Selection Bias in College Admissions Test Scores. NBER Working Paper No. 14265

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Melissa; Rothstein, Jesse; Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore

2008-01-01

Data from college admissions tests can provide a valuable measure of student achievement, but the non-representativeness of test-takers is an important concern. We examine selectivity bias in both state-level and school-level SAT and ACT averages. The degree of selectivity may differ importantly across and within schools, and across and within…

Differential Prediction Generalization in College Admissions Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguinis, Herman; Culpepper, Steven A.; Pierce, Charles A.

2016-01-01

We introduce the concept of "differential prediction generalization" in the context of college admissions testing. Specifically, we assess the extent to which predicted first-year college grade point average (GPA) based on high-school grade point average (HSGPA) and SAT scores depends on a student's ethnicity and gender and whether this…

Using Old and New SAT® Scores for Admission: A Closer Look at Concordant Scores in Predictive Models. Research Report 2016-17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marini, Jessica P.; Shaw, Emily J.; Young, Linda

2016-01-01

During the transition period between the use of exclusively old SAT® scores and the use of exclusively new SAT scores, college admission offices will be receiving both types of scores from students. Making an admission decision based on new SAT scores can be challenging at first because institutions have methods, procedures, and models based on…

The BioMedical Admissions Test for medical student selection: issues of fairness and bias.

PubMed

Emery, Joanne L; Bell, John F; Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen L

2011-01-01

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) forms part of the undergraduate medical admission process at the University of Cambridge. The fairness of admissions tests is an important issue. Aims were to investigate the relationships between applicants' background variables and BMAT scores, whether they were offered a place or rejected and, for those admitted, performance on the first year course examinations. Multilevel regression models were employed with data from three combined applicant cohorts. Admission rates for different groups were investigated with and without controlling for BMAT performance. The fairness of the BMAT was investigated by determining, for those admitted, whether scores predicted examination performance equitably. Despite some differences in applicants' BMAT performance (e.g. by school type and gender), BMAT scores predicted mean examination marks equitably for all background variables considered. The probability of achieving a 1st class examination result, however, was slightly under-predicted for those admitted from schools and colleges entering relatively few applicants. Not all differences in admission rates were accounted for by BMAT performance. However, the test constitutes only one part of a compensatory admission system in which other factors, such as interview performance, are important considerations. Results are in support of the equity of the BMAT.

What To Look for in ESL Admission Tests: Cambridge Certificate Exams, IELTS, and TOEFL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline; Turner, Carolyn E.

2000-01-01

Familiarizes test users with issues to consider when employing assessments for screening and admission purposes. Examines the purpose, content, and scoring methods of three English-as-a-Second-Language admissions tests--the Cambridge certificate exams, International English Language Teaching System, and Test of English as a Foreign…

External validation of the simple clinical score and the HOTEL score, two scores for predicting short-term mortality after admission to an acute medical unit.

PubMed

Stræde, Mia; Brabrand, Mikkel

2014-01-01

Clinical scores can be of aid to predict early mortality after admission to a medical admission unit. A developed scoring system needs to be externally validated to minimise the risk of the discriminatory power and calibration to be falsely elevated. We performed the present study with the objective of validating the Simple Clinical Score (SCS) and the HOTEL score, two existing risk stratification systems that predict mortality for medical patients based solely on clinical information, but not only vital signs. Pre-planned prospective observational cohort study. Danish 460-bed regional teaching hospital. We included 3046 consecutive patients from 2 October 2008 until 19 February 2009. 26 (0.9%) died within one calendar day and 196 (6.4%) died within 30 days. We calculated SCS for 1080 patients. We found an AUROC of 0.960 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.932 to 0.988) for 24-hours mortality and 0.826 (95% CI, 0.774-0.879) for 30-day mortality, and goodness-of-fit test, χ(2) = 2.68 (10 degrees of freedom), P = 0.998 and χ(2) = 4.00, P = 0.947, respectively. We included 1470 patients when calculating the HOTEL score. Discriminatory power (AUROC) was 0.931 (95% CI, 0.901-0.962) for 24-hours mortality and goodness-of-fit test, χ(2) = 5.56 (10 degrees of freedom), P = 0.234. We find that both the SCS and HOTEL scores showed an excellent to outstanding ability in identifying patients at high risk of dying with good or acceptable precision.

Admission interview scores are associated with clinical performance in an undergraduate physiotherapy course: an observational study.

PubMed

Edgar, Susan; Mercer, Annette; Hamer, Peter

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an association between admission interview score and subsequent academic and clinical performance, in a four-year undergraduate physiotherapy course. Retrospective observational study. 141 physiotherapy students enrolled in two entry year groups. Individual student performance in all course units, practical examinations, clinical placements as well as year level and overall Grade Point Average. Predictor variables included admission interview scores, admission academic scores and demographic data (gender, age and entry level). Interview score demonstrated a significant association with performance in three of six clinical placements through the course. This association was stronger than for any other admission criterion although effect sizes were small to moderate. Further, it was the only admission score to have a significant association with overall Clinical Grade Point Average for the two year groups analysed (r=0.322). By contrast, academic scores on entry showed significant associations with all year level Grade Point Averages except Year 4, the clinical year. This is the first study to review the predictive validity of an admission interview for entry into a physiotherapy course in Australia. The results show that performance in this admission interview is associated with overall performance in clinical placements through the course, while academic admission scoring is not. These findings suggest that there is a role for both academic and non-academic selection processes for entry into physiotherapy. Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity of the Optometry Admission Test in Predicting Performance in Schools and Colleges of Optometry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, Gene A.; Johnston, JoElle

1997-01-01

A study examined the relationship between Optometry Admission Test scores and pre-optometry or undergraduate grade point average (GPA) with first and second year performance in optometry schools. The test's predictive validity was limited but significant, and comparable to those reported for other admission tests. In addition, the scores…

Situational judgment test as an additional tool in a medical admission test: an observational investigation.

