ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Test Preparation,College Applicants,High Stakes Tests,Access to Education,Scores,Test Format,Test Wiseness,Drills (Practice),Evidence,Academic Achievement,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,College Bound Students,Attendance,Academic Persistence,College Readiness,Credits,Educational Attainment,Labor Market

Most colleges and universities in the United States require students to take the SAT or ACT as part of the college application process. These tests are high stakes in at least three ways. First, most universities factor scores on these tests into admissions decisions. Second, higher scores can increase a student's chances of being admitted to selective schools, while lower scores can limit the number of institutions students have available to choose from. Finally, many colleges use admissions tests when determining eligibility for merit-based financial aid. Therefore, increasing scores on standardized college admissions tests is one way to help students access postsecondary education at the institution of their choice, while potentially helping them reduce the costs associated with college attendance. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified six studies of &quot;ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs&quot; that both fall within the scope of the Transition to College topic area and meet WWC group design standards. Three studies meet WWC group design standards without reservations, and three studies meet WWC group design standards with reservations. Together, these studies included 65,603 high school students across the United States. The WWC considers the extent of evidence for &quot;ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs&quot; to be medium to large for one student outcome domain--general academic achievement (high school). There were no studies that meet WWC group design standards in the 11 other domains eligible for review in the Transition to College topic area, so this intervention report does not report on the effectiveness of &quot;ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs&quot; for those domains. The following are appended: (1) Research details for for the studies; (2) Outcome measures for the general academic achievement (high school) domain; (3) Findings included in the rating for the general academic achievement (high school) domain; and (4) Description of supplemental findings for the general academic achievement (high school) domain. [Studies that meets WWC group design standards without reservations: (1) Holmes, C. T., &amp; Keffer, R. L. (1995). A computerized method to teach Latin and Greek root words: Effect on Verbal SAT scores. &quot;Journal of Educational Research, 89,&quot; 47-50. See EJ522333 to view the study; (2) McClain, T. B. (1999). &quot;The impact of computer-assisted coaching on the elevation of twelfth-grade students' SAT scores&quot; (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9945906); and (3) McMann, P. K. (1994). &quot;The effects of teaching practice review items and test-taking strategies on the ACT mathematics scores of second-year algebra students&quot; (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9423737). [Studies that meets WWC group design standards with reservations: (1) Domingue, B., &amp; Briggs, D. C. (2009). &quot;Using linear regression and propensity score matching to estimate the effect of coaching on the SAT.&quot; Boulder: University of Colorado. Additional source: Domingue, B., &amp; Briggs, D. C. (2009). Using linear regression and propensity score matching to estimate the effect of coaching on the SAT. &quot;Multiple Linear Regression Viewpoints, 35&quot;(1), 12-29; (2) Filizola, E. (2008). &quot;The effect of a test preparation course on the SAT scores of students at Saint Joseph Academy&quot; (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3309546); and (3) Scholes, R. J., &amp; Lain, M. M. (1997, March). &quot;The effects of test preparation activities on ACT assessment scores&quot; [Experiment 2]. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED409341.pdf. See ED409341 to view the study.]