ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Earlier the Better? Taking the AP® in 10th Grade. Research Report No. 2012-10
Author: Rodriguez, Awilda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement,College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,Grade 10,Scoring,Predictor Variables,Scores,Test Wiseness,Effect Size,Outcomes of Education

In this report, the authors examine the impact of scoring a 1 or 2 on an AP® Exam in 10th grade on later AP Exam participation and performance. As access to AP courses increases within and across schools, a growing number of students are taking AP courses and exams in the earlier grades of high school. Using a matched sample of AP and no-AP students, this study explored the following research questions for seven AP Exams: (1) Are students who receive a 1 or 2 on an AP Exam in the 10th grade more likely to take an exam in subsequent grades than students who did not take any exams in 9th or 10th grade?; and (2) Are these students more likely to pass a later exam than students who did not take any exams in the 9th or 10th grade? Results showed that regardless of AP Exam subject, 10th-graders who scored a 1 or 2 were significantly more likely to take an AP Exam later in high school than comparable students who did not take an early AP Exam. However, the seven exams yielded different results in the likelihood of students scoring 3 or higher on an AP Exam in the 11th or 12th grade. Tables with statistical data are appended.
Updating AP Potential™ Expectancy Tables Involving PSAT/NMSQT® Writing. Research Notes. RN-35
Author: Ewing, Maureen
Date: 2007-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Talent Identification,Scores,Standardized Tests,Thinking Skills,Critical Thinking,Writing (Composition),College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,Correlation,Grades (Scholastic),Writing Skills

AP Potential™ is a data-driven tool offered by the College Board that uses scores from the PSAT/NMSQT® to identify students who have the potential to succeed in Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) courses (College Board, 2007). Research showing a moderate-to-strong correlation between PSAT/NMSQT scores and AP Exam scores serves as the basis for this tool (Camara and Millsap, 1998; Ewing, Camara, and Millsap, 2006). The PSAT/NMSQT is a shorter version of the SAT® designed to measure reasoning and thinking skills in the areas of critical reading, mathematics, and writing. In 2006, changes to the writing scale were made because it was the first year in which the PSAT/NMSQT writing scale was linked to the new SAT writing scale. This scale change had implications for AP Potential in that the AP Exams that used PSAT/NMSQT writing scores singly or in combination with critical reading and/or mathematics scores needed to be updated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to recompute the expectancy tables for those AP Exams that involved writing. Because this report focuses on the expectancy tables that involved writing, readers interested in the other AP Exams and in detailed information regarding the proper use of these tables should reference the full report (Ewing et al., 2006).
The Relationship of AP® Teacher Practices and Student AP Exam Performance. Research Report No. 2007-5. ETS RR-05-10
Author: Paek, Pamela L.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Teaching Methods,Achievement Tests,Academic Achievement,Scores,National Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Scoring,Faculty Development,Institutional Characteristics,Context Effect,Public School Teachers,Private Schools,Statistical Analysis,History Instruction,Class Size,Science Instruction,Biology,Educational Resources,Regression (Statistics),Teacher Competencies,Models,College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,Probability,Likert Scales

This report analyzes the relationship of Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) teacher practices and student performance on AP Biology and AP U.S. History Exams. Using a national survey of AP teachers, the study developed four models for each subject with public school teachers only and both public and nonpublic school teachers, using two standards of success (scoring 3 or better and scoring 4 or better on the exams). Professional development and school and class context were statistically significant across all models; however, types of professional development differed. Resources were important for AP U.S. History teachers, while class size and schedule impacted AP Biology teachers. This indicates additional resources might enhance learning in AP U.S. History, while AP Biology teachers might be more effective with smaller, daily classes. The following are appended: (1) Type III Tables for AP Biology; (2) Type III Tables for AP U.S. History; (3) Survey of AP Biology Teachers; and (4) Survey of AP U.S. History Teachers.
Monitoring Reader Performance and DRIFT in the AP® English Literature and Composition Examination Using Benchmark Essays. Research Report No. 2007-2
Author: Wolfe, Edward W.
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Essays,English Literature,Writing (Composition),Student Evaluation,Benchmarking,Reading Achievement,Writing Assignments,Evaluation Methods,Achievement Gains,Knowledge Level,Student Characteristics,Rating Scales,Statistical Analysis,Accuracy,Correlation,Indexes,Scoring,Classification,Reading Skills,Reader Response,Models,High School Students,Tests,Language Arts

