College Ability Test Research Articles

Assessing the unidimensionality of the School and College Ability Test (SCAT, Spanish version) using non-parametric methods based on item response theory

The aim of this work is to analyze the dimensional structure of the Spanish version of the School and College Ability Test, employed in the process for the identification of students with high intellectual abilities. This test measures verbal and mathematical (or quantitative) abilities at three levels of difficulty: elementary (3rd, 4th, and 5th years in Primary school), intermediate (6th year in Primary school plus the 1st and 2nd years of Compulsory Secondary School or ESO), and advanced (3rd and 4th years of ESO plus the 1st and 2nd years of bachillerato – equivalent to High school). For each level there are two forms, X and Y. The research was undertaken with the results obtained from the application carried out for the validation and norming of the Spanish version of the test, and for which a representative sample of students from Navarre at these mentioned levels was taken. This study assessed the possible unidimensionality of the simplicity or the complexity of the structure of this test as an essential aspect of construct validity. To this end, the results were triangulated for the classic factorial techniques and non-parametric methods based on the item response theory.

The Center for Talented Youth Spain: an initiative to serve highly able students

This paper deals with the main aspects of the work carried out by the Center for Talented Youth Spain since its founding. The educational model applied here is based on the ‘Study of mathematically precocious youth’, developed by Julian Stanley in the early seventies and currently the inspiration behind all the centers belonging to Center for Talented Youth International. We provide data from the SCAT (‘School and college ability test’) test, validated in Spain by the first author, which is used to identify students with exceptional verbal or mathematical ability. The results obtained are analyzed in the light of theoretical models, highlighting the similarities between the results obtained and those in the USA. Moreover, we explore data on course development and student assessment of courses. Finally, we explore the future prospects for the Center and of highly able students in Spain.

School and College Ability Test (SCAT) Validation in Spain: Overview of the Process and Some Results

School and College Ability Test (SCAT) Validation in Spain: Overview of the Process and Some Results

Reliability and Validity of the D-48 with Mexican American College Students

The D-48, a nonverbal test of general intelligence, is widely used in Europe and other areas of the world, but virtually unknown in the United States. In this study, the D-48 and the School and College Ability Tests (SCAT) were administered to a sample of 250 community college students who were continuing their studies at a large state university. Of the 250 students, 145 were Mexican American and 105 were Anglo. The results indicate no significant mean differences due to ethnicity, gender, or the interaction of the two. Both internal consistency and test-retest reliability were adequate. A step-wise regression analysis indicated an R2 of .36 with grade point average (GPA), with the D-48 entering as a second variable behind the SCAT Total. Finally, scores on the D-48 correlated modestly but significantly with GPA and with SCAT scores, indicating that the D-48 may be a useful adjunct to assess the capabilities of Mexican American students.

Correlates of intelligence in computer measured aspects of prose vocabulary: word length, diversity, and rarity

Computer measured aspects of prose vocabulary as correlates of intelligence are of interest because they offer the potential of assessing intelligence in situations where more direct assessment (e.g. through IQ tests) is either impractically expensive or (as in the case of populations that lived in the past) impossible. This study assessed a word-length measure (average number of letters), two word-diversity measures (ratio of number of different to number of total words, and Yule's Characteristic K, which indicates the repeat rate for words), and a word-rarity measure (proportion of words present on a rare-words list). In the first part of the study, essays of 120 students in Grade 11 and 12 in a private American high-school for whom Cooperative School and College Ability Test (SCAT) scores (which correlate with IQ test scores) were available, were assessed in terms of the vocabulary measures. Only the word-rarity and word-length measures correlated significantly with SCAT scores, and the highest correlations were manifested by the word-rarity measure. In the study's second part, the vocabulary measures were applied to articles selected from American newspapers representing African American (119 articles), general (110 articles), and Jewish-American (109 articles) communities, among which, for whatever reasons, reliable average IQ performance differences have been found. Only the word-rarity measure discriminated in the predicted way among the three sorts of newspapers. Implications for other potential uses of the computerized word-rarity measure for assessing temporal, social, and geographic group differences in intelligence are discussed.

Identifying Academic Potential in Students from Under-represented Populations: Is Using the Ravens Progressive Matrices a Good Idea?

Increasing concern has been focused on the under-representation of African-American and Hispanic students in programs for the academically talented. The Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM) has been suggested as a possible instrument to help remedy this situation, although little research has been conducted about its viability in identifying academic potential in minority populations. A sample of low-income minority students was given the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) along with a more traditional measure of academic aptitude (The School and College Ability Test) to compare the ability of each to identify students who might profit from advanced-level coursework. There were differences among ethnic groups in results of both tests, but a significantly higher proportion of minority children scored at a high level on the RPM than on the traditional mcasure. In addition, the RPM does appear to be a useful instrument for identifying academic potential in students with limited English proficiency However, there are still issues and concerns surrounding the use of the APM as the sole instrument for selecting students to participate in special programs stressing high-level academic standards and content. The RPM appears to hold more promise as a general screening instrument, to be used in conjunction with other measures to identify students with academic potential who could profit from special programs designed to enhance their academic skills.