PubMed

Luschin-Ebengreuth, Marion; Dimai, Hans P; Ithaler, Daniel; Neges, Heide M; Reibnegger, Gilbert

2015-03-14

In the framework of medical university admission procedures the assessment of non-cognitive abilities is increasingly demanded. As tool for assessing personal qualities or the ability to handle theoretical social constructs in complex situations, the Situational Judgment Test (SJT), among other measurement instruments, is discussed in the literature. This study focuses on the development and the results of the SJT as part of the admission test for the study of human medicine and dentistry at one medical university in Austria. Observational investigation focusing on the results of the SJT. 4741 applicants were included in the study. To yield comparable results for the different test parts, "relative scores" for each test part were calculated. Performance differences between women and men in the various test parts are analyzed using effect sizes based on comparison of mean values (Cohen's d). The associations between the relative scores achieved in the various test parts were assessed by computing pairwise linear correlation coefficients between all test parts and visualized by bivariate scatterplots. Among successful candidates, men consistently outperform women. Men perform better in physics and mathematics. Women perform better in the SJT part. The least discriminatory test part was the SJT. A strong correlation between biology and chemistry and moderate correlations between the other test parts except SJT is obvious. The relative scores are not symmetrically distributed. The cognitive loading of the performed SJTs points to the low correlation between the SJTs and cognitive abilities. Adding the SJT part into the admission test, in order to cover more than only knowledge and understanding of natural sciences among the applicants has been quite successful.

Effect of admission fascia iliaca compartment blocks on post-operative abbreviated mental test scores in elderly fractured neck of femur patients: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Odor, Peter M; Chis Ster, Irina; Wilkinson, Iain; Sage, Frederic

2017-01-05

Post-operative cognitive impairment is common in elderly patients following surgery for hip fracture, with undertreated pain being an important etiological factor. Non-opioid based analgesic techniques, such as nerve blocks, may help reduce the risk of cognitive complications. The aim of this study was to investigate whether receiving a fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) as part of a pre-operative analgesic regime increased the odds of high post-operative abbreviated mental test scores (AMTS) when compared with conventional analgesia without a nerve block. A retrospective data analysis of a cohort of 959 patients, aged ≥ 65 years with a diagnosis of hip fracture and admitted to a single hospital over a two-year period was performed. A standardized analgesic regime was used on all patients, and 541/959 (56.4%) of included patients received a FICB. Provision of the FICB was primarily determined by availability of an anesthetist, rather than by patient status and condition. Post-operative cognitive ordinal outcomes were defined by AMTS severity as high (score of ≥9/10), moderate, (score of 7-8) and low (score of ≤6). A multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed on patient status and clinical care factors, including admission AMTS, age, gender, source of admission, time to surgery, type of anesthesia and ASA score. Admission FICB was associated with higher adjusted odds for a high AMTS (score of ≥9) relative to lower AMTS (score of ≤8) than conventional analgesia only (OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.27-2.54; p = 0.001). Increasing age, lower AMTS on admission to hospital, and being admitted from a residential or nursing home were associated with worse cognitive outcomes. Mode of anesthesia or surgery did not significantly influence post-operative AMTS. Post-operative AMTS is influenced by pre-operative analgesic regimes in elderly patients with hip fracture. Provision of a FICB to patients on arrival to hospital may improve early

External Validation of the Simple Clinical Score and the HOTEL Score, Two Scores for Predicting Short-Term Mortality after Admission to an Acute Medical Unit

PubMed Central

Stræde, Mia; Brabrand, Mikkel

2014-01-01

Background Clinical scores can be of aid to predict early mortality after admission to a medical admission unit. A developed scoring system needs to be externally validated to minimise the risk of the discriminatory power and calibration to be falsely elevated. We performed the present study with the objective of validating the Simple Clinical Score (SCS) and the HOTEL score, two existing risk stratification systems that predict mortality for medical patients based solely on clinical information, but not only vital signs. Methods Pre-planned prospective observational cohort study. Setting Danish 460-bed regional teaching hospital. Findings We included 3046 consecutive patients from 2 October 2008 until 19 February 2009. 26 (0.9%) died within one calendar day and 196 (6.4%) died within 30 days. We calculated SCS for 1080 patients. We found an AUROC of 0.960 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.932 to 0.988) for 24-hours mortality and 0.826 (95% CI, 0.774–0.879) for 30-day mortality, and goodness-of-fit test, χ2 = 2.68 (10 degrees of freedom), P = 0.998 and χ2 = 4.00, P = 0.947, respectively. We included 1470 patients when calculating the HOTEL score. Discriminatory power (AUROC) was 0.931 (95% CI, 0.901–0.962) for 24-hours mortality and goodness-of-fit test, χ2 = 5.56 (10 degrees of freedom), P = 0.234. Conclusion We find that both the SCS and HOTEL scores showed an excellent to outstanding ability in identifying patients at high risk of dying with good or acceptable precision. PMID:25144186

Observed-Score Equating as a Test Assembly Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Linden, Wim J.; Luecht, Richard M.

1998-01-01

Derives a set of linear conditions of item-response functions that guarantees identical observed-score distributions on two test forms. The conditions can be added as constraints to a linear programming model for test assembly. An example illustrates the use of the model for an item pool from the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). (SLD)

Care provider allocation on admissions to acute mental health wards: The development and validation of the Admission Team Score List.

