Reading--Ability testing

Good and poor seventh grade readers were given a
typicality rating task in session one. In session two
subjects were given an incidental cued-recall task with item
typicality individually defined. In session three subjects
were given two free recall lists, with item typicality for
the Self-Generated lists individually defined and item
typicality for the Adult-Generated lists based on adult
ratings. In session one, poor readers selected fewer items
as appropriate category exemplars than did good readers or
adults, and correlations with adults were greater for the
good readers for all twelve categories. Recall was
equivalent for both groups for the incidental cued-recall
and Self-Generated free recall tasks. Good readers recalled
more only for the Adult-Generated free recall task. Poor
readers have a different knowledge base than good readers
resulting in differences in the extent to which semantic
memory relations can be easily activated.

Community college students are frequently characterized as students who were previously under-represented in higher education. That characterization implies an approach to education that molds curriculum to the needs of these students. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of fit between traditional standardized testing to determine abilities in specific areas of reading comprehension and the nontraditional community college student population to whom the testing is directed. The purpose of this study was to determine if a measure of the cognitive style dimension of field dependence/independence could predict community college students' ability to: (1) make inferences in reading; and (2) solve problems. The sample consisted of 132 students from two campuses of Broward Community College in South Florida. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) was used to determine student cognitive style. Inferencing ability was determined using the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. Problem solving ability was assessed through the Problem Solving subtest of the McGraw-Hill Basic Study System Study Skills Test. Pearson Product Moment Correlations were obtained using GEFT score and corresponding problem solving and inferencing scores. The predictive equations, which were cross validated, indicated that the GEFT was a minimal predictor of both problem solving and inferencing abilities. However, further analysis was performed using Analyses of Variance after dividing the sample into high and low scoring students (field independents and field dependents, respectively). Results of the ANOVAs indicated significance (p .05) regarding inferencing ability among these same students. Demographic information revealed other findings: (1) Non-Caucasians were more highly represented in the field dependent category; (2) Males were more highly represented in the field independent category, whereas females dominated the field dependent category; and (3) females tended to be older than males, with the largest age disparity existing between female and male Caucasian students. The study gives evidence that the GEFT is an effective predictor of problem solving ability among community college students identified as highly field dependent or field independent. Implications and recommendations for instruction, counseling and curriculum design are presented.

The State of Florida mandates the training requirement for the certification of police officers. In recent years, the representation of females and minorities in the training classes of Dade County has increased. Public speculation regarding increased attrition rates and a general lowering of standards, both on the part of the agencies and the training academy, suggested the problem to be studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the scores obtained on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (vocabulary, reading comprehension and total scores) and the final class average for the 1395 police recruits attending the training classes between 1975 and 1980. Additionally, the study proposed to test differences in the mean reading scores for each year compared with 1975, using sex and ethnicity as control variables, to ascertain whether the scores increased, decreased or remained constant. The design of the study was ex post facto, for which 18 research hypotheses were formulated. Pearson correlational coefficients, a multiple regression analysis, Chi-square analyses and multiple t-tests were performed to test the hypotheses. The analyses of the data indicated there were significant correlations (r = .52, .50 and .55) between the Nelson-Denny test scores and the final class average. The obtained prediction equation yielded only the upper range of final averages, regardless of the reading scores, due to the exclusion of non-completers. Chi-square analyses produced significant results between the high, middle and low reading scores and completion status. The results obtained from the t-test supported the general decline in reading means. Significant differences in reading means were obtained for each level of the independent variables on various pair-wise year comparisons and completion status, but significance was reported more frequently for males, Caucasians and completers in declining scores. The decline in scores was most evident in 1976, 1979 and 1980. In general, the mean reading scores for females were consistently higher than males, and the scores for Caucasians were consistently higher than either Hispanics or Blacks. Additionally, women and Blacks experienced a higher attrition rate.