In this study, we investigated a variety of Reader effects that may influence the validity of ratings assigned to AP® English Literature and Composition essays. Specifically, we investigated whether Readers exhibit changes in their levels of severity and accuracy, and their use of individual scale categories over time. We refer to changes in these characteristics of Readers as Differential Reader Functioning over Time (DRIFT). Our literature review points out several weaknesses in the way Reader effects have been addressed in prior studies, and the study sought to address several of those weaknesses. The study is relevant to operational AP Readings because it addresses several existing challenges: (a) difficulties in monitoring Reader performance due to the assignment of one rating per essay; (b) difficulties in tracking changes in Reader performance over time; (c) difficulties in identifying diagnostically informative indices of DRIFT; and (d) lack of knowledge about how and when DRIFT is likely to occur during an operational AP Reading. In addition, the study suggests how to approach Reader monitoring in an automated, online reading system, should AP choose to pursue such a system in the future. The study sought to answer research questions relating to the implications of three types of DRIFT (&quot;differential severity,&quot; &quot;differential accuracy,&quot; and &quot;differential scale category use&quot;) in AP English Literature and Composition essay ratings by collecting data during an operational AP Reading. Prior to the Reading, a panel of highly experienced AP Readers identified benchmark essays and assigned them consensus ratings. These benchmark essays were copied and distributed to AP Readers during the Reading so that the single ratings assigned to each essay could be connected via the benchmark essays. In addition, the time that each Reader began and completed rating each packet of essays during the Reading was recorded. A variety of analyses were performed for the purpose of assessing types and seriousness of various types of DRIFT, determining whether different methods of detecting DRIFT provided more or less diagnostically useful information, and determining whether connecting Readers through their ratings of the benchmark essays would result in a stronger rating design that might improve the detection of DRIFT. A scoring worksheet is appended.
Validity and Fairness of CLEP® Exams. Research Notes. RN-22
Author: Moulder, Brad
Date: 2005-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Freshmen,Testing Programs,Prior Learning,Advanced Placement,Test Validity,Scores,College Credits,Academic Records,Academic Achievement,Predictive Validity,Grades (Scholastic),Skill Analysis,Achievement Rating,Pretests Posttests

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) consists of a battery of 34 tests covering courses in which entering college students often enroll. CLEP exams are tools that help accredited colleges and universities provide course requirement exemptions to students who have gained outside-the-classroom knowledge of certain subjects. Students may utilize course exemptions, which they earn through CLEP scores that are acceptable to the accredited college or university of their choice, in shortening the path to their graduation. An exemption could also allow students to take other courses in the place of a requirement that the CLEP exam is used to fulfill; this course may be a more advanced course in the same field of study or possibly a course in another area of particular interest to the student. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the validity of CLEP score use.
Pre-AP® Science Vertical Teams Summer Institute Evaluation Summary: A One-Year Follow-Up. Research Note 2012-1
Author: Laitusis, Vytas
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Summer Programs,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Program Effectiveness,Advanced Placement Programs,Science Instruction,Alignment (Education),Science Curriculum,Teamwork,Science Teachers,Learning Activities,Readiness,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Enrollment Trends,Teacher Surveys,Followup Studies

This study evaluated the effect of a pilot Pre-AP® Science Vertical Team Summer Institute on teacher practices and perceptions of the program. The overarching goals of the Vertical Teams Institute were focused on the tools needed to build or strengthen an AP® Vertical Team and to align science curriculum across grade levels. The evaluation also surveyed a sample of the initial attendees one year after the institute to assess their perceptions of the institute and practices in the classroom following a year of implementation in the school. Results included: (1) 61% of the respondents did not have Vertical Teams in their district at the time of the training, but planned to introduce them in the future; (2) 91% of the respondents indicated that they would change their instructional practices to emphasize certain content, and 95% indicated that they would change their classroom activities; (3) 75% of the respondents indicated that what they learned would better prepare their students for the rigors of AP; (4) 86% indicated that the strategies and tools they were exposed to would improve student access to the AP program; (5) After one year of implementation, there was no significant reduction in the perceived utility of the institute; (6) After one year of implementation, there was no significant reduction in perceived impact of the institute on teacher practice.
Summary of Evaluation Results of Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Vertical Teams for English. Research Notes. RN-17
Author: College Board, Office of Research and Development
Date: 2002-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Program Implementation,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Teamwork,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,English Curriculum,English Instruction,Administrator Surveys,Administrator Attitudes,Fidelity,Academic Achievement,Performance Based Assessment,Secondary School Curriculum

