An analysis of TOEFL® Primary™ repeaters: How much score change occurs?

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-522
Author(s):  
Yeonsuk Cho ◽  
Ian A. Blood
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Score Change ◽  
Positive Rate ◽  
Test Level

In this study, we examined how much change in TOEFL® Primary™ listening and reading scores can be expected in relation to the time interval between test administrations. The test records of 5213 young learners of English (aged 8–13 years) in Japan and Turkey who repeated the tests were analyzed to examine test scores as a function of time interval. The effect of time on test scores was analyzed with a multilevel modeling approach, allowing both initial scores and rate of change among individual test takers to vary. In addition, we examined the effects of test-taker age and test-level difficulty on test scores. Separate analyses were conducted by country for ease of interpretation, as Japan and Turkey differ with respect to the number of hours of instruction that students receive and the English-learning goals in their respective curricula. Results showed a positive rate of change, indicating that test scores increase gradually over time. However, the rate of change differed between the two countries. Furthermore, repeaters’ test scores increased with their age and with the length of time between test administrations. Findings provide empirical evidence for schools to refer to when determining the timing of re-administration of the TOEFL Primary tests to their students.

scholarly journals Examining sources of variability in repeaters’ L2 writing scores: The case of the PTE Academic writing section

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Barkaoui
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Test Occasion ◽  
Writing Scores ◽  
Over Time

This study aimed to examine the sources of variability in the second-language (L2) writing scores of test-takers who repeated an English language proficiency test, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic, multiple times. Examining repeaters’ test scores can provide important information concerning factors contributing to changes in test scores across test occasions. Data consisted of the scores and background data (e.g., gender, age) and other covariates (e.g., context, interval between tests, number of tests attempted) for a sample of 1,000 test-takers who each took PTE Academic three times or more. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate the contribution of various factors to variability in repeaters’ PTE Academic writing scores across test-takers and test occasions. The findings indicated that changes in PTE Academic writing scores followed a quadratic trajectory (i.e., initial score increases followed by a decline) and that, as expected, test-taker initial overall English language proficiency (as measured on other sections of the test) was the strongest predictor of differences in PTE Academic writing scores at test occasion one as well as variance (across test-takers) in the rate of change in writing scores over time. Measures of retesting effects were not significantly associated with changes in writing scores, while test-taker factors (e.g., age, gender, and purpose for taking the test) were significantly associated with writing scores at test occasion one, but not with the rate of change in writing scores over time. The study highlights the value of examining repeater’ L2 test scores and concludes with a call for more research on the sensitivity of L2 proficiency tests to changes in L2 proficiency over time and in relation to L2 instruction.

scholarly journals Perioperative Geriatric Assessment as A Predictor of Long-Term Hepatectomy Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 842
Author(s):  
Masaki Kaibori ◽  
Hideyuki Matsushima ◽  
Morihiko Ishizaki ◽  
Hisashi Kosaka ◽  
Kosuke Matsui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Prognostic Indicator ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Score Change ◽  
Comorbidity Burden ◽  
Reduction Group

This retrospective study recorded pertinent baseline geriatric assessment variables to identify risk factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) after hepatectomy in 100 consecutive patients aged ≥70 years with hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients had geriatric assessments of cognition, nutritional and functional statuses, and comorbidity burden, both preoperatively and at six months postoperatively. The rate of change in each score between preoperative and postoperative assessments was calculated by subtracting the preoperative score from the score at six months postoperatively, then dividing by the score at six months postoperatively. Patients with score change ≥0 comprised the maintenance group, while patients with score change <0 comprised the reduction group. The change in Geriatric 8 (G8) score at six months postoperatively was the most significant predictive factor for RFS and OS among the tested geriatric assessments. Five-year RFS rates were 43.4% vs. 6.7% (maintenance vs. reduction group; HR, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.11–0.31; p < 0.001). Five-year OS rates were 73.8% vs. 17.8% (HR, 0.12; 95%CI, 0.06–0.25; p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that perioperative maintenance of G8 score was an independent prognostic indicator for both RFS and OS. Perioperative changes in G8 scores can help forecast postoperative long-term outcomes in these patients.

scholarly journals Making a Tough Choice: Teacher Target-Setting and Student Achievement in a Teacher Performance System Using Student Learning Objectives

AERA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233285842097977
Author(s):  
Allison Atteberry ◽  
Sarah E. LaCour
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Teacher Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Target Setting ◽  
Student Learning Objectives ◽  
Performance System ◽  
Better Than