PubMed

van den Berg, Sjobha R N; Stringer, Barbara; van de Sande, Roland; Draisma, Stasja

2018-05-18

Currently, support tools are lacking to prioritize steps in the care coordination process to enable safe practice and effective clinical pathways in the first phase of acute psychiatric admissions. This study describes the development, validity, and reliability of an acute care coordination support tool, the Admission Team Score List (ATSL). The ATSL assists in care provider allocation during admissions. Face validity and feasibility of the ATSL were tested in 77 acute admissions. Endscores of filled out ATSL's were translated to recommended team compositions. These ATSL team (ATSL-T) compositions were compared to the actually present team (AP-T) and the most preferred team (MP-T) composition in hindsight. Consistency between the ATSL-T and the MP-T was substantial; K w  = 0.70, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.55-0.84]. The consistency between the ATSL-T and AP-T was moderate; K w  = 0.43, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.23-0.62]. The ATSL has an adequate (inter-rater) reliability; ICC = 0.90, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.65-0.91]. The ATSL study is an important step to promote safety and efficient care based on care provider allocation, for service users experiencing an acute admission. The ATSL may stimulate structured clinical decision-making during the hectic process around acute psychiatric admissions. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Medical school dropout--testing at admission versus selection by highest grades as predictors.

PubMed

O'Neill, Lotte; Hartvigsen, Jan; Wallstedt, Birgitta; Korsholm, Lars; Eika, Berit

2011-11-01

Very few studies have reported on the effect of admission tests on medical school dropout. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive validity of non-grade-based admission testing versus grade-based admission relative to subsequent dropout. This prospective cohort study followed six cohorts of medical students admitted to the medical school at the University of Southern Denmark during 2002-2007 (n=1544). Half of the students were admitted based on their prior achievement of highest grades (Strategy 1) and the other half took a composite non-grade-based admission test (Strategy 2). Educational as well as social predictor variables (doctor-parent, origin, parenthood, parents living together, parent on benefit, university-educated parents) were also examined. The outcome of interest was students' dropout status at 2 years after admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to model dropout. Strategy 2 (admission test) students had a lower relative risk for dropping out of medical school within 2 years of admission (odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.39-0.80). Only the admission strategy, the type of qualifying examination and the priority given to the programme on the national application forms contributed significantly to the dropout model. Social variables did not predict dropout and neither did Strategy 2 admission test scores. Selection by admission testing appeared to have an independent, protective effect on dropout in this setting. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

ABCD² score may discriminate minor stroke from TIA on patient admission.

PubMed

Zhao, Hui; Li, Qingjie; Lu, Mengru; Shao, Yuan; Li, Jingwei; Xu, Yun

2014-02-01

With the advent of time-dependent thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke, it has become increasingly important to differentiate transient ischemic attack (TIA) from minor stroke patients after symptom onset quickly. This study investigated the difference between TIA and minor stroke based on age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration of TIA, presence of diabetes, ABCD² score, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and blood lipids. One hundred seventy-one patients with clinical manifestations as transient neurological deficits in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were studied retrospectively. All patients were evaluated by ABCD² score, blood lipid test, fibrinogen, and Holter electrocardiograph and DSA on admission. Patients were categorized into TIA group or minor stroke group according to CT and MRI scan 24 h within symptom onset. The study suggested that minor stroke patients were more likely to have a higher ABCD² score (odds ratio (OR) 2.060; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.293-3.264). Receiver-operating characteristic curves identified ABCD² score >4 as the optimal cut-off for minor stroke diagnosis. Total serum cholesterol seemed a better diagnostic indicator to discriminate minor stroke from TIA (OR 4.815; 95% CI 0.946-1.654) than other blood lipids in simple logistic regression, but not valuable for the differentiation between TIA and minor stroke in multivariate logistic regression. Higher severity of intracranial internal carotid stenosis, especially >90%, were more likely to have minor stroke, but was not a reliable diagnostic indicator (P > 0.05). ABCD² could help clinicians to differentiate possible TIA from minor stroke at hospital admission while blood lipid parameters and artery stenosis location offer limited help.

Index Blood Tests and National Early Warning Scores within 24 Hours of Emergency Admission Can Predict the Risk of In-Hospital Mortality: A Model Development and Validation Study

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Mohammed A.; Rudge, Gavin; Watson, Duncan; Wood, Gordon; Smith, Gary B.; Prytherch, David R.; Girling, Alan; Stevens, Andrew

2013-01-01

Background We explored the use of routine blood tests and national early warning scores (NEWS) reported within ±24 hours of admission to predict in-hospital mortality in emergency admissions, using empirical decision Tree models because they are intuitive and may ultimately be used to support clinical decision making. Methodology A retrospective analysis of adult emergency admissions to a large acute hospital during April 2009 to March 2010 in the West Midlands, England, with a full set of index blood tests results (albumin, creatinine, haemoglobin, potassium, sodium, urea, white cell count and an index NEWS undertaken within ±24 hours of admission). We developed a Tree model by randomly splitting the admissions into a training (50%) and validation dataset (50%) and assessed its accuracy using the concordance (c-) statistic. Emergency admissions (about 30%) did not have a full set of index blood tests and/or NEWS and so were not included in our analysis. Results There were 23248 emergency admissions with a full set of blood tests and NEWS with an in-hospital mortality of 5.69%. The Tree model identified age, NEWS, albumin, sodium, white cell count and urea as significant (p<0.001) predictors of death, which described 17 homogeneous subgroups of admissions with mortality ranging from 0.2% to 60%. The c-statistic for the training model was 0.864 (95%CI 0.852 to 0.87) and when applied to the testing data set this was 0.853 (95%CI 0.840 to 0.866). Conclusions An easy to interpret validated risk adjustment Tree model using blood test and NEWS taken within ±24 hours of admission provides good discrimination and offers a novel approach to risk adjustment which may potentially support clinical decision making. Given the nature of the clinical data, the results are likely to be generalisable but further research is required to investigate this promising approach. PMID:23734195

Medical colleges admission test in Punjab, Pakistan.

