Significance of the Study The findings of this study can be valuable in three ways. First, they may guide admissions personnel and decision makers at the ministry of higher education and scientific research in identifying whether high school GPA and admission test scores help in predicting academic performance of students attending higher education institutions. This study might also help them in the development of future admission plans and student retention programs at Yemeni universities and colleges, resulting in changing the admissions policies all together. Further, the results of this study can help high school counselors at the ministry of education assist with college transition needs of their graduating students, by being able to better identify potential at-risk students. Second, the findings might guide the educational stakeholders in Yemen to review the testing policy as well as the quality for high school assessments and the college admission tests. Third, this study will bridge a research gap in the study of academic performance of students attending Yemeni colleges and thus serves as a motivation for future research to be conducted in this area or in the psychometric area. Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study, a glossary of commonly used terms and concepts is necessary: High school GPA: a high school GPA is calculated based on the total weighted scores obtained from the examination’s results of all subjects studied at the twelfth grade only. Admission Test: A test used to assess the students’ readiness for admission into a graduate institution. Academic performance: It refers to how well a student performs in academic knowledge and skills which is reflected by cumulative grade point average (G... ... middle of paper ... ...attending the University of Umm Alqur’a during fall 2004 and spring 2005. Four hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analyses. CHAPTER II Introduction This chapter consists of three major areas. First, general information about Yemen. an overview of Yemeni education system before and after the unification is introduced to provide a background about the study environment as well as to help interpret and discuss the results of the study appropriately. Second, high school GPA and admission test scores are discussed as related to how they are used in admission decisions. Third, a review of related literature of the predictive studies for admission criteria to postsecondary institutions is presented. Gender and geographical disparities ………….. . For the purpose of this study, a brief description of the education system of public schools is presented.
A young girl is excited about graduating high school and attending her first year at college. She tries hard at school and receives above-average grades. She is an active student involved in student council, band, the drama team, and peer tutoring, but her ACT scores are extremely low, disqualifying her from many universities. The young girl represents many students who are not successful at taking standardized tests because they have not developed the advanced skills required to take a test like the ACT or SAT. An academically motivated and responsible student should not be prevented from attending college because a "standard" test is not his or her standard. The current methods of testing for the ACT or SAT should be abolished and replaced with modified and less "standard" questions to better measure a student's learning potential. In addition to different testing techniques, a student's learning potential should be a measure of a culmination of activities and methods; testing should be less important than other methods in determining a student's learning potential, if not the least important. Standardized testing must evolve to encompass a more diverse student population, and it should not be the primary factor in measuring learning potential.
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: Volume 2, a third
The graduation requirements at most high schools are similar to the graduation test standards in many content areas. To graduate, a student needs to complete four credits of English, three credits of social studies, two credits of mathematics, and two credits of science. (Misky) The four credits of English include instruction in written and oral communication, grammar and usage of the English language, and literature. (Misky) This is similar to the test, which measures reading, literature, writing, language, media and technology, and research and inquiry. (Wisconsin) The three credits of Social Studies cover instruction in state and local government. (Misky) The test includes geography, history, politics, economics, and behavioral sciences. (Wisconsin) The two credits of math provide instruction in the properties, processes, and symbols of arithmetic, and elements of algebra, geometry, and statistics. (Misky) The test contains mathematical processes, number operations and relationships, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability, and algebraic relationships. (Wisconsin) The two credits of science incorporate Physical science and Life science. (Misky) The test provides science connections, nature of science, science inquiry, Physical science, Earth and Space science, Life and Environmental science, science applications, and science in personal and social perspectives. (Wisconsin) In most cases the categories are equivalent with each other. The categories that fall short will just have to be propelled or altered to fit the test.
The independent variables for this study were student race and gender. It is important to note that due to limited numbers of non-black students, black students were coded = 1 and all others were coded =...
Throughout the United States standardized testing is a popular way that educators measure a student’s academic ability. Although it may seem like a good idea to give a bunch of students the same test and see how each one does, it is not that simple. The results do not represent how smart a student is or a student's potential to do great things in the real world. In taking a standardized test one student may have a greater advantage over another for many reasons. Reasons that are not shown in the standardized test score.
Today students go to school from K-12 earning their education and take a standardized test during their junior or senior years (sometimes sophomore year). The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and other standardized test are used by colleges across the world to determine if a student is ready for college. As a result, there are some individuals that disagree with the use of standardized testi...
So, using these long multiple choice exams are what college’s consider to be a reflection of a student’s grades during their first year at college. The test maker itself explains that grade point averages during high school paint a better picture than their tests ("The ACT: Biased, Inaccurate, and Misused" 1). College’s use these standardized tests as a quick measure of ability. However, a test cannot explo...
If interested in attending college after high school, being accepted to a “dream” college or a college of interest could end up being one of the largest milestones in a person’s life. Being accepted to that college could change a person’s life forever however, on the other hand if acceptance to the university was denied; it could result in detrimental effects on a person’s life. Although being accepted into a person’s dream college may not the maximal point in their lives’, it could cause an array of different things to occur. They would then be faced with the challenge of making the decision to attend a different university. However, another situation may transpire such as that person not being accepted to any college that they apply to, or one that doesn’t supply the inspiration that was present prior to the application of their dream college being denied. In almost any circumstance of denial to a person’s college of choice, upshots could occur that have life-long effects on a person’s life which is something most future college students would rather not have to deal with. Being admitted to a certain college is an extremely delicate process which varies from university to university which creates an ideal atmosphere for denial to a certain college if certain aspects of the student’s admittance application do not meet the universities’ requirements for admission. This is where problems begin to rise in the collegiate academic system which could prevent some future college students from getting the education they desire and being forced to settle just because they scored poorly on a single test or struggled through high school for some reason or another. Colleges rely too heavily on academic performance based upon prior knowledge ...
In our literature review, we discuss studies that examine college students’ grades and learning experiences (Garg, Melanson, Levin, 2007; Alika & Ogboro, 2012; Deonno & Fagan, 2013; Pong, Dronkers & Hamden-Thompson, 2003). We also explore student’s educational aspirations and goals (Garg, et al, 2007; Alika & Ogboro, 2012; Deonno & Fagan, 2013; Pong, et al, 2003). Furthermore, we look at the impact of family involvement on student’s educaton (Alika 2012; Garg, et al, 2007). We also consider the influence of parent’s educational history and financial situation on student’s education (Garg et al, 2007; Pong et al, 2003, Hamden-Thompson, 2013).
The traditional high school A-F grading system no longer reflects an accurate measurement of student success. Providing a new system where grades are measured by the rank of the student in the class will provide a system more honest than before, it will benefit students and prospective colleges. Changing the grading scale to a system where students are ranked from a curve based off the total percentage of points potentially earned in the course.
Determining college readiness is an essential part in determining who will qualify as a good candidate for admission into a college or a university. The last thing that colleges want is for students to qualify for admission and drop out, this affects drop out rate and graduation rate. According Robin Chait and Andrea Venezia (2009),
In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as the admission into certain programs. The test results also assist various schools in determining the proper curriculum, evaluate a specific school system, or a particular school related program.
Standardized testing remains to be a major controversial issue for the American society today. Exams are given to students at different levels in their educational career and are supposed to measure their academic knowledge, but are these tests really the best way to evaluate students? There have been numerous alternatives suggested to replace or be used in conjunction with standardized testing.
Based on the Programme for International Student Assessment’s 2012 results (PISA), the United States has ranked 30th in comparison to other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) participating countries. The United States, a country that has once held the ideal for educational standards, has now ranked just slightly above other countries that are just being developed. By using high-stakes test statistics to drive America’s educational standards, classrooms are beginning to lose their meaning of helping students to learn and grow as individuals. Because of classrooms just teaching the test are beginning to lose the meaning of helping students to learn and grow as individuals, results of high stakes testing which can be affected by the minutest details, are not a reasonable way to judge overall student competency; a better alternative would be by performance based assessments. “Test developers are obliged to create a series of one-size-fits-all assessments. But, as most of us know from attempting to wear one-size-fits-all garments, sometimes one size really can’t fit all.” (Popham, James W.). High stakes tests are not a reasonable way to judge overall student competency because educators can not expect to have accurate and precise results in just one sitting for 12 years of learning. Although tests pose an important role in education, they should not be given such high stakes of determining if a student should be rejected from a college “based solely on the fact that their score wasn’t high enough” (Stake, Robert.).
“The Tests Don’t Measure Achievement Adequately.” The Myths of Standardized Test: Why They Don’t Tell You What You Think They Do. N.p.: Hoover Institution, 2011. 33-45.