Predicting Missouri Student Act Scores from End-of-Course ExamsAuthor: Michelle Wityk
Since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, many reforms have occurred in an attempt to improve academic equality for all students. Mandated state and national assessments are currently a part of the reforms for public education. Currently, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has elected to measure students’ content knowledge and progress, as well as college and career readiness, by using two high-stakes tests, the End-of-Course exam (EOC), and either the American College Test (ACT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the Computer Adaptive Placement Assessment and Support System (COMPASS), or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The purpose of this study was two-fold: to determine if EOC test scores in Algebra I, Biology, English II, and Government had predictive power for the ACT subtest scores in Math, Science, English, and Reading, respectively; and to determine what relationship other variables (grade point average [GPA], number of advanced courses taken, number of honors courses taken, and how many times the ACT test was taken) combined with the EOC test scores had on the predictability of ACT subtest scores. During this time of high-stakes tests, having a way to predict scores could be constructive. Raising test scores and improving overall student achievement are often the measures by which the public judges the productivity and success of local schools, thus affecting the reputation of the school and the system. The findings of this study should increase awareness of public high schools in Missouri. Knowing this information may assist other comparable Missouri schools with similar EOC and ACT data, so that they might utilize this study to improve their students’ ACT scores.