tests, and additional data on language aptitude were collected through the Swansea Language Aptitude Test (v.2.0; Meara, Milton, & Lorenzo-Dus, 2002). The results showed positive correlations between nativelike L1 and L2 behavior. Additionally, it was found that language aptitude was positively correlated with nativelike L1 and L2 performance. In view of these findings, it is suggested that (a) L1 maintenance does not hamper L2 nativelikeness and (b) language aptitude is an important factor for bilingual ultimate attainment.

In the present study, we examine the roles of 1) explicit information about language provided to learners prior to treatment and 2) aptitude (specifically grammatical sensitivity) within Processing Instruction. Forty-two learners of Spanish in their third-semester of study were divided into two groups: those who received explicit information (EI) prior to treatment (+EI) and those who did not (-EI). All participants also took the grammatical sensitivity portion of the Modern Language Aptitude Test. Treatment consisted of 50 structured input activities based on VanPatten and Cadierno (1993), in which learners heard a sentence and then indicated what they thought they heard by selecting one of two drawings. The processing problem for the treatment was the First Noun Principle and the target structure was clitic direct object pronouns with object-verb-subject (OVS) and subject-object-verb (SOV) word orders. Treatment was delivered via computer using SuperLab 4.0. Participants' responses were tracked and the measurement taken was trials-to-criterion: how long it took participants to begin processing sentences correctly. Results using ANOVA procedure revealed that EI did not make a difference: the +EI and -EI groups began processing sentences correctly at about the same point during the treatment. Results using standard "r" correlations also yielded no correlation between grammatical sensitivity and trials-to-criterion. (Contains 5 notes and 3 tables.)

This paper explores how admissions tests are used in different higher education systems around the world. This is a relatively new area of research, despite the fact that admissions processes are a key component of university practices and given the ever increasing globalisation of higher education. This paper shows that aptitude and achievement tests, for example, are used in many developed countries. In some of them, a specific test is nationally instituted and generalised; consequently, the function of the test is well embedded in the education landscape of the country. Elsewhere, tests exist but are administered in an ad hoc fashion with little consistency across the sector. This paper provides an important reference tool for national systems and individual institutions interested in examining their position within the realm of international practice in the utilisation of admissions testing for university selection.

The Modern Language Aptitude Test (Paper-and-Pencil Version, henceforth, the MLAT) measures "an individual's ability to learn a foreign language." It targets English-speaking adults (over Grade 9) who are literate. The test has only one form, which has not changed since it was first published by the Psychological Corporation in 1959. The test can be taken either in short or in long form. The long form consists of Parts I to V, requires a CD player, and takes about 70 minutes to complete. The short form consists of Parts III to V, does not require a CD player, and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Users can score the test using a hand-scoring stencil. Information about the mean scores and percentile rankings of different types of learners is available in the manual. With the deaths of the first author, Dr. John B. Carroll, in 2003, and the second author, Dr. Stanley M. Sapon, in 2010, the 53-year-old test has now lost both of its creators. Given that the single original form of the MLAT has remained unchanged since its first release in 1959, it is truly remarkable that the test is still widely used for both practical and research purposes. This review presents the test in historical perspective, bridging its past, present, and future. (Contains 1 table.)

A former whites-only South African university's journalism department employs a dual-medium language policy in which Afrikaans and English alternate in classrooms, and students may use either. Admissions processes include a test of linguistic ability (general/cultural knowledge and writing skills). Citing Bourdieu, this article disputes the validity of the test's score as an indication of a student's linguistic ability (part of his/her "cultural capital"); in fact, students' biographical profile form part of their "habitus." First, levels and composition of cultural capital of different "racial" groups of students show how the way the test determines linguistic ability structures student performances. Second, statistical findings are discussed with reference to the profile and assessments practices of department staff members. Such practical changes could improve selection of black students, but this article also suggests reconsidering the dual-medium language policy. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table and 41 notes.)

