English Test Scores Research Articles

The Impact of Charter School Competition on Student Achievement of Traditional Public Schools after 25 Years: Evidence from National District-level Panel Data

ABSTRACT Most studies have focused on whether charter schools perform better than TPS. However, for the vast majority of students who remain in TPS, a more relevant question is whether charter schools have a positive or negative impact on their schools. This study uses national, district-level panel data to examine how charter school prevalence influences the academic performance of students from the same-district TPS. Our primary data source is the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA). The SEDA provides the average English and mathematics test scores for all US districts between 2009 and 2015. We assess the role of charter school penetration on TPS students’ performance in recent years, using various measures of charter school prevalence. Employing the district fixed effects model exploiting within-district variation, we find a small but negative association between charter school prevalence and both math and English achievement. Based on our findings, it seems premature to emphasize the virtue of competition charter schools bring to public education, and allocating more resources into charter schools should be undertaken with great caution.

Teachers’ Monitoring and Schools’ Performance: Evidence from Public Schools in Pakistan

This paper evaluates the impact of an innovative monitoring system on teacher attendance and school performance in Pakistan. In 2014, the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province introduced the Independent Monitoring Project aiming at increasing teacher attendance in primary and secondary public schools by distributing to the government-hired monitors smart phones with a special data collection software installed. Our analysis is based on a difference-in-differences approach using the country wide Annual Status of Education Report from 2012 to 2016. Our findings suggest that monitoring of government schools has increased teacher attendance by 7.5 percentage points in the first year of intervention. But the positive effect wears off to 2.7 percentage points in the second year. Child attendance and test scores also increased in the first year, but in the second year they disappeared. Especially, in the first year, the monitoring system improved students’ math, reading, and English test scores by 0.13, 0.14, and 0.15 standard deviation, respectively, if they are grades 1-5. This result suggests that teacher attendance has an important role in delivering better student outcomes, but that monitoring should be coupled with appropriate incentive mechanism in order to have a lasting impact.

Personal Belief Exemptions for School-Entry Vaccinations, Vaccination Rates, and Academic Achievement

Nonmedical exemptions from school-entry vaccine mandates are receiving increased policy and public health scrutiny. This paper examines how expanding the availability of exemptions influences vaccination rates in early childhood and academic achievement in middle school. We leverage 2003 legislation that granted personal belief exemptions (PBE) in Texas and Arkansas, two states the previously allowed exemptions only for medical or religious regions. We find that PBE decreased vaccination coverage among black and low-income preschoolers by 16.1% and 8.3%, respectively. Furthermore, we find that those cohorts affected by the policy change in early childhood performed less well on standardized tests of academic achievement in middle school. Estimated effects on mathematics and English Language Arts test scores were largest for black students, especially those residing in economically disadvantaged counties.

Intricate Relations of Motivation, Demotivation, and Context in Korean High School Students’ EFL Learning

This study investigates Korean high school students’ English learning motivation and demotivation in relation to the features of the national context, focusing on how the intricate relations between them affect their achievement in learning English. A total of 753 students, either in Grade 10 or 11, participated in a questionnaire survey including five motivating factors (Competitive Motivation, College Admission Motivation, Intrinsic Motivation, the Ought-to L2 Self, and the Ideal L2 Self) and five demotivating factors (Dissatisfaction with Learning Environment, Feeling of Falling Behind, Interference from Others, Unsatisfactory Learning Methods, and Lack of Sense of Purpose). Additionally, as a criterion measure, self-reported English proficiency was measured by their latest English test scores in school based on the 100-point system. The results indicated that the students perceived College Admission Motivation to be the strongest motivator, followed by Competitive Motivation. Feeling of Falling Behind and Unsatisfactory Learning Methods were proved to be the most prominent factors affecting the students’ EFL learning in a destructive way. As for the relationships between motivating and demotivating factors, College Admission Motivation, Competitive Motivation, and the Ought-to L2 Self exhibited positive relations with one of the five demotivating factors, while the Ideal L2 Self and Intrinsic Motivation showed negative ones. Finally, among ten variables for motivation and demotivation, Intrinsic Motivation, the Ideal L2 Self, Dissatisfaction with Learning Environment, College Admission Motivation, and Feeling of Falling Behind were identified to be significant predictors for English achievement.