PubMed

Khan, Junaid Sarfraz; Biggs, John S G; Bano, Tahira; Mukhtar, Osama; Tabasum, Saima; Mubasshar, Malik Hussain

2013-01-01

Nearly 18,000 candidates securing 60% and above marks in Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examination contest for admission in Medical Colleges, in Punjab, Pakistan by sitting in the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) each summer. This cross-sectional study was conducted to identify patterns related to demographic, economic and educational backgrounds, over a two-year-period, in this population, and how HSSC and MCAT marks predict future performance of the selected candidates. Marks obtained by candidates in HSSC, MCAT, and 1st Professional MBBS (Part-I) Examinations over two years 2008-2009, were analysed using parametric tests in SPSS. Total 18,090 candidates in 2008 and 18,486 in 2009 sat in the MCAT. National IHSSC candidates scored higher marks in HSSC and MCAT but lower marks than their foreign qualified HSSC counterparts (e.g., Advanced-levels from Cambridge University, UK) in Part-I overall and in all its subcomponents individually (p < 0.05). Female students scored higher marks than males in HSSC (p > 0.05). MCAT (p > 0.05) and Part-I theory, practical, viva voce, continuous assessment and Objective-Structured Performance Evaluation (OSPE) components (p < 0.05). In both years, students from the Dera Ghazi Khan District scored the highest marks in the HSSC Examinations (p < 0.05) but least marks in MCAT in 2008 (p < 0.05) and in Part-I in 2008 and 2009 (p < 0.05). Students from 'tougher' Boards like Rawalpindi in 2008 and the Federal Board in 2009 who scored least marks in HSSC scored highest marks in MCAT. and in Part-I Examinations (p < 0.05). Linear regression on Part-I by taking HSSC and MCAT marks as independent variables showed that the MCAT marks exerted the greatest positive influence consistently at 0.104 (2008) and 0.106 (2009). In 2009 HSSC marks were shown to exert a negative influence (-0.08) on Part-I. There is need to standardise HSSC education and examination across all Intermediate Boards. MCAT is a better predictor of Medical

Test Scores, Class Rank and College Performance: Lessons for Broadening Access and Promoting Success.

PubMed

Niu, Sunny X; Tienda, Marta

2012-04-01

Using administrative data for five Texas universities that differ in selectivity, this study evaluates the relative influence of two key indicators for college success-high school class rank and standardized tests. Empirical results show that class rank is the superior predictor of college performance and that test score advantages do not insulate lower ranked students from academic underperformance. Using the UT-Austin campus as a test case, we conduct a simulation to evaluate the consequences of capping students admitted automatically using both achievement metrics. We find that using class rank to cap the number of students eligible for automatic admission would have roughly uniform impacts across high schools, but imposing a minimum test score threshold on all students would have highly unequal consequences by greatly reduce the admission eligibility of the highest performing students who attend poor high schools while not jeopardizing admissibility of students who attend affluent high schools. We discuss the implications of the Texas admissions experiment for higher education in Europe.

Redundancy, Discrimination and Corruption in the Multibillion-Dollar Business of College Admissions Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizzo, Monica Ellen

2012-01-01

Most American colleges and universities require standardized entrance exams when making admissions decisions. Scores on these exams help determine if, when and where students will be allowed to pursue higher education. These scores are also used to determine eligibility for merit based financial aid. This testing persists even though half of the…

SIRS score on admission and initial concentration of IL-6 as severe acute pancreatitis outcome predictors.

PubMed

Gregoric, Pavle; Pavle, Gregoric; Sijacki, Ana; Ana, Sijacki; Stankovic, Sanja; Sanja, Stankovic; Radenkovic, Dejan; Dejan, Radenkovic; Ivancevic, Nenad; Nenad, Ivancevic; Karamarkovic, Aleksandar; Aleksandar, Karamarkovic; Popovic, Nada; Nada, Popovic; Karadzic, Borivoje; Borivoje, Karadzic; Stijak, Lazar; Stefanovic, Branislav; Branislav, Stefanovic; Milosevic, Zoran; Zoran, Milosević; Bajec, Djordje; Djordje, Bajec

2010-01-01

Early recognition of severe form of acute pancreatitis is important because these patients need more agressive diagnostic and therapeutical approach an can develope systemic complications such as: sepsis, coagulopathy, Acute Lung Injury (ALI), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), Multiple Organ Failure (MOF). To determine role of the combination of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) score and serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) level on admission as predictor of illness severity and outcome of Severe Acute Pancreatitis (SAP). We evaluated 234 patients with first onset of SAP appears in last twenty four hours. A total of 77 (33%) patients died. SIRS score and serum IL-6 concentration were measured in first hour after admission. In 105 patients with SIRS score 3 and higher, initial measured IL-6 levels were significantly higher than in the group of remaining 129 patients (72 +/- 67 pg/mL, vs 18 +/- 15 pg/mL). All nonsurvivals were in the first group, with SIRS score 3 and 4 and initial IL-6 concentration 113 +/- 27 pg/mL. The values of C-reactive Protein (CRP) measured after 48h, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score on admission and Ranson score showed the similar correlation, but serum amylase level did not correlate significantly with Ranson score, IL-6 concentration and APACHE II score. The combination of SIRS score on admission and IL-6 serum concentration can be early, predictor of illness severity and outcome in SAP.

Z-Score Demystified: A Critical Analysis of the Sri Lankan University Admission Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warnapala, Yajni; Silva, Karishma

2011-01-01

In the year 2001, the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka successfully appealed to change the method of determining the cut-off scores for university admissions from raw scores to standardized z-scores. This standardization allegedly eliminated the discrepancy caused due to the assumption of equal difficulty levels across all subjects. This…

Can generic paediatric mortality scores calculated 4 hours after admission be used as inclusion criteria for clinical trials?