The use of student learning objectives (SLOs) as part of teacher performance systems has gained traction quickly in the United States, yet little is known about how teachers select specific students’ learning goals. When teachers are evaluated—and sometimes compensated—based on whether their students meet the very objectives the teachers set at the start of the year, there may be an incentive to set low targets. SLO systems rely on teachers’ willingness and ability to set appropriately ambitious SLOs. We describe teachers’ SLO target-setting behavior in one school-district. We document the accuracy/ambitiousness of targets and find that teachers regularly set targets that students did not meet. We also find that, within the same year, a student’s spring test scores tend to be higher on the assessments for which they received higher targets. This raises the intriguing possibility that receiving higher targets might cause students to perform better than they otherwise would have.

scholarly journals Enhancing Thai elementary students’ English and maintaining Thainess using localized materials: Two putative confronting forces

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1006-1025
Author(s):  
Budsaba Kanoksilapatham ◽  
Todsapon Suranakkharin
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Local Community ◽  
English Education ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Global English ◽  
Thai Students ◽  
Simulation Task

In Thailand, concerns over the imperative need to improve its citizens’ English proficiency and the unsatisfactory English learning outcomes have long been present. In addition, ongoing globalization has raised another concern that Thainess is being eroded due to external influences. This study attempted to compromise these two seemingly conflicting forces by enhancing Thai students’ global English and maintaining local Thainess associated with three regions of Thailand. First, a set of instructional innovations for elementary English education was constructed in each region. These were based on prominent characteristics of local Thainess elicited through a questionnaire completed by local community members and subsequently implemented in Grade 4 classes at three schools in each region of Thailand for ten weeks. Next, two separate sets of pretests-posttests corresponding to each instructional set were constructed and administered to assess their local Thainess and English knowledge. Finally, to ensure that the knowledge gained from the instruction was put into practical use, a tour guide simulation task was conducted by the students. The analysis of the test scores demonstrates that localized lessons were beneficial, enhancing their local Thainess knowledge and associated English vocabulary. The accomplishment of the task thus represented their knowledge of local Thainess and English, contributing to a sense of pride in their nation and a sense of achievement in their English proficiency and instruction.

Norming

2016 ◽  
pp. 438-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Bartram ◽  
Fons J. R. van de Vijver
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
International Norms ◽  
Measurement Bias ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Test Norms ◽  
International Assessments

Chapter 30 focuses on issues relating to norm-referenced measures, in particular the use of norms in international assessments. This chapter highlights some of the complex issues involved in norming scores. While the initial sections of the chapter review some general issues of norm construction and use, this is not a chapter on the mechanics of how to produce norms. Rather, it focuses on issues of when and how to use norms, what aggregations of samples to base them on, and how norm-referenced scores should be interpreted. In particular, it considers issues relating to the development and use of international norms. Test norms are often essential for stakeholders to understand the meaning of test scores by providing information about the standing of the test taker relative to other members of the population. Finally, the chapter notes that culturally related variance may reflect either measurement bias or effects of cultural style.

scholarly journals Access to the School Breakfast Program Is Associated with Higher Attendance and Test Scores among Elementary School Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 336-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith S Bartfeld ◽  
Lawrence Berger ◽  
Fei Men ◽  
Yiyu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
School Engagement ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
School Students ◽  
School Breakfast Program ◽  
School Breakfast ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe School Breakfast Program (SBP) has grown and evolved substantially since its inception, yet relatively little is known about its impact on school engagement and academic outcomes.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of the SBP on school attendance and standardized test scores, as well as how impacts differ among student subpopulations and between traditional and nontraditional program models.MethodsThe study uses administrative data from ∼1000 Wisconsin elementary schools during 2009–2014, including almost all public elementary schools in the state except those in Milwaukee Public School District. Over the 5-y period, 168 schools in our sample introduced a new SBP and/or changed the location of breakfast (classroom or cafeteria) or the payment structure. The impact of breakfast availability and type was evaluated using multivariable regression models with school fixed effects and extensive demographic controls, leveraging within-school changes in SBP availability and type.ResultsImplementing the SBP was associated with a 3.5-percentage-point reduction in the percentage of students with low attendance and an increase of 0.08 SD in normalized reading scores among likely-participant boys (P = 0.015), with no impact among girls. When breakfast was offered free to all students, the probability of low attendance was 3.5 percentage points lower than with traditional SBP for a broad cross-section of students (P &lt; 0.001), and math and reading scores were 0.07 and 0.04 SD higher among the higher-income sample, respectively (P = 0.001 and P = 0.035, respectively). When breakfast was offered in the classroom, neither attendance nor reading scores differed relative to cafeteria-based SBP, whereas math scores among likely-participant boys were 0.05 SD lower (P = 0.045).ConclusionsOffering breakfast at school can modestly improve educational engagement and performance, but benefits differ across children and by program structure. Universally free breakfast appears particularly beneficial to both attendance and test scores.