For educators seeking to differentiate instruction, cognitive ability tests sampling multiple content domains, including verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning, provide superior information about student strengths and weaknesses compared with unidimensional reasoning measures. However, these ability tests have not been fully evaluated with respect to fairness and validity for English-language learners (ELL). In particular, reliability is an important aspect of validity that has not been sufficiently evaluated. In this study, multivariate generalizability methodologies were used to explore the differential reliability of the Cognitive Abilities Test across ELL and non-ELL students in two schools with large Hispanic populations. Results suggest that verbal and quantitative reasoning skills are measured less precisely for ELL students than for non-ELL students. However, the composite score of the three batteries showed strong reliability in both groups. We conclude that multidimensional tests provide reliable information about the academic strengths of ELL and non-ELL students, though further research is needed. (Contains 6 tables, 1 figure, and 8 notes.)

The study compares the potential effects of a university admission exam model based on program-specific knowledge and an alternative model relying on general study aptitude (GSA) in the context of a strongly stratified educational system with considerable excess of demand over supply of university education. Using results of the "Sonda Maturant 1998" survey, we show that in the specific context of the Czech Republic, displaying the above characteristics in the given period, an admission exam model based on general study aptitude tests may improve the access of talented individuals with lower socioeconomic status to university education. Our simulations show that with the GSA model (provided the model assumptions are met), the relative chances of an applicant with a university-educated father would be only by one-fourth higher than the relative chances of a student with a less educated father, as compared to the more than a one-third difference in case of the model emphasizing program-specific knowledge. The odds ratio for the GSA model is by 28% points lower for mother's education.

Within the input and interaction research paradigm, how learners' individual differences play a role in using learning opportunities during interaction has become one of the main areas of investigation. Recasts have also received much attention in interaction research. This paper explores the extent to which individual differences in grammatical sensitivity (GS) are associated with noticing of recasts and learning through task-based interaction. Twenty-two English-speaking learners of Korean at the beginning and intermediate university level participated in a series of communicative tasks in native speaker (NS)-non-native speaker (NNS) dyads. This experimental study employed a pretest, immediate-posttest and delayed-posttest design. The target structure was Korean object relative clauses; the NS in-terlocutor provided the NNS participant with recasts on relative clause errors during the treatments. Immediate retrospective verbal reports were administered during the treatments to qualitatively capture noticing. The learners' GS capacities were measured by the Modern Language Aptitude Test subtest, "Words in Sentences." The results suggest that GS may have a positive relationship to noticing of recasts and that GS and learning may be related. Specifically, regarding the relationship between GS and learning outcomes, learners with higher GS had a larger gain from the pretest to the delayed posttest than those with lower GS. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

Three prominent theories of intelligence, the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC), extended fluid-crystallized (Gf-Gc) and verbal-perceptual-image rotation (VPR) theories, provide differing descriptions of the structure of intelligence (McGrew, 2009; Horn & Blankson, 2005; Johnson & Bouchard, 2005b). To compare these theories, models representing them were fit to data from Project TALENT (PT), a nationally-representative study of American high school students in 1960. Models were constructed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in two selections of the PT aptitude and achievement tests: a 37-test broad selection that included the information tests of specific knowledge, and a 22-test narrow selection that excluded them. Models were fit separately in eight samples divided based on sex and grade level. The VPR model displayed the best fit to both selections of PT data in each sample. We discuss the implications of these results within each of the three theories. (Contains 9 tables and 3 figures.)