PubMed Central

Leteurtre, Stéphane; Leclerc, Francis; Wirth, Jessica; Noizet, Odile; Magnenant, Eric; Sadik, Ahmed; Fourier, Catherine; Cremer, Robin

2004-01-01

Introduction Two generic paediatric mortality scoring systems have been validated in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Paediatric RISk of Mortality (PRISM) requires an observation period of 24 hours, and PRISM III measures severity at two time points (at 12 hours and 24 hours) after admission, which represents a limitation for clinical trials that require earlier inclusion. The Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM) is calculated 1 hour after admission but does not take into account the stabilization period following admission. To avoid these limitations, we chose to conduct assessments 4 hours after PICU admission. The aim of the present study was to validate PRISM, PRISM III and PIM at the time points for which they were developed, and to compare their accuracy in predicting mortality at those times with their accuracy at 4 hours. Methods All children admitted from June 1998 to May 2000 in one tertiary PICU were prospectively included. Data were collected to generate scores and predictions using PRISM, PRISM III and PIM. Results There were 802 consecutive admissions with 80 deaths. For the time points for which the scores were developed, observed and predicted mortality rates were significantly different for the three scores (P < 0.01) whereas all exhibited good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ≥0.83). At 4 hours after admission only the PIM had good calibration (P = 0.44), but all three scores exhibited good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ≥0.82). Conclusions Among the three scores calculated at 4 hours after admission, all had good discriminatory capacity but only the PIM score was well calibrated. Further studies are required before the PIM score at 4 hours can be used as an inclusion criterion in clinical trials. PMID:15312217

The SAFARI Score to Assess the Risk of Convulsive Seizure During Admission for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

PubMed

Jaja, Blessing N R; Schweizer, Tom A; Claassen, Jan; Le Roux, Peter; Mayer, Stephan A; Macdonald, R Loch

2018-06-01

Seizure is a significant complication in patients under acute admission for aneurysmal SAH and could result in poor outcomes. Treatment strategies to optimize management will benefit from methods to better identify at-risk patients. To develop and validate a risk score for convulsive seizure during acute admission for SAH. A risk score was developed in 1500 patients from a single tertiary hospital and externally validated in 852 patients. Candidate predictors were identified by systematic review of the literature and were included in a backward stepwise logistic regression model with in-hospital seizure as a dependent variable. The risk score was assessed for discrimination using the area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (AUC) and for calibration using a goodness-of-fit test. The SAFARI score, based on 4 items (age ≥ 60 yr, seizure occurrence before hospitalization, ruptured aneurysm in the anterior circulation, and hydrocephalus requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion), had AUC = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73-0.82 in the development cohort. The validation cohort had AUC = 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.73. A calibrated increase in the risk of seizure was noted with increasing SAFARI score points. The SAFARI score is a simple tool that adequately stratified SAH patients according to their risk for seizure using a few readily derived predictor items. It may contribute to a more individualized management of seizure following SAH.

Evaluation of pneumonia severity and acute physiology scores to predict ICU admission and mortality in patients hospitalized for influenza.

PubMed

Muller, Matthew P; McGeer, Allison J; Hassan, Kazi; Marshall, John; Christian, Michael

2010-03-05

The demand for inpatient medical services increases during influenza season. A scoring system capable of identifying influenza patients at low risk death or ICU admission could help clinicians make hospital admission decisions. Hospitalized patients with laboratory confirmed influenza were identified over 3 influenza seasons at 25 Ontario hospitals. Each patient was assigned a score for 6 pneumonia severity and 2 sepsis scores using the first data available following their registration in the emergency room. In-hospital mortality and ICU admission were the outcomes. Score performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the sensitivity and specificity for identifying low risk patients (risk of outcome <5%). The cohort consisted of 607 adult patients. Mean age was 76 years, 12% of patients died (71/607) and 9% required ICU care (55/607). None of the scores examined demonstrated good discriminatory ability (AUC>or=0.80). The Pneumonia Severity Index (AUC 0.78, 95% CI 0.72-0.83) and the Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis score (AUC 0.77, 95% 0.71-0.83) demonstrated fair predictive ability (AUC>or=0.70) for in-hospital mortality. The best predictor of ICU admission was SMART-COP (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.67-0.79). All other scores were poor predictors (AUC <0.70) of either outcome. If patients classified as low risk for in-hospital mortality using the PSI were discharged, 35% of admissions would have been avoided. None of the scores studied were good predictors of in-hospital mortality or ICU admission. The PSI and MEDS score were fair predictors of death and if these results are validated, their use could reduce influenza admission rates significantly.

Can Computerized Adaptive Testing Work in Students' Admission to Higher Education Programs in Turkey?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalender, Ilker; Berberoglu, Giray

2017-01-01

Admission into university in Turkey is very competitive and features a number of practical problems regarding not only the test administration process itself, but also concerning the psychometric properties of test scores. Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is seen as a possible alternative approach to solve these problems. In the first phase of…

Lexical Profiles of Thailand University Admission Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherngchawano, Wirun; Jaturapitakkul, Natjiree

2014-01-01

University Admission Tests in Thailand are important documents which reflect Thailand's education system. To study at a higher education level, all students generally need to take the University Admission Tests designed by the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS). For the English test, vocabulary and reading comprehension is…

Validating use of a critical thinking test for the dental admission test.

PubMed

Tsai, Tsung-Hsun

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to validate the use of a test to assess dental school applicants' critical thinking abilities. The intent was to include this test on the Dental Admission Test (DAT) if it was shown to enhance the DAT's validity. Correlation and regression analyses of undergraduate and dental school performance with scores on each of the tests on the DAT battery and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) were performed. Data were collected from 439 third- and fourth-year dental students who consented to participate and were enrolled at one of the ten accredited dental schools included in the study. These ten dental schools were from most regions of the United States. This study concluded that including the CCTST on the DAT did not significantly enhance the DAT's validity.

How Does the Use of Concordant Scores Impact Admission Decisions? Research Report 2016-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marini, Jessica P.; Shaw, Emily J.; Young, Linda; Walker, Michael

2016-01-01

College admission offices receive many different pieces of information on each applicant to their institution. The job of considering this information becomes further complicated when the information is not consistent across applicants. An example of one such complication is receiving SAT scores for some applicants and receiving ACT scores for…

A physical function test for use in the intensive care unit: validity, responsiveness, and predictive utility of the physical function ICU test (scored).