Teachers and administrators were surveyed to determine the extent to which AP Vertical Teams for English were implemented in schools. Results indicate that even though the goals of the AP Vertical Teams were only partially realized, there was some positive impact on student exposure to Pre-AP instruction and AP courses and student performance on the AP Examinations. Although the results are only modest, they are promising. It appears that if the AP Vertical Team goals were more fully implemented, the impact is likely to be more extensive. Suggestions for improving the implementation of AP Vertical Teams are provided.
An Analysis of Advanced Placement (AP®) Examinations in Economics and Comparative Government and Politics. Research Report No. 2001-4. ETS RR-01-17
Author: Breland, Hunter M.
Date: 2001-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Standardized Tests,Macroeconomics,Economics Education,Gender Differences,Academic Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Politics,College Faculty,Questionnaires,National Surveys,Government (Administrative Body),Institutional Characteristics,Teacher Characteristics,Course Content

Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Examinations in Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Comparative Government and Politics were studied to examine college course performance and gender differences. It was concluded that students who had received college credit for AP performed as well or better in higher-level college courses in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics than students who had not taken AP courses. Gender differences in performance were observed in all three examinations, but the greatest gender differences, favoring male students, were observed for Comparative Government and Politics. A survey of instructors of Comparative Government and Politics indicated that only a small percentage of instructors had observed gender differences in performance in their courses, however. The following are appended: (1) National Survey of College Faculty: Questionnaire for Instructors of Comparative Government and Politics, 2000; (2) Open-Ended Comments Obtained in the Survey; and (3) Descriptions of Advanced Placement Courses and Exams in Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Comparative Government and Politics.
Exploring Equity Properties in Equating Using AP® Examinations. Research Report No. 2012-4
Author: Lee, Eunjung
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Test Construction,Test Interpretation,Test Norms,Test Reliability,Item Response Theory,Equated Scores,Psychometrics,Models,Test Format,Test Items

In almost all high-stakes testing programs, test equating is necessary to ensure that test scores across multiple test administrations are equivalent and can be used interchangeably. Test equating becomes even more challenging in mixed-format tests, such as Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Exams, that contain both multiple-choice and constructed response items. This report examines (1) the performance of various equating methods in terms of first- and second-order equity properties using mixed-format tests; (2) the effect of underlying psychometric models on the assessment of the performance of the equating methods; and (3) the relationship between reliability and equity properties in equating. Three AP Exams (Biology, English Language and Composition, and French Language and Culture) were analyzed with the common-item, nonequivalent-groups design. The 11 equating methods were analyzed, and the results were obtained and compared based upon two different psychometric model frameworks: the two-parameter beta binomial and item-response theory (IRT). In general, the results showed that the performance of various equating methods in terms of equity properties depended on the psychometric model assumed. Furthermore, this report provides empirical evidence that the magnitude of reliability plays a role in achieving the equity properties for the various equating methods. Tables and figures are appended.
Advanced Placement® Exam Participation: Is AP® Exam Participation and Performance Related to Choice of College Major? Research Report No. 2011-6
Author: Mattern, Krista D.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Advanced Placement,Achievement Tests,Computer Science,Majors (Students),Humanities,Scores,Correlation,Outcomes of Education,Student Characteristics,Social Sciences,Regression (Statistics),Second Languages,Biology,Mathematics,Physical Sciences,High School Students

Previous research has found a positive relationship between AP® participation and performance with various college outcomes. Building on this work, the current study investigated the relationship between AP participation and performance with choice of college major. Specifically, this study examined whether students who take an AP Exam in a certain content domain are more likely to major in that domain than students who did not take an AP Exam in that area, controlling for relevant student characteristics. Results reveal a positive relationship between AP participation and majoring in a related field in college. This was true across all content areas examined; however, the effect was stronger for some areas than others. For example, there was a strong link between taking an AP Exam in computer science and majoring in computer sciences in college. Alternatively, taking an AP Exam in humanities or social sciences was not as strong of an indicator of a student subsequently majoring in that respective area in college. Additionally, students' AP scores in that content domain were also related to their likelihood of majoring in that domain. Results showed that students who took no AP Exams were more likely to be undeclared.
An Investigation of Scale Drift for Arithmetic Assessment of ACCUPLACER®. Research Report No. 2010-2
Author: Deng, Hui
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Placement,Adaptive Testing,Computer Assisted Testing,Mathematics Tests,Test Items,Item Response Theory,Arithmetic,Evaluation Methods,Scaling,Pretesting,Measurement