Even when they have good language skills, many children with hearing loss lag several years behind hearing children in the ability to grasp beliefs of others. The researchers sought to determine whether this lag results from difficulty with the verbal demands of tasks or from conceptual delays. The researchers related children's performance on a nonverbal theory of mind task to their scores on verbal aptitude tests. Twelve French children (average age about 10 years) with severe to profound hearing loss and 12 French hearing children (average about 7 years) were evaluated. The children with hearing loss showed persistent difficulty with theory of mind tasks, even a nonverbal task, presenting results similar to those of hearing 6-year-olds. Also, the children with hearing loss showed a correlation between language level (lexical and morphosyntactic) and understanding of false beliefs. No such correlation was found in the hearing children. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)

Relationships between foreign language learning and four characteristics--anxiety, aptitude, attitudes and attributions for success--were investigated for 95 students enrolled in introductory level Spanish classes at a large, southeastern university in the United States. Examination grades resulted in significantly positive correlation with an aptitude measure and significantly negative correlation with luck attributions for foreign language success (p less than 0.05). Students identified as gifted tended to score higher than those with learning disabilities on exams, though not significantly higher, perhaps as a result of the small sample size and highly variable performance of the gifted students (p less than 0.05). In addition, the gifted students reported less anxiety (p less than 0.04). Females reported higher anxiety (p less than 0.001) than males though they earned (non-significantly) higher scores (than males) on exams (p greater than 0.05). Modern Language Aptitude Test Part IV and luck attributions significantly predicted exam grades within a multiple regression analysis. In a second multiple regression analysis, only effort and ability attributions significantly predicted anxiety. Results underscore the importance of understanding and addressing both cognitive and affective variables in learning a new language. (Contains 5 tables.)

The role of short-term memory and working memory in accomplished multilinguals was investigated. Twenty-eight accomplished multilinguals were compared to 36 mainstream philology students. The following instruments were used in the study: three memory subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (Digit Span, Digit-Symbol Coding, and Arithmetic, which constitute a memory and resistance to distraction index); two short-term memory tests of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (Part I [Number Learning] and Part V [Paired Associates]); and the verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ), the nonverbal IQ, the general IQ, and a working memory test, the Polish Reading Span (PRSPAN). The results of the accomplished multilinguals were compared to the results of 1st-year English philology students (mainstream). The analysis revealed that short-term memory and working memory abilities in the accomplished multilinguals were higher than in the mainstream philology students. Results might contribute to the understanding of the controversial role of working memory and short-term memory abilities in accomplished multilinguals. A suggestion that the two components of working memory (the phonological loop and the central executive) are significant factors in determining the outcome of learning a foreign language is discussed. (Contains 2 notes, 4 tables and 6 figures.)

In this study, we examine explicit information and aptitude within processing instruction. Forty-six learners of German in their third semester of study were divided into two groups: those who received explicit information prior to treatment (+EI) and those who did not (-EI). Participants also took the grammatical sensitivity portion of the Modern Language Aptitude Test. Treatment consisted of structured input activities in which learners heard a sentence and indicated comprehension by selecting between two drawings. The processing problem was the First-Noun Principle, and the target structure was nominative-accusative case marking on masculine nouns in object-verb-subject and subject-verb-object sentences. Treatment was delivered via computer (SuperLab 4.0). The measurement taken was trials to criterion: how long it took participants to begin processing sentences correctly. Results revealed that the +EI group began processing sentences correctly before the -EI group. As for aptitude, grammatical sensitivity correlated weakly with the scores in the +EI group, but not in the -EI group. (Contains 3 tables and 3 notes.)

We examined whether the General Factor of Personality (GFP) is related to the "g" factor of cognitive ability using data from the Vietnam Experience Study which randomly sampled 4462 Vietnam War veterans from a total sample of about five million Vietnam era army veterans. Exclusionary criteria included passing a fitness test, achieving a final rank of no higher than sergeant, and scoring above the 10th percentile on a pre-induction general aptitude test, but otherwise the sample is broadly representative of the U.S. male population for the period 1965-1971. A hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and 15 cognitive ability tests yielded three first-order factors from the MMPI (Somatization, Internalization, and Externalization), and four first-order factors from the cognitive ability tests (Memory, Dexterity, Crystallized, and Fluid intelligence). At the apex of both measures was a general factor and we were able to fit a model which integrated both structures. This model provided a close fit to the data (chi[superscript 2] = 3114.1, df = 235, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.047, NNFI = 0.97), and provided an estimate of -0.23 for the correlation between "g" and the GFP(Abnormal), that is, the higher the "g" score the higher the score on the GFP. One possible reason for the low correlation is restriction of range in the sample. Another is that intelligence and personality are to a degree mutually exclusive strategies, the first aimed at generating resources and the second at maximizing one's share of resources. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