PubMed

Denehy, Linda; de Morton, Natalie A; Skinner, Elizabeth H; Edbrooke, Lara; Haines, Kimberley; Warrillow, Stephen; Berney, Sue

2013-12-01

Several tests have recently been developed to measure changes in patient strength and functional outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU). The original Physical Function ICU Test (PFIT) demonstrates reliability and sensitivity. The aims of this study were to further develop the original PFIT, to derive an interval score (the PFIT-s), and to test the clinimetric properties of the PFIT-s. A nested cohort study was conducted. One hundred forty-four and 116 participants performed the PFIT at ICU admission and discharge, respectively. Original test components were modified using principal component analysis. Rasch analysis examined the unidimensionality of the PFIT, and an interval score was derived. Correlations tested validity, and multiple regression analyses investigated predictive ability. Responsiveness was assessed using the effect size index (ESI), and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated. The shoulder lift component was removed. Unidimensionality of combined admission and discharge PFIT-s scores was confirmed. The PFIT-s displayed moderate convergent validity with the Timed "Up & Go" Test (r=-.60), the Six-Minute Walk Test (r=.41), and the Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score (rho=.49). The ESI of the PFIT-s was 0.82, and the MCID was 1.5 points (interval scale range=0-10). A higher admission PFIT-s score was predictive of: an MRC score of ≥48, increased likelihood of discharge home, reduced likelihood of discharge to inpatient rehabilitation, and reduced acute care hospital length of stay. Scoring of sit-to-stand assistance required is subjective, and cadence cutpoints used may not be generalizable. The PFIT-s is a safe and inexpensive test of physical function with high clinical utility. It is valid, responsive to change, and predictive of key outcomes. It is recommended that the PFIT-s be adopted to test physical function in the ICU.

To what extent does the Health Professions Admission Test-Ireland predict performance in early undergraduate tests of communication and clinical skills? An observational cohort study.

PubMed

Kelly, Maureen E; Regan, Daniel; Dunne, Fidelma; Henn, Patrick; Newell, John; O'Flynn, Siun

2013-05-10

Internationally, tests of general mental ability are used in the selection of medical students. Examples include the Medical College Admission Test, Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and the UK Clinical Aptitude Test. The most widely used measure of their efficacy is predictive validity.A new tool, the Health Professions Admission Test- Ireland (HPAT-Ireland), was introduced in 2009. Traditionally, selection to Irish undergraduate medical schools relied on academic achievement. Since 2009, Irish and EU applicants are selected on a combination of their secondary school academic record (measured predominately by the Leaving Certificate Examination) and HPAT-Ireland score. This is the first study to report on the predictive validity of the HPAT-Ireland for early undergraduate assessments of communication and clinical skills. Students enrolled at two Irish medical schools in 2009 were followed up for two years. Data collected were gender, HPAT-Ireland total and subsection scores; Leaving Certificate Examination plus HPAT-Ireland combined score, Year 1 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores (Total score, communication and clinical subtest scores), Year 1 Multiple Choice Questions and Year 2 OSCE and subset scores. We report descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and Multiple linear regression models. Data were available for 312 students. In Year 1 none of the selection criteria were significantly related to student OSCE performance. The Leaving Certificate Examination and Leaving Certificate plus HPAT-Ireland combined scores correlated with MCQ marks.In Year 2 a series of significant correlations emerged between the HPAT-Ireland and subsections thereof with OSCE Communication Z-scores; OSCE Clinical Z-scores; and Total OSCE Z-scores. However on multiple regression only the relationship between Total OSCE Score and the Total HPAT-Ireland score remained significant; albeit the predictive power was modest. We found

Norm-Referenced Tests and Race-Blind Admissions: The Case for Eliminating the SAT and ACT at the University of California. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.15.17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiser, Saul

2017-01-01

Of all college admission criteria, scores on nationally normed tests like the SAT and ACT are most affected by the socioeconomic background of the student. The effect of socioeconomic background on test scores has grown substantially at University of California over the past two decades, and tests have become more of a barrier to admission of…

Predicting the Risk of Clostridium difficile Infection upon Admission: A Score to Identify Patients for Antimicrobial Stewardship Efforts.

PubMed

Kuntz, Jennifer L; Smith, David H; Petrik, Amanda F; Yang, Xiuhai; Thorp, Micah L; Barton, Tracy; Barton, Karen; Labreche, Matthew; Spindel, Steven J; Johnson, Eric S

2016-01-01

Increasing morbidity and health care costs related to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have heightened interest in methods to identify patients who would most benefit from interventions to mitigate the likelihood of CDI. To develop a risk score that can be calculated upon hospital admission and used by antimicrobial stewards, including pharmacists and clinicians, to identify patients at risk for CDI who would benefit from enhanced antibiotic review and patient education. We assembled a cohort of Kaiser Permanente Northwest patients with a hospital admission from July 1, 2005, through December 30, 2012, and identified CDI in the six months following hospital admission. Using Cox regression, we constructed a score to identify patients at high risk for CDI on the basis of preadmission characteristics. We calculated and plotted the observed six-month CDI risk for each decile of predicted risk. We identified 721 CDIs following 54,186 hospital admissions-a 6-month incidence of 13.3 CDIs/1000 patient admissions. Patients with the highest predicted risk of CDI had an observed incidence of 53 CDIs/1000 patient admissions. The score differentiated between patients who do and do not develop CDI, with values for the extended C-statistic of 0.75. Predicted risk for CDI agreed closely with observed risk. Our risk score accurately predicted six-month risk for CDI using preadmission characteristics. Accurate predictions among the highest-risk patient subgroups allow for the identification of patients who could be targeted for and who would likely benefit from review of inpatient antibiotic use or enhanced educational efforts at the time of discharge planning.