The current study was designed to extend the current literature to study scale drift in CAT as part of improving quality control and calibration process for ACCUPLACER, a battery of large-scale adaptive placement tests. The study aims to evaluate item parameter drift using empirical data that span four years from the ACCUPLACER Arithmetic assessment. The results suggest that the Arithmetic test maintained a reasonably stable scale in the years 2004 through 2007. The following is appended: Summary Statistics of Item Exposure Rates across Years.
Predictive Validity of ACCUPLACER® Scores for Course Placement: A Meta-Analysis. Research Report No. 2009-2
Author: Mattern, Krista D.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Placement,College Students,College Entrance Examinations,Academic Achievement,Scores,Correlation,Reliability,Predictive Validity

A disconnect between the educational requirements of secondary institutions and postsecondary institutions often results in a large percentage of first-year college students requiring remediation (Moss &amp; Bordelon, 2007). As such, postsecondary institutions administer tests to incoming students for placement into courses of the appropriate difficulty level. However, research on the efficacy of placement testing has revealed mixed results. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to meta-analyze a large sample of ACCUPLACER® placement studies in order to estimate its true validity of placement decisions by correcting for statistical artifacts. Data included all ACCUPLACER placement validity studies completed through the Admitted Class Evaluation Service™ (ACES™) between 2001 and 2006. Forty-seven studies were examined, which comprised data from 17 unique institutions. When course success was defined as obtaining a grade of &quot;B or higher,&quot; the average sample-size-weighted observed correlation between test scores and course success was 0.28; and when course success was defined as obtaining a grade of &quot;C or higher,&quot; the average sample-size-weighted observed correlation was 0.24. After statistical artifacts were corrected, those estimates increased to 0.47 and 0.38, respectively. Furthermore, when these cut scores were applied, the percentage of students that were placed correctly ranged from 58 to 84 percent across ACCUPLACER tests. Overall, results indicated a moderate to strong relationship between ACCUPLACER scores and course success, demonstrating that ACCUPLACER test scores provide utility in terms of placing students into courses in which they are likely to succeed.
Examining the Relationship of Content to Gender-Based Performance Differences in Advanced Placement Exams. Research Report No. 2002-12. ETS RR-02-25
Author: Buck, Gary
Date: 2002-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Test Content,Gender Differences,Correlation,Test Items,Advanced Placement,Achievement Tests,Multiple Choice Tests,United States History,Biology,European History,Microeconomics,Macroeconomics,Generalization,Coding,Regression (Statistics),High School Students,Scores,Item Analysis,College Entrance Examinations

The purpose of this study is to examine the content of the questions in a number of Advanced Placement Examinations and to attempt to identify content that is related to gender-based performance differences. Free-response questions for ten forms of the AP® Exams in U.S. History, European History, Biology, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics were studied and the multiple-choice items for four forms of AP U.S. History were also studied. Results indicate that, in the case of U.S. History multiple-choice items, the measures of male and female performance differences are significantly correlated with item content. In a second analysis, the findings for nine of these content categories were replicated in different forms of the exam, suggesting that these results are of generalizable interest. In the case of the free-response questions for each of the five subject areas, the study identified a significant relationship between item content and gender-based performance differences, but there were not enough items for a replication study. Overall, this study suggests that item content is associated with gender-based performance differences. The following are appended: (1) Content Categories for U.S. History Multiple-Choice Items; (2) Content Categories for U.S. History Free-Response Questions; (3) Content Categories for European History Free-Response Questions; (4) Content Categories for Biology Free-Response Questions; (5) Content Categories for Microeconomics Free-Response Questions; and (6) Content Categories for Macroeconomics Free-Response Questions.
Advanced Placement® Statistics Students' Education Choices after High School. Research Notes. RN-38
Author: Patterson, Brian F.
Date: 2009-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advanced Placement Programs,Statistics,High School Students,College Preparation,Student Interests,Higher Education,Course Selection (Students),College Students,College Graduates,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Majors (Students),Program Effectiveness,Decision Making,Influences

Taking the AP Statistics course and exam does not appear to be related to greater interest in the statistical sciences. Despite this finding, with respect to deciding whether to take further statistics course work and majoring in statistics, students appear to feel prepared for, but not interested in, further study. There is certainly more research needed in order to make causal inferences about the issues presented in this analysis. However, it should serve as encouragement for both AP Statistics and college statistics instructors and the broader statistical community that the AP Statistics program seems to be successful in preparing students for further study and in increasing interest in statistics. An appendix contains: Summary of Population and Sample Sizes and Response Counts by Strata Variables.