University admissions tests should predict an applicant's ability to succeed in college, but how should this success be defined and measured? The status quo has been to use 1st-year grade point average (FYGPA) as the key indicator of college success, but a review of documents such as university mission statements reveals that universities expect students to develop a broad range of skills that are not always fully captured by FYGPA. In this article, evidence related to college and university documents are reviewed and analyzed for common links with regard to the essential capabilities these institutions purport to seek and to develop in their students. A conceptual model outlining what outcomes admissions tests ought to predict is then presented and discussed. Finally, the article considers whether admissions testing ought to be based on an applicant's aptitude, ability, or achievement in the essential skill areas that most universities aim to develop in their students. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This article outlines shortcomings of currently used university admissions tests and discusses ways in which they could potentially be improved, summarizing two projects designed to enhance college and university admissions. The projects were inspired by the augmented theory of successful intelligence, according to which successful intelligence involves creative, analytical, practical, and wisdom-based skills. In the Rainbow Project, we found that, through our measures, prediction of 1st-year students' university grade point average was substantially increased over that provided by SAT and high school grade point average; ethnic-group differences, relative to SAT, were simultaneously reduced. In the Kaleidoscope Project, we found that students admitted for the set of expanded skills performed as well as or better than did other students, without the ethnic-group differences typically obtained in such measures. Enhanced prediction of active-citizenship and leadership activities was also demonstrated through these measures.

This study investigates the processes through which achievement motivation guides the selection of coping strategies which in turn affects environmental mastery post-failure feedback. Seventy-six college students received failure feedback after completing a professional aptitude test. Findings showed that gender moderated the relationship between Hope of Success (HS) and planful problem-solving coping but not between HS and escape-avoidance coping. No moderated mediation was found when HS was used to predict environmental mastery with gender as the moderator and either planful problem-solving or escape-avoidance coping as the mediator. Simple mediation analyses showed that planful problem-solving did not mediate the relationship between HS and environmental mastery. Instead, higher scores on HS predicted lower use of escape-avoidance coping which in turn predicted higher environmental mastery. Implications for the role of feedback in educational settings are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

Much has been written about the need for student involvement to build a sense of belonging on college campuses. However, when it comes to membership in Greek social organizations, such involvement has been largely cast as negative. Unlike many of the anecdotal articles critical of the influence joining a Greek social organization can have on student success in college, this article offers the largest study ever conducted on the impact of Greek membership on the academic performance of first-year students, involving more than 45,000 student records from 17 different institutions. This study provides information regarding grades, credit hours earned, and retention. The findings offer not only a collective view in judging the efficacy of maintaining Greek life on our college campuses, but encourage individual institutions to use the methodology to inform policy at the institutional level. (Contains 5 tables.)

College student retention and performance in higher education are important issues for educational institutions, educators, and students. The purpose of this study was to determine if student needs for achievement, affiliation, autonomy, and dominance measured by the Needs Assessment Questionnaire (Heckert et al., 2000) could predict academic performance and retention beyond traditional measures (high school grade point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores) to predict college student academic performance and retention. After controlling for demographics, high school grade point average, and SAT scores, students' needs for achievement and autonomy at the start of college significantly predicted cumulative GPA at the end of their first year. Students' high school grade point average, SAT scores, or motivation did not predict retention after 1 year. Study implications are discussed with a focus on improving the prediction of positive college student outcomes. (Contains 4 tables.)