Associations between Food Group Intake, Cognition, and Academic Achievement in Elementary Schoolchildren.

Nutrition plays an important role in proper physical and cognitive functioning. However, there is limited evidence on the relationship between overall diet, cognition, and academic success in children, particularly among low-income and diverse groups. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between healthful versus less healthful food group intake, cognitive performance, and academic achievement in a diverse sample of schoolchildren. 868 urban schoolchildren (age 8 to 10 years) participated in the study. Intake of healthful (fruits, vegetables, unsweetened beverages) and less healthful (sweet and salty snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages) food groups was determined via a food frequency questionnaire. Digit Span and Stroop test scores were used to assess cognitive performance. Academic achievement was assessed via standardized test scores. Multiple Poisson and multiple linear regression were used to test the associations between diet and cognitive scores. Multiple ordered logistic regression was used to assess the associations between diet and academic achievement. Potential confounders (age, sex, body mass index (BMI) z-score, race/ethnicity, English language learner status, individualized education plan enrollment, physical activity, and parent education level) were tested for inclusion in all models. The sample included 868 children (56.7% girls; 33.2% non-Hispanic white, 26.2% Hispanic, 17.1% multiracial/other, 8.3% non-Hispanic black; 40.5% overweight/obese). The most frequently consumed foods were fruits and sweet snacks (1.9 and 1.6 servings per day, respectively). There were no statistically significant associations between diet and cognitive test scores. Greater intake of less healthful food groups (sweet snacks, salty snacks, and sweetened beverages) was associated with lower math (OR = 0.91, CI [0.84, 0.98], p = 0.014) and English standardized test scores (OR = 0.87, CI [0.80, 0.94, p = 0.001). Greater intake of sweet snacks and fruits was associated with lower English scores (OR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.59, 0.88] p = 0.001; and OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.72, 0.94] p = 0.003, respectively). Consumption of less healthful food groups was associated with poorer academic achievement. Further research may shed light on unexpected associations between fruit consumption and achievement. Policies targeting multiple dietary components may positively influence child academic achievement and development.

The effect of online exchanges via Skype on EFL learners’ achievements

<p>This study examined whether direct communication with people from other countries using Skype or Line would affect students’ English test scores in listening and reading as well as the development of their curiosity concerning foreign cultures by comparing the data of an experimental group with that of a control group. The former group conducted online exchanges with foreign students, while the latter group did not. As many Japanese companies engaged in international business require high scores in the TOEIC test, which is one of the multiple-choice English tests of listening and reading often used to show each person’s English proficiency, universities in Japan are making efforts to improve their students’ scores in such an English test. Preparation classes for English tests have been offered. However, students have been likely to lose interest in learning English in the circumstances of this learning style. Results of the study indicated that although the aim of exchange activities is to foster students’ curiosity concerning intercultural matters, students experiencing online exchange with skype significantly raised their scores in TOEIC tests in listening and reading after a programme of synchronous exchanges with foreign students, compared with ones who did not experience such online exchanges.</p>

Experimental results from a four-year targeted education voucher program in the slums of Delhi, India

Abstract We present experimental evidence from a school choice program carried out in a 20-square kilometer, highly urbanized slum area known as Shahdara, which is situated in East Delhi, India. The lottery-based allocation of vouchers allows us to structure an impact evaluation as a randomized controlled trial. We conduct an Intent-to-Treat (ITT) analysis of the impact of the offer of a voucher as well as a Treatment-on-Treated (TOT) analysis of the impact of using a voucher, employing the lottery results as an instrumental variable. Four years after random assignment, we find large positive impacts of voucher use on student test scores in English (0.31σ, p

Associations Between Dietary Intake Patterns, Cognition and Academic Achievement in 3rd and 4th Grade Children from the Fueling Learning Through Exercise Study (P04-096-19)