Use of U.S. Census Bureau Data to Expose Students to Dynamic Population Growth

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 572-577
Author(s):  
Evan Lampert
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
World Population ◽  
Quantitative Literacy ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Dynamic Population ◽  
The U.S

Global human population size and understanding how it has changed and will change in the future are important concepts for students. Here I describe exercises that use online databases provided by the U.S. Census Bureau to show students how both population size and the rate of change vary over time. In the first exercise, the U.S. population clock is used to calculate daily birth, death, and migrant and death rates, and how the world population clock is used to calculate the rate of change. These rates can be used to predict what the population size would be if the rates remained unchanged for a predetermined time interval. In the second exercise, historical data are used to determine the years with the most change in U.S. and world population size, then calculate how much larger the current population would be if those historical rates of change remained constant. These exercises have improved quantitative literacy while showing students current and historical trends in human population.

Time Determination and Time Keeping

1948 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
Harold Spencer Jones
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Control ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Convenient Means ◽  
Time Signals ◽  
Time Determination ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Rotation Of The Earth ◽  
Definite Manner

The rotation of the Earth provides the ultimate standard of time. As the fundamental unit of time we can use either the mean solar day or the sidereal day; these two units are related in a definite manner, so that when one is determined, the other can be inferred. The purpose of any timepiece is to subdivide the day into shorter intervals, and so give the time at any instant. No timepiece will give exact time; the error of the timepiece at some definite instant and the rate of change of that error, or, briefly, the rate, must be determined in order to extrapolate for the correct time at some subsequent instant. The accuracy of the extrapolation will depend upon the uniformity of the rate of the timepiece. Radio time signals sent out from an observatory, which is responsible for the determination and distribution of time, provide the most convenient means for deriving the error and rate of a timepiece. For normal navigational purposes an accuracy of about 0·05 seconds is adequate. But for the purpose of frequency control a very much higher precision is needed—but a precision in time interval rather than in absolute time. Some of the radio-aids to navigation depend upon the accuracy in standardization of frequency, so that high accuracy in time interval has become, indirectly, a navigational requirement.

Measuring English language proficiency across subgroups: Using score equity assessment to evaluate test fairness

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanwook Yoo ◽  
Venessa F. Manna ◽  
Lora F. Monfils ◽  
Hyeon-Joo Oh
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
English Language ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Background Characteristics ◽  
Test Fairness ◽  
Educational Backgrounds ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
Language Exposure

This study illustrates the use of score equity assessment (SEA) for evaluating the fairness of reported test scores from assessments intended for test takers from diverse cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds, using a workplace English proficiency test. Subgroups were defined by test-taker background characteristics that research has shown to be associated with performance on language tests. The characteristics studied included gender, age, educational background, language exposure, and previous experience with the assessment. Overall, the empirical results indicated that the statistical and psychometric methods used in producing test scores were not strongly influenced by the subgroups of test takers from which the scores were derived. This result provides evidence in support of the comparability and meaning of test scores across the various test-taker groups studied. This example may encourage language testing programs to incorporate SEA analyses to provide evidence to inform the validity and fairness of reported scores for all groups of test takers.

scholarly journals L2 reading–writing correlation in Japanese EFL high school students

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumihiko Ito
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
School Students ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
English Reading

This study examines the relationship between English reading and writing skills in Japanese high school students, based on reading and writing test scores gathered in 2006. The participants were 68 native Japanese high school students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The correlation between L2 reading and writing test scores is statistically significant (r = .45), and the coefficient of determination is .2025 with L2 reading scores explaining approximately one-fifth (20.25%) of the total variance of L2 writing scores. These results imply some effect of L2 readings skills on the quality of L2 composition in Japanese EFL high school students. 本研究は、2006年に実施した英語読解試験と英語作文試験のデータを基に、英語読解力と英語作文力の相関関係を調査したものである。被験者は、英語を外国語として学習している高等学校3年生であった。両試験得点間には有意な相関関係(r = .45)が認められた。さらに、重回帰分析を行ったところ、読解試験得点が作文試験得点に及ぼしている説明力の割合は20.25 %であった。実験結果は、第一外国語として英語を学習している日本人高校生の英語読解力は、英語作文力に対し、ある一定の影響を与えているということを示唆している。

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