Berg Balance Scale score at admission can predict walking suitable for community ambulation at discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Louie, Dennis R; Eng, Janice J

2018-01-10

This retrospective cohort study identified inpatient rehabilitation admission variables that predict walking ability at discharge and established Berg Balance Scale cut-off scores to predict the extent of improvement in walking. Participants (n=123) were assessed for various cognitive and physical outcomes at admission to inpatient stroke rehabilitation. Multivariate logistic regression identified admission predictors of regaining community ambulation (gait speed ≥0.8 m/s) or unassisted ambulation (no physical assistance) after 4 weeks. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified cut-off admission Berg Balance Scale scores. Mini-Mental State Examination (odds ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.19-2.14) was a significant predictor when coupled with admission walking speed for regaining community ambulation speed; stroke type (haemorrhagic/ischaemic) was a significant predictor (OR=0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.77) when coupled with Berg Balance Scale (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09-1.20). Only Berg Balance Scale was a significant predictor of regaining unassisted ambulation (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.17). A cut-off Berg Balance Scale score of 29 on admission predicts that an individual will go on to achieve community walking speed (n=123, area under the curve (AUC)=0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.95); a cut-off score of 12 predicts a non-ambulator to regain unassisted ambulation (n=84, AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.62-0.84). The Berg Balance Scale can be used at rehabilitation admission to predict the degree of improvement in walking for patients with stroke.

Test Takers' Attitudes and Beliefs about the Graduate Management Admission Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stricker, Lawrence J.; Wilder, Gita Z.; Bridgeman, Brent

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess test takers' attitudes and beliefs about an admissions test used extensively in graduate schools of business in the United States, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and the relationships of these attitudes and beliefs to test performance. A set of attitude and belief items was administered by…

[Medical school admission test at the University of Goettingen - which applicants will benefit?].

PubMed

Simmenroth-Nayda, Anne; Meskauskas, Erik; Burckhardt, Gerhard; Görlich, Yvonne

2014-01-01

Medical schools in Germany may select 60% of the student applicants through their own admission tests. The influence of the school-leaving examination grades (EGs) in each of the procedural steps is controversial. At Goettingen Medical School, we combine a structured interview and a communicative skills assessment. We analysed how many applicants succeeded in our admission test, compared to a model which only takes EGs into account. Admission scores were transferred into SPSS-21. Sociodemographic data were submitted by the Stiftung Hochschulstart. Besides descriptive statistics, we used Pearson-correlation and means comparisons (t-test, analysis of variance). 221 applicants (EGs 1.0-1.9) were invited in the winter semester 2013/14 and 222 applicants (EGs 1.1-1.8) in the summer semester 2014. The proportion of women was 68% (winter) and 74% (summer). Sixteen and 37 applicants had a medical vocational training and performed slightly better. The analysis showed that our test was gender neutral. EGs did not correlate with interviews or skills assessment. Despite a two-fold impact of EGs, 26 (winter) and 44 (summer) of the overall 181 applicants had EGs of 1.4 -1.9, which would have been too low for admission otherwise. If EGs were only considered once, 40 (winter) and 59 (summer) applicants would have succeeded. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Admission Norton scale scores (ANSS) correlate with rehabilitation outcome and length in elderly patients following hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Justo, Dan; Vislapu, Natalia; Shvedov, Victor; Fickte, Marina; Danylesko, Alexander; Kimelman, Polina; Merdler, Charlotte; Lerman, Yaffa

2011-01-01

We sought to determine if ANSS used for evaluating pressure sore risk also correlate with rehabilitation outcome and length following hip arthroplasty in elderly patients. This was a retrospective study conducted in a geriatric rehabilitation department during 2009. ANSS, admission albumin serum levels, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores, discharge walking functional independence measure (FIM) scores, and rehabilitation length were studied. The final cohort included 201 patients: 160 (79.6%) females and 41 (20.4%) males. Mean age was 82.7±6.5 years. Mean discharge walking FIM score was 5.2±0.9. Mean length of rehabilitation was 19.9±7.8 days. ANSS correlated with discharge walking FIM scores (r=0.28; p=0.002), and with length of rehabilitation (r=-0.22; p=0.014) following adjustment for age, admission albumin serum levels, and MMSE scores. Linear regression analysis showed that ANSS were associated with the discharge walking FIM scores (p<0.0001) and rehabilitation length (p=0.027) independent of age, admission albumin serum levels, gender, type of hip surgery, and the appearance of pressure sores. We conclude that the Norton scoring system may be used for predicting the outcome and the duration of rehabilitation in elderly patients following hip arthroplasty. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Admissions Testing & Institutional Admissions Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossler, Don; Kalsbeek, David

2009-01-01

The array of admissions models and the underlying, and sometimes conflicting goals people have for college admissions, create the dynamics and the tensions that define the contemporary context for enrollment management. The senior enrollment officer must ask, for example, how does an institution try to assure transparency, equality of access,…

To what extent does the Health Professions Admission Test-Ireland predict performance in early undergraduate tests of communication and clinical skills? – An observational cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Internationally, tests of general mental ability are used in the selection of medical students. Examples include the Medical College Admission Test, Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and the UK Clinical Aptitude Test. The most widely used measure of their efficacy is predictive validity. A new tool, the Health Professions Admission Test- Ireland (HPAT-Ireland), was introduced in 2009. Traditionally, selection to Irish undergraduate medical schools relied on academic achievement. Since 2009, Irish and EU applicants are selected on a combination of their secondary school academic record (measured predominately by the Leaving Certificate Examination) and HPAT-Ireland score. This is the first study to report on the predictive validity of the HPAT-Ireland for early undergraduate assessments of communication and clinical skills. Method Students enrolled at two Irish medical schools in 2009 were followed up for two years. Data collected were gender, HPAT-Ireland total and subsection scores; Leaving Certificate Examination plus HPAT-Ireland combined score, Year 1 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores (Total score, communication and clinical subtest scores), Year 1 Multiple Choice Questions and Year 2 OSCE and subset scores. We report descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and Multiple linear regression models. Results Data were available for 312 students. In Year 1 none of the selection criteria were significantly related to student OSCE performance. The Leaving Certificate Examination and Leaving Certificate plus HPAT-Ireland combined scores correlated with MCQ marks. In Year 2 a series of significant correlations emerged between the HPAT-Ireland and subsections thereof with OSCE Communication Z-scores; OSCE Clinical Z-scores; and Total OSCE Z-scores. However on multiple regression only the relationship between Total OSCE Score and the Total HPAT-Ireland score remained significant; albeit the

Linking Scores from Tests of Similar Content Given in Different Languages: An Illustration Involving Methodological Alternatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cascallar, Alicia S.; Dorans, Neil J.