Piagetian Formal Operations and other Cognitive Correlates of Achievement in Computer Programming

The purpose of this study was to determine if success in writing computer programs is related to level of cognitive development, verbal ability, and mathematics reasoning. Subjects were drawn from students enrolled in beginning computer programming classes. Each subject was given the School and College Ability Test (SCAT II) test to assess mathematics and verbal levels and the Inventory of Piaget's Developmental Tasks (IPDT) to assess level of cognitive development. The instructor's final examination was used as a measure of computer programming ability. This study supports prior research showing mathematics reasoning and verbal ability were each significant predictors of success in computer programming. Level of cognitive development, as defined by Piaget, also predicts success in computer programming ability. Regression analysis showed that level of cognitive development, when combined with verbal reasoning, is linearly predictive of programming ability.

An Empirical Investigation of the Stratified Adaptive Computerized Testing Model

This study empirically investigated the validity and utility of the stratified adaptive computerized testing model (stradaptive) developed by Weiss (1973). The model presents a tailored testing strategy based upon Binet IQ measurement theory and Lord's (1972) modern test theory. Nationally normed School and College Ability Test Verbal analogy items (SCAT-V) were used to construct an item pool. Item difficulty and discrimination in dices were re-scaled to normal ogive parameters on 244 items. One hundred and two freshmen volun teers at Florida State University were randomly as signed to stradaptive or conventional test groups. Both groups were tested via cathode-ray-tube (CRT) terminals coupled to a Control Data Corporation 6500 computer. The conventional subjects took. a SCAT-V test essentially as published, while the stradaptive group took individually tailored tests using the same item pool. Results showed sig nificantly higher reliability for the stradaptive group, and equivalent validity indices between stra daptive and conventional groups. Three stradaptive testing strategies averaged 19.2, 26.5, and 31.5 items per subject as compared with 48.4 items per conventional subject. A 50% reduction from con ventional test length produced equal precision of measurement for stradaptive subjects. Item latency comparisons showed that those in the stradaptive group required significantly longer per item (about 11%) than conventional group members. It is

A Typological Approach to the Psychological Study of Chinese and Japanese American College Males1

A typology formed from scores on the School and College Ability Test, Strong Vocational Interest Blank, and the Omnibus Personality Inventory was applied to 104 Chinese and 50 Japanese American males to identify certain homogeneous subgroups and their resultant psychological characteristics. Chinese and Japanese American males tended to concentrate in certain groups and exhibit unique characteristics that seem explicable in terms of their cultural background and historical experience in America. In addition, our results seem to indicate that Asian Americans are experiencing more stress than their Caucasian counterparts.

Effects of Emphasizing Competition in Classroom-Testing Procedures

This study examined the effects of emphasizing the competitive environment in a testing situation through the use of rewards and game techniques. Mathematics sub tests from the School and College Ability Tests Series (SCAT) were administered to thirty-six fifth and sixth grade classes under one of three conditions: control, competition with reward, competition with game. Mean class performance and mean class interest were the dependent measures used in the analysis. Results indicated that neither the use of rewards nor the use of game techniques have an important effect on test performance; Ss perform equally well under regular classroom-testing procedures. However, Ss definitely preferred a testing situation in which competition is accentuated with the promise of rewards or the use of a game device; the test on S interest was significant at the .01 level. In light of these results and related studies which showed increased performance on speed tasks administered under competitive conditions, two related speculations were made and discussed: 1. the effect of competition on performance is positively related to the degree to which the task is speed vs power-oriented; 2. the effect of competition on interest is inversely related to the degree to which the task is speed vs power-oriented.

THE COMPARISON OF GPA REGRESSION EQUATIONS FOR REGULARLY ADMITTED AND DISADVANTAGED FRESHMEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

The regression equations of first semester grade point average (GPA) on high school percentile rank (HSPR) and verbal and quantitative score on the Cooperative School and College Ability Tests (SCAT) were significantly different for men and women regularly admitted freshmen and men and women freshmen admitted to the Special Educational Opportunities Program (SEOP) at the University of Illinois. HSPR and SCAT verbal scores were useful predictors of GPA for all groups. However, separate regression equations for the prediction of GPA were indicated, since there were significant differences in the regression coefficients of all of the independent variables among the four groups.

Specialized Study Skills, Developmental-Reading Instruction and Counseling

Ninety beginning freshmen at the University of Missouri-Rolla were utilized as subjects. The sample was sub-divided into three equal groups; the experimental group was composed of pre-registered students enrolled in an intensified instructional program in Study Skills and Developmental Reading and were provided specialized counseling services; one control group was composed of students that had taken part in the pre-registration program at UMR, but were not enrolled in the Study Skills and Developmental Reading instruction and were not provided specialized counseling services; and the other control group was accorded no variation in traditional method of enrollment or instruction. All three groups were matched on their obtained School and College Ability Test scores, English and Mathematics Placement Test scores, college majors and semester hours attempted. All students in these groups were above average in quantitative skills and below average in verbal skills.The experimental group met for developmental reading and study skills instruction on a bi-weekly basis for no academic credit. The study skills instruction included material dealing specifically with both study habits and study attitudes. The developmental reading sequence consisted of both machine and workbook instruction. The counseling service was provided on a voluntary basis and was initiated at the time of pre-registration. A statistically significant difference in grade point average (GPA) was discerned after the first semester of the project. While no significant differences in GPA existed after the second and third semesters of the investigation, the attrition rate was considerably lower for the experimental group than for the control groups. Highly significant gains were evidenced in reading rates with no significant loss in reading comprehension.

SCAT Series II. Cooperative School and College Ability Tests, Levels 1A-4A

SCAT Series II. Cooperative School and College Ability Tests, Levels 1A-4A

Reviews: Educational Testing Service. SCAT SERIES II. Cooperative School and College Ability Tests, Levels lA—4A. Princeton, N. J.: ETS, 1967. 54 pp. $2.00.

Reviews: Educational Testing Service. <i>SCAT SERIES II</i>. Cooperative School and College Ability Tests, Levels lA—4A. Princeton, N. J.: ETS, 1967. 54 pp. $2.00.

THE RELATIVE MAGNITUDE OF SPEED AND POWER IN SCAT

Journal of Educational MeasurementVolume 5, Issue 4 p. 327-329 THE RELATIVE MAGNITUDE OF SPEED AND POWER IN SCAT S. B. Khan, S. B. Khan The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, TorontoSearch for more papers by this author S. B. Khan, S. B. Khan The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, TorontoSearch for more papers by this author First published: December 1968 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3984.1968.tb00647.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume5, Issue4December 1968Pages 327-329 RelatedInformation

Junior High School Athletes Excel in Scholarship

Ninth grade boys from a California junior high school who were participants in interscholastic athletics were compared with non‐participants with respect to academic achievement. The athletic group tested higher on academic ability on the School and College Ability Test and earned a higher academic grade‐point average. When athletes and non‐athletes were matched on SCAT test scores, the athletic group showed higher academic achievement. The majority of boys who participated in sports for only one semester did as well as or better academically during their semester of participation than they did the other ninth grade semester. An incidental finding of the study showed that boys in general showed improved grade‐point averages in the ninth grade when compared with their eighth grade records.

A Study of College Dropouts with Respect to Academic and Personality Variables

AbstractThis Is a study of dropouts with respect to verbal scores of School and College Ability Tests and personality scores of the Gordon Personal Profile and the Gordon Personal Inventory.The sample consisted of 1,263 college freshmen. The statistical procedure used was the t-test.High academic aptitude students differed from low academic aptitude students beyond .001 level of confidence on verbal scores of the SCAT. Statistically significant evidence was found between dropouts and students who remained in college on several personality variables-trustful and tolerant, perseverant, inquiring, energetic, vigorous, calm and collected, and cautious.High academic aptitude students are more likely to remain in college than low academic aptitude students. Low academic aptitude students are more homogeneous with respect to personality variables than high academic aptitude students.

GROWTH STUDY: II

ABSTRACTNumerous studies have demonstrated that school achievement can be predicted from biographical data. This study was designed to determine whether biographical data contribute anything to the prediction beyond that provided by a battery of ability and achievement tests.The data were obtained from a continuing longitudinal study of academic growth initiated at ETS in 1960. As part of this eight‐year study, questionnaire and test data were obtained from approximately 5,000 eleventh graders in 17 U. S. public school systems. A year and a half later, test scores and academic standings were obtained for these students as seniors.The present study includes only the 1,206 boys who were graduated from academic programs and for whom complete data were available. The objective test predictors were scores for the School and College Ability Test (SCAT), the Sequential Test of Educational Progress (STEP), and a specially designed Test of General Information (TGI).The questionnaire data concerned the students' experiences during the previous year. From a unit weighting of subsets of the 169 questionnaire items, scales were created to measure variables such as Amount of Low Level TV Watching and Level of Occupational Plans.Two types of criteria were examined: (1) scores from the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and the College Board English Composition and American History tests and (2) each student's rank in his graduating class.Multiple regression analysis indicated that biographical information, used as the sole source of predictors, predicted both the objective test criteria and rank in class moderately well. When used in conjunction with objective test scores, however, the test scores accounted for practically all the variance in the criteria. Further, factor analysis indicated there were no factors which were common to the biographical variables and the criteria but not common to the objective test predictors and the criteria. Alternative interpretations and implications are discussed.

The Predictive Validity of the School College Ability Test (Scat) and the American College Test (Act) at a Liberal Arts College for Women

The Predictive Validity of the School College Ability Test (Scat) and the American College Test (Act) at a Liberal Arts College for Women

A Factor-Analytic Study of the Cooperative School and College Ability Tests and Sequential Tests of Educational Progress

THE PURPOSE of this study was to determine the nature of the factor structure of the Cooperative School and College Ability Tests (SCAT) and Se quential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP)? This investigation was prompted by inquiries concerning the level of reading mastery required to take STEP Mathematics. The outcomes of the study will hopefully clarify the factor structure and facil itate interpretation and use of these tests.