Universities have long used standardized American College Tests (ACT), Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT), and high school Grade Point Averages (HS GPA) for academic admission requirements. The current study of 127 minority college students in a Historically Black University in South Texas assesses an alternative measure, the Non-Cognitive Questionnaire developed by William Sedlacek. It is also important to test the validity of these standards for graduation success. As part of the process for residence hall placement at the Historically Black University, each participant completed a Non-Cognitive Questionnaire (NCQ) (Schauer, 2007). Preliminary indications provide neither a clear cut distinction nor a strong probability of success based on ACT or SAT scores among minority college students. High school GPA appears to be the best predictor of college graduation success among academic admission requirements in a Historically Black University. The NCQ appears to be a weak predictive tool in the success rates of minority students in the current study. Further study is required in the child developmental years of educational training.

This study investigated the direct and indirect relationships between participating in a learning community, student engagement, and self-reported learning outcomes. Using a sample of 241 freshmen at a single urban research university who took the "College Student Experiences Questionnaire," the results indicate that after controlling for demographic characteristics and entering composite ACT score, the relationship between learning community participation and learning outcomes are mediated by students' levels of engagement. Learning community participation was not directly related to educational gains but was indirectly related to educational gains through student engagement. Student engagement in turn was strongly related to educational gains.

One hundred and fifty-nine Grade 11 prospective disadvantaged students in the natural sciences at the University of Pretoria completed the Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics and the Senior Aptitude Test (Advanced). Fifty-nine male students (M age = 16.05; SD = 0.57) and 100 females (M age = 16.02; SD = 0.512) scored significantly differently on three subtests, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Calculations, Spatial Visualization and in Grade 11 mathematics. Stepwise linear regression showed a combination of subtests of the Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics and the Senior Aptitude Test (Advanced) contributed significantly (R[superscript 2] = 15.7% and 20.8% respectively) towards predicting the Grade 11 mathematics and physical sciences marks of prospective students. (Contains 2 notes and 6 tables.)

This study tests a process model of learning in which trainer and trainee traits are simultaneously considered as endogenous variables of learning outcomes. The article builds on a social view of training and similarity-attraction paradigms. In this context, the authors hypothesize that trainer-trainee similarity in personality (agreeableness) engenders social reactions that influence how much trainees learn. To test the study hypotheses, undergraduate students (N = 194) participated in a training program during an academic semester. Results from structural-equation modeling indicate that similarity in personality acted on trainees' emotional states, which, in turn, accounted for trainees' posttraining declarative knowledge. With the use of hierarchical regression procedures, results indicated that personality similarity explained incremental variance of posttraining declarative knowledge beyond modal learning correlates (e.g., cognitive abilities, conscientiousness). The results provide evidence of a social view of training in which combined attributes of dyads (trainer-trainee) account for learning results that the extant literature primarily relates to individual-level variables (e.g., cognitive abilities). The discussion section addresses theoretical implications of the findings, with special emphasis on compositional approaches of personality. From an applied perspective, the authors discuss why corporate trainers should consider the role of their personality in training, and they also make suggestions for weighting the effect of personality similarity when evaluating training results. In this study, the authors center their attention on the trainer-trainee (T-T) dyad. Specifically, they explore how social reactions emerging from T-T's contacts impact trainees' learning processes. The notion that training is a social event suggests that interpersonal reactions (e.g., affiliation, rejection) may be operating in training. However, little is known about how trainees socially respond to trainers and, ultimately, how these responses may influence learning. The authors rely on similarity-attraction theory to hypothesize social reactions in training. Because individuals prefer to relate socially with those they perceive as similar, T-T's similarity (or lack thereof) can modify trainees' states in training, potentially altering learning outcomes. This article describes a process model that depicts the hypothetical paths connecting T-T's similarity to learning outcomes. The authors review interpersonal attraction theory with the goal of laying the theoretical foundations for the hypothesized model. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

The Major Field Test in Business (MFT-B) is a widely used end-of-program assessment tool; however, several challenges arise when using the test in this capacity. Changing student demographics and the lack of a statistical framework are two of the most vexing issues confronting educators when using the MFT-B for programmatic assessment. The authors extended the literature by developing an analytical framework that controls for student demographics and provides statistically valid evidence of outcomes assessment. Application of the model to a sample data set revealed that the model fit well (R[superscript 2] = 0.517) and provides a valid framework for the exploration of outcomes assessment. (Contains 5 tables.)