ObjectivesEvidence on associations between dietary patterns and academic outcomes is limited. This study examined relationships between dietary pattern, cognitive performance and academic achievement in a diverse sample of children. MethodsReported intake of food groups [fruits, vegetables, sweet and salty snacks, sugar-sweetened and unsweetened beverages], dietary patterns (healthful and unhealthful), cognitive measures (Digit Span and Stroop test) and academic achievement (standardized test scores) were obtained from 3rd and 4th grade urban schoolchildren. Multiple Poisson and multiple linear regression were used to test associations between cognitive scores and diet. Multiple ordered logistic regression was used to assess associations between academic achievement and diet. Potential confounders (age, sex, BMI z-score, race/ethnicity, English language learner status, individualized education plan enrollment, physical activity and parent education level) were included in all models. ResultsThe sample included 868 children (56.7% girls; 33.2% Non-Hispanic white, 26.2% Hispanic, 17.1% multiracial/other, 8.3% Non-Hispanic black; 40.5% overweight/obese). The most frequently consumed foods were fruits and sweet snacks (1.9 and 1.6 servings per day, respectively). There were no statistically significant associations between diet and cognitive test scores. Greater intake of unhealthful food groups (sweet snacks, salty snacks and sweetened beverages) was associated with lower math (OR = 0.91, CI [0.84, 0.98], P = 0.014) and English standardized test scores (OR = 0.87, CI [0.80, 0.94, P = 0.001). Greater intake of sweet snacks and fruits was associated with lower English scores (OR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.59, 0.88] P = 0.001; and OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.72, 0.94] P = 0.003, respectively). ConclusionsUnhealthful dietary patterns were associated with poorer academic achievement. Further research can shed light on unexpected associations between fruit consumption and achievement. Policies targeting multiple dietary components may positively influence child academic achievement and development. Funding SourcesEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health and the Boston Foundation. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs▪▪▪

Penerapan Multimetode Berbasis Matriks Pada Seleksi Penerimaan Calon Asisten Labor

AbstractThe survey was conducted in the Computer Laboratory of Information System of STMIK Indonesia of Padang. The Head of Laboratory determined some criteria in selecting of acceptance of labor assistant candidate. These criteria were the Candidate Application Form (FPC), the Competitive Achievement Index (GPA), the test score, the English test score, and the interview results. The head of the laboratory performed the process of calculating the criteria value by summing the value of each criterion in deciding who was accepted as a labor assistant. Who has the highest number of criteria, then he/she was selected as a laboratory assistant. This allows occurring the less ideal decision because of the basis of decision-making based on calculations not using special calculation method yet to decision making. Therefore, the researcher performed the process of calculating of the criteria value by using a matrix-based calculation method that was Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results of this study are expected to assist the Head of Labor in deciding the laboratory assistant based on the standard calculation as decision making. Keyword: SAW, AHP, Labor Assistant Candidate

Reflections of L1 reading comprehension skills in university academic grades for an undergraduate translation programme

ABSTRACTConcerns about poor L1 reading skills in undergraduate students have been expressed in several contexts. These skills form a basis for building robust L2 reading comprehension skills, vital for translators. This study, which is part of a larger organization-based action research study to improve L1 reading levels, aimed to explore how L1 reading comprehension skills were reflected and predicted the overall academic performance of students on a South American undergraduate translator training programme using regression modelling. Seventy-nine students from second, third and fourth year of the programme were recruited for this study. They were asked to take a standardized Spanish reading comprehension test measuring word-level comprehension, sentence-level comprehension and text-level comprehension. Also, participants’ final grades for all completed courses were obtained, as well as students’ scores in a pre-entry English test providing a baseline level L2 knowledge prior to being formally trained on English. The results showed that students’ overall grades were predicted by and correlated with lower order sentence-level reading skills, rather than higher-order text-level skills, which was found to be of some concern inasmuch as the translation process demands reading skills that go well beyond the sentence boundary. Given the impact that evaluation can have on student learning, and that the connection between reading comprehension and academic results on translation programs does not appear to have been considered in the literature previously, the study may highlight a need for other institutions wishing to improve L1 reading skills to similarly examine their summative evaluation practices.

The politics of developing global human resources in Japan

ABSTRACTJapan has made developing global human resources (gurobaru jinzai ikusei) a national priority. The government has invested billions of yen annually to double the number of Japanese students studying overseas, double the number of globally competitive Japanese universities, and improve Japanese students’ English test scores. A broad, conservative ‘globalist coalition’ supported these reforms, including the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party Japan, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, and big business. Education specialists – government vice ministers and business association committee chairmen – created ‘contrived consensus’ through a series of advisory council deliberations. All globalist coalition members benefitted from reforms to develop global human resources, especially big business. Political progressives, including teachers’ unions and university professors, were not included in the policy-making process and benefitted little from the reforms.

The Impact of Mobile Language Learning (WhatsApp) on EFL Context: Outcomes and Perceptions

Seeking to identify the impact of mobile language learning (WhatsApp) on the achievements of EFL learners, a quasi-experimental design study was applied at Al-Baha University in Saudi Arabia. This study examines the impact of mobile language learning in enhancing EFL students’ English skills ability when learning English as a foreign language context. 
 
 Particularly, the study intends to investigate the impact of mobile language learning (WhatsApp) in comparison to traditional learning in learning English skills on the achievement of EFL learners. Thus, the participants in this study included 48 male learners, aged 18–22 years, preparatory year at Al-Baha University.
 
 The results highlighted that there are significant differences between the mean scores of the EFL learners who were taught English in the Mobile language learning (WhatsApp), and those who were taught English by using the traditional learning (the control group) in the post-test. This difference was in favour of the experimental group. However, the findings revealed that are not statistically significant differences between the EFL learners in the experimental classes and the students in the control groups in their English achievement test score at the pre-test.
 
 Furthermore, the results of this research revealed that most EFL learners claimed that they were enthusiastic to join English lessons through WhatsApp groups and expressed the belief that working in a WhatsApp group can boost their motivation and their academic results. Also, most EFL learners highlighted that using mobile language learning method (WhatsApp) enabled them to increase their social skills, confidence, while helping them to create positive relationships with their colleagues and the teacher.
 
 However, there were some obstacles and barriers to join WhatsApp learning groups, such as lack of access to the internet and lack of tendency to share and participate in the WhatsApp group.

Expanding School Resources and Increasing Time on Task: Effects on Students’ Academic and Noncognitive Outcomes

Abstract This paper uses a natural experiment in Israel to assess the impact of school teaching resources and how it is used, “time-on-task”, on academic achievements and noncognitive outcomes. It exploits variation induced by a change in the funding formula that reduced instructional resources funding for some schools and increased them for others. The results suggest that increased school resources and students’ spending more time at school and on key tasks all lead to increased academic achievements with no behavioral costs. Separate estimations of the effect of increasing subject-specific instructional time per week also show positive and significant effects on math, science, and English test scores and small and nonsignificant effects on Hebrew test scores. However, there are no cross effects of additional instructional time across subjects. This evidence is robust to using different identification strategies. The evidence also shows that a longer school week increases the time that students spend on homework without reducing social and school satisfaction and without increasing school violence.

The effect of teacher ratings on teacher performance

In August 2010, the Los Angeles Times publicly released value-added ratings for teachers and elementary schools in Los Angeles. Exploiting the release of these ratings as a natural experiment and using the timing of their release to account for regression to the mean, I find that low-rated teachers saw increases in their students' math and English test scores. High-rated teachers saw little to no change in their students' tests with the release of the ratings. These differential responses from low- and high-rated teachers suggest possible test score gains from the release of teacher ratings. School ratings had no additional impact on student test scores. I find no evidence that the release of the ratings affected classroom composition or teacher turnover.

Differences in English Proficiency Test Scores between Students of Social and Natural Sciences

Differences in English Proficiency Test Scores between Students of Social and Natural Sciences

The relationship of personality traits and different measures of domain-specific achievement in upper secondary education

This study examined the relationship of personality traits with academic achievement, while controlling for cognitive ability. We considered two domains (Mathematics and English as a foreign language) and three achievement measures, capitalizing on a sample of N = 3637 students in upper secondary education (year 13, age M = 19.92 years) in Germany. First, we aimed to replicate previous results on grades and test scores. Second, we aimed to extend the body of research by adding final examinations—a school-based performance test—as a third measure. Our findings indicate an incremental predictive validity of personality traits for domain-specific academic achievement beyond cognitive ability. Conscientiousness predicted grades and final exams in both domains. Results for test scores were domain-specific: conscientiousness predicted mathematics test score, whereas openness was associated with English test score. Relationships with personality traits varied depending on the domain, the measure used, and the covariates included in the model.

Quality improvement: A practical nursing program's admission test

IntroductionAcademic institutions are under pressure to maintain a nearly flawless retention rate, while graduating successful students. The use of standardized admission tests to provide data driven decisions regarding applicant selection is common. The varying reliability and validity of current standardized tests inspired a large Canadian academic institution to use a faculty developed admission test for admission to its practical nursing (PN) program. MethodsThe target population for this project was a purposive, convenience sample of graduated PN students from a large publically funded polytechnic institution in southern Ontario, Canada, who had completed the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE) within 2014–2016 (n = 293). Data was obtained retrospectively, and included program entry grade-point average (GPA) and CPNRE result, as well as chemistry, English, biology, and math admission test scores. ResultsThe predictors of chemistry, English, math admission test scores, and program entry GPA did not have an effect beyond the effects of the model's predictors. In this model, the R2 suggests that 9% of the variance can be explained, and 91% not explained. In consideration of all independent variables, findings indicate that mean biology admission test scores (M =74.96) are a predictor of student CPNRE success. Additionally, students who pass the CPNRE have a higher program GPA. ConclusionsAcademic factors including program entry GPA, English, math, biology and chemistry admission scores are a fragment of the characteristics to be considered when determining the predictability of success in PN students. Therefore, it is imperative that program admission processes identify and measure nonacademic program entry criteria, as academic criterion have limited predictability. Furthermore, in isolation, academic admission criteria could be used to identify at-risk-students for appropriate remediation/counselling or as a placement test.

Beyond English language proficiency scores: understanding the academic performance of international undergraduate students during the first year of study

ABSTRACT Past research into the relationship between English proficiency test (EPT) scores and score profiles, such as the IELTS and the TOEFL, has shown that there is not always a clear relationship between those scores and students’ subsequent academic achievement. Information about students’ academic self-concept (ASC) may provide additional information that helps predict future academic success. Research has consistently shown a positive relationship between students’ ASC and subsequent academic achievement and educational attainment in both school and higher education settings. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the academic performance of international students and their language proficiency and academic self-concept as well as other characteristics related to academic success. The study focused on first year international students in undergraduate business programs at an English-medium university in Canada. The following information was collected about the student participants: grades in degree program courses, annual GPA, and EPT scores (including subscores). In addition, students completed an academic self-concept scale. To obtain additional information about success in first-year business courses, instructors in two required courses were interviewed about the academic and language requirements in their courses and the profile of successful students. Correlations between the students’ course grades, GPA, EPT scores, and ASC score were calculated. The instructor interviews were analyzed using a content analysis procedure. The findings from all data sources were triangulated and show that language ability, ASC, and other factors impact academic success during the first year in a business program. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Process of Distinction Through Bilinguals Attending International Schools in Korea

The main purpose of this study is to explore how bilingual students are going to demonstrate their distinction by attending international schools, and in order to distinguish themselves, what process they are going through. This study’s theoretical framework is Distinction, globalization, and neoliberalism. This study analyzes interview data to demonstrate the processes of distinction of participants, using I. C. Jang’s (2015) three terminology: opposition, shift, and addition. The participants’ discourses illustrate that through attending international schools they pursue English communicative skills which they view as opposition of English test scores, and their choice of international schools instead of Korean public education systems causes some participants to shift their language from Korean to English. In addition, the discourses reveal that some participants expect the additional values of attending international schools in the aspect of not only more developed linguistic skills but also more cultural-oriented extra-activities. Finally, this study discusses the phenomena found in the data and some social problems which may be caused by the distinction process, referring to language ideologies in Korea society.

A political economic analysis of commodified English in South Korean neoliberal labor markets

This study examines two contradictions inherent in using English tests for employment by Marx’s political economy. English proficiency is quantified by the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), mandatory for more than 90% of job posts in Korea. Based on the interviews with jobseekers and human resource managers, the paper reports two contradictions of the TOEIC: first, while the jobseekers perceived the score is inessential, they said the exceptionally high score is required; second, while TOEIC scores are meant to reflect English competence, they do not reflect the competence. These two contradictions emerge because the test is sought for exchange value, rather than use value. The jobseekers invest their resources, produce English scores using labor power and means of production, and finally exchange them for a greater profit. The whole process is geared toward producing scores in the shortest time with maximum efficiency, consequently causing score inflation and separation between genuine English proficiency and test scores.