2005-01-01

This study compares two methods commonly used (concordance and prediction) to establish linkages between scores from tests of similar content given in different languages. Score linkages between the Verbal and Math sections of the SAT I and the corresponding sections of the Spanish-language admissions test, the Prueba de Aptitud Academica (PAA),…

Admissions Policies: Side Effects and their Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, David P.

1971-01-01

Examines the effects of using standardized achievement test scores as primary admission criteria for college admission on the birth order composition of the professions and the range of vocational interests in the general educated public. (JM)

Association Between Hospital Admission Risk Profile Score and Skilled Nursing or Acute Rehabilitation Facility Discharges in Hospitalized Older Adults.

PubMed

Liu, Stephen K; Montgomery, Justin; Yan, Yu; Mecchella, John N; Bartels, Stephen J; Masutani, Rebecca; Batsis, John A

2016-10-01

To evaluate whether the Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP) score is associated with skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge after an acute hospitalization. Retrospective cohort study. Inpatient unit of a rural academic medical center. Hospitalized individuals aged 70 and older from October 1, 2013 to June 1, 2014. Participant age at the time of admission, modified Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, and self-reported instrumental activities of daily living 2 weeks before admission were used to calculate HARP score. The primary predictor was HARP score, and the primary outcome was discharge disposition (home, facility, deceased). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association between HARP score and discharge disposition, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and length of stay. Four hundred twenty-eight individuals admitted from home were screened and their HARP scores were categorized as low (n = 162, 37.8%), intermediate (n = 157, 36.7%), or high (n = 109, 25.5%). Participants with high HARP scores were significantly more likely to be discharged to a facility (55%) than those with low HARP scores (20%) (P < .001). After adjustment, participants with high HARP scores were more than four times as likely as those with low scores to be discharged to a facility (odds ratio = 4.58, 95% confidence interval = 2.42-8.66). In a population of older hospitalized adults, HARP score (using readily available admission information) identifies individuals at greater risk of skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge. Early identification for potential facility discharges may allow for targeted interventions to prevent functional decline, improve informed shared decision-making about post-acute care needs, and expedite discharge planning. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Why women perform better in college than admission scores would predict: Exploring the roles of conscientiousness and course-taking patterns.

PubMed

Keiser, Heidi N; Sackett, Paul R; Kuncel, Nathan R; Brothen, Thomas

2016-04-01

Women typically obtain higher subsequent college GPAs than men with the same admissions test score. A common reaction is to attribute this to a flaw in the admissions test. We explore the possibility that this underprediction of women's performance reflects gender differences in conscientiousness and college course-taking patterns. In Study 1, we focus on using the ACT to predict performance in a single, large course where performance is decomposed into cognitive (exam and quiz scores) and less cognitive, discretionary components (discussion and extra credit points). The ACT does not underpredict female's cognitive performance, but it does underpredict female performance on the less cognitive, discretionary components of academic performance, because it fails to measure and account for the personality trait of conscientiousness. In Study 2, we create 2 course-difficulty indices (Course Challenge and Mean Aptitude in Course) and add them to an HLM regression model to see if they reduce the degree to which SAT scores underpredict female performance. Including Course Challenge does result in a modest reduction of the gender coefficient; however, including Mean Aptitude in Course does not. Thus, differences in course-taking patterns is a partial (albeit small) explanation for the common finding of differential prediction by gender. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Prepharmacy predictors of success in pharmacy school: grade point averages, pharmacy college admissions test, communication abilities, and critical thinking skills.

PubMed

Allen, D D; Bond, C A

2001-07-01

Good admissions decisions are essential for identifying successful students and good practitioners. Various parameters have been shown to have predictive power for academic success. Previous academic performance, the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), and specific prepharmacy courses have been suggested as academic performance indicators. However, critical thinking abilities have not been evaluated. We evaluated the connection between academic success and each of the following predictive parameters: the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) score, PCAT score, interview score, overall academic performance prior to admission at a pharmacy school, and performance in specific prepharmacy courses. We confirmed previous reports but demonstrated intriguing results in predicting practice-based skills. Critical thinking skills predict practice-based course success. Also, the CCTST and PCAT scores (Pearson correlation [pc] = 0.448, p < 0.001) were closely related in our students. The strongest predictors of practice-related courses and clerkship success were PCAT (pc=0.237, p<0.001) and CCTST (pc = 0.201, p < 0.001). These findings and other analyses suggest that PCAT may predict critical thinking skills in pharmacy practice courses and clerkships. Further study is needed to confirm this finding and determine which PCAT components predict critical thinking abilities.

Evaluating the validity of an integrity-based situational judgement test for medical school admissions.

PubMed

Husbands, Adrian; Rodgerson, Mark J; Dowell, Jon; Patterson, Fiona

2015-09-02

While the construct of integrity has emerged as a front-runner amongst the desirable attributes to select for in medical school admissions, it is less clear how best to assess this characteristic. A potential solution lies in the use of Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) which have gained popularity due to robust psychometric evidence and potential for large-scale administration. This study aims to explore the psychometric properties of an SJT designed to measure the construct of integrity. Ten SJT scenarios, each with five response stems were developed from critical incident interviews with academic and clinical staff. 200 of 520 (38.5 %) Multiple Mini Interview candidates at Dundee Medical School participated in the study during the 2012-2013 admissions cycle. Participants were asked to rate the appropriateness of each SJT response on a 4-point likert scale as well as complete the HEXACO personality inventory and a face validity questