Test Preparation: Insights into Ecological Issues. ACT Research. Technical Brief

In this study, I examined several ecological factors at play when students make use of test preparation. I first looked at students' usage of test preparation and followed that with an examination of the relationship between family income and test preparation use. Finally, I examined familial support in preparing for admissions exams. Many students use test preparation to increase their chances of admissions and scholarship eligibility. Compared to students from higher income families, students from lower income families reported notably lower rates of agreement that their parents or guardians had the financial means to purchase test preparation. This manifested in the rates of using private tutors, where higher income students reported using private tutors more than lower income students. This study also showed that students' perceived levels of support from their families increases as family income increases and that minority students from traditionally underserved backgrounds perceived less support than White students. As family income increased, greater numbers of students reported that their parents made them prepare for standardized tests. Additionally, minority students reported lower rates of being made to prepare than White students. Highest parental education was positively related to both the percentage of students reporting their parent provides the support they need to prepare for admissions tests as well as students reporting that their parents made them prepare for the standardized admissions test.