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience for Youth (1997 cohort) are used to examine the urban school achievement gap. Specifically, we use the Blinder-Oaxaca technique to decompose differences in Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores for students who attended urban and suburban schools. We find that approximately 75% of the gap in this achievement measure is explained by the high concentration of disadvantaged students in urban schools. Broken down further, 36% of the gap can be attributed to differences in family background. The lower income of urban families alone explains 25% of the gap. Differences in measures of school quality, such as small classes, large schools, and private school attendance, explain very little of the gap. While current policy focuses on schools and school reform, our results are a reminder that meaningful efforts to improve performance in urban schools must address socioeconomic conditions in urban areas. (Contains 5 tables and 3 notes.)

While language aptitude has been investigated actively within second language research, there is a current dearth of research on the effects of aptitude in cases of attrition. The aim of the present investigation was to explore the role of language aptitude for L1 proficiency in speakers who experienced a break with their L1 setting prior to puberty. Twenty-five L1 Spanish-L2 Swedish bilinguals residing in Sweden participated in the study, and 15 native speakers of Spanish living in Chile were recruited as controls. The L1 proficiency was measured by means of a grammaticality judgement test (GJT) and language aptitude data were obtained through the "Swansea Language Aptitude Test" (Meara et al. 2003). Results showed a positive correlation between GJT performance and language aptitude. More specifically, the bilinguals with above-average aptitude were more likely to score within the native range on the GJT than those with below-average aptitude. It was also seen that among the participants with below-average aptitude, GJT scores were related to daily L1 use. In view of these findings, we suggest that language aptitude has a compensatory function in language attrition, helping the attriter to retain a high level of L1 proficiency despite reduced L1 contact.

In an effort to understand better how and why accuracy in speaking develops during study abroad, a group of 16 U.S. students of Spanish as a second language were followed during their 6-week program in Argentina. They were interviewed in Spanish at the beginning and the end of their stay, each time followed by a stimulated recall session. They were also given a questionnaire on their views about language learning and observed in a wide variety of social contexts. The data collected this way, along with a written proficiency test and an aptitude test, both given at the beginning of their program, along with students' comments on their classroom experiences in the United States, paint a picture of students who are motivated and eager to practice and who hope to improve their speaking proficiency dramatically, but who quickly feel that they are stalled and lose their motivation as a result. The explanation that emerges from both the quantitative and the qualitative data is that the students' shaky grammar knowledge and their virtually total lack of proceduralized knowledge made it impossible to make much progress automatizing their knowledge; even speaking accurately without trying to be fluent was largely impossible, even for rather basic structures, and even at the end of the 6 weeks abroad. It appears that the promise of study abroad remains unfulfilled without adequate preparation in the form of proceduralized or at least declarative knowledge of the second language grammar. (Contains 4 notes.)

Usually, methods for detection of differential item functioning (DIF) compare the functioning of items across manifest groups. However, the manifest groups with respect to which the items function differentially may not necessarily coincide with the true source of the bias. It is expected that DIF detection under a model that includes a latent DIF variable is more sensitive to this source of bias. In a simulation study, it is shown that a mixture item response theory model, which includes a latent grouping variable, performs better in identifying DIF items than DIF detection methods using manifest variables only. The difference between manifest and latent DIF detection increases as the correlation between the manifest variable and the true source of the DIF becomes smaller. Different sample sizes, relative group sizes, and significance levels are studied. Finally, an empirical example demonstrates the detection of heterogeneity in a minority sample using a latent grouping variable. Manifest and latent DIF detection methods are applied to a Vocabulary test of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). (Contains 8 tables and 1 figure.)

The present study aims to describe the extent and forms (integrated versus segregated) of special education support offered to pupils in comprehensive schools in Sweden over a period of 29 years and to study relations between support, background variables and goal attainment in Grade 9. The study is based on about 35,000 children born in 1972, 1977, 1982, and 1987, participating in the ongoing longitudinal project "Evaluation Through Follow-Up". The findings reveal that boys and pupils from lower educational home-backgrounds and with non-Swedish backgrounds are over-represented among the groups that have received special education support. The findings also suggest that pupils who have received support, in general, tend to achieve educational goals in core curriculum subjects to a lesser extent than those who have never had any kind of support. (Contains 9 tables and 3 figures.)

Admissions committees and researchers around the globe have used diligence and imagination to develop and implement various screening measures with the ultimate goal of predicting future clinical and professional performance. What works for predicting future job performance in the human resources world and in most of the academic world may not, however, work for the highly competitive world of medical school applicants. For the job of differentiating within the highly range-restricted pool of medical school aspirants, only the most reliable assessment tools need apply. The tools that have generally shown predictive validity in future performance include academic scores like grade point average, aptitude tests like the Medical College Admissions Test, and non-cognitive testing like the multiple mini-interview. The list of assessment tools that have not robustly met that mark is longer, including personal interview, personal statement, letters of reference, personality testing, emotional intelligence and (so far) situational judgment tests. When seen purely from the standpoint of predictive validity, the trends over time towards success or failure of these measures provide insight into future tool development.

Fifty-four students were followed over 10 years beginning in first grade to determine best predictors of oral and written second language (L2) proficiency. Predictor variables included measures of first language (L1) skill administered in first through fifth grades, L1 academic aptitude, L2 aptitude (Modern Language Aptitude Test), and L2 affect (motivation, anxiety). All participants completed 2 years of L2 study in high school. Findings revealed strong correlations between early L1 skills and later L2 proficiency, but the Modern Language Aptitude Test was the best predictor of overall L2 proficiency and most L2 proficiency subtests. However, L1 word decoding was the best predictor of L2 word decoding skills. Early L1 skills, L2 motivation, or L2 anxiety added a small amount of variance to the prediction models. Findings suggested that language-related variables are the most robust predictors of L2 proficiency. Results are discussed in the context of long-term cross linguistic transfer of early L1 skills to later L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency.

This article examines the cause of school type effects upon gaining a first class degree at Oxford University, whereby for a given level of secondary school performance, private school students perform less well at degree level. We compare the predictive power of an aptitude test and secondary school grades (GCSEs) for final examination performance, using data from the Oxford Admissions Study. Both metrics are predictive of final degree performance but the school effects are only statistically robust for arts students. Private school students perform less well in final examinations relative to their GCSE results when compared with state school students, but they do not under perform relative to their aptitude test scores or in gross terms. It is therefore argued that teaching effects, associated with private school students, distort secondary school grades as an indicator of academic potential in higher education when compared to state school students. (Contains 6 tables, 6 figures and 4 notes.)

Medicine is a profession with a long history of research and high standards of methodological rigour and evidence-based decision making. These standards are being transferred into medical education. Universities are starting to collect high-quality data on their admissions systems. This has not been a short-term proposition. Medical courses are long and the ultimate aim is to produce effective members of the profession rather than effective medical students, although one must precede the other. Deciding whether selection processes have "worked" is not a question which can be answered quickly. In the past, selection was based on academic merit and, in some cases, a relatively unstructured and informal entry interview. In the last ten years this situation has changed. The reasons for these changes, the nature of the procedures currently employed and the consequences of the changes are explored in this study. Methods of selection of students into the undergraduate medical course at The University of Western Australia (UWA) and the contextual issues surrounding this serve as a case study of modern practice in this complex and often controversial area. This case study develops in detail the issues which precipitated change at UWA, the response of the university to these issues and the methods which were employed to implement change. Non-Australian Universities--An Overview of Selection Processes is appended. An appendix contains a brief description of the selection processes used in the medical schools in the universities of Cambridge (UK), McMaster (Canada), Manchester (UK), Otago (NZ), Harvard (USA) and Auckland (NZ), and some general comments about them. [This issue is devoted to a modified and updated doctoral study on new ways of selecting students for medical school.]

In this article, the author describes the growth and acceptance of achievement tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), over the past century, advocating that many SAT claims of equity, uniformity, technical reliability, and prediction, over traditional measures of academic achievement have been found to be illusory. Summarizing a series of research studies at the University of California, the author presents evidence that the SAT is in fact a relatively poor predictor of success in college. The author contends that the best way to evaluate applicants is based on grades in college preparatory courses in high school. (Contains 8 resources.)

Examinees who take high-stakes assessments are usually given an opportunity to repeat the test if they are unsuccessful on their initial attempt. To prevent examinees from obtaining unfair score increases by memorizing the content of specific test items, testing agencies usually assign a different test form to repeat examinees. The use of multiple forms is expensive and can present psychometric challenges, particularly for low-volume credentialing programs; thus, it is important to determine if unwarranted score gains actually occur. Prior studies provide strong evidence that the same-form advantage is pronounced for aptitude tests. However, the sparse research within the context of achievement and credentialing testing suggests that the same-form advantage is minimal. For the present experiment, 541 examinees who failed a national certification test were randomly assigned to receive either the same test or a different (parallel) test on their second attempt. Although the same-form group had shorter response times on the second administration, score gains for the two groups were indistinguishable. We discuss factors that may limit the generalizability of these findings to other assessment contexts.

The College Boards started as achievement tests designed to measure students' mastery of college preparatory subjects. Admissions testing has significantly changed since then with the introduction of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Lindquist's creation of the ACT, renewed interest in subject-specific assessments, and current efforts to adapt K-12 standards-based tests for use in college admissions. We have come full circle to a renewed appreciation for the value of achievement tests. Curriculum-based achievement tests are more valid indicators of college readiness than other tests and have important incentive or signaling effects for K-12 schools as well: They help reinforce a rigorous academic curriculum and create better alignment of teaching, learning, and assessment along the pathway from high school to college. (Contains 17 notes.)

Introduction: Premature withdrawal from university due to academic failure can present problems for students, families and educators. In an effort to widen the understanding regarding factors predicting academic success in higher institutions, prior academic achievement measures (preparatory school grade average point (GPA), aptitude test scores, and university entrance exam scores) and psychological variables (achievement motivation and academic self-efficacy) were examined to predict first year university students' GPA. Method: Prior academic achievement records of 3301 first year university students were obtained from archival sources. From these, 214 students also filled in a self-report that gathered information concerning psychological variables. The data were analyzed using standard multiple regression analysis in order to explain the degree to which the GPA scores of first year university students were predicted from their prior academic achievements and psychological behaviors. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to identify relatively the most important predictors of university GPA. Results: The result revealed that prior academic achievement measures and psychological variables in combination accounted for 17% of the variance in students' university GPA scores. The sole contribution of psychological variables was 4%. Relatively a higher percentage of variance accounted for was found for females (34%) than males (15%). Further, preparatory school GPA was found to be the only independent significant predictor of university GPA for both sexes. Conclusion: The results of this study support the conclusion that students' pre-college academic performances are strong predictors of GPA at university level. The effects of psychological variables on university GPA are also not negligible. Based on the findings of the study, practical implications for student support services and admissions at university and implications for research are presented. (Contains 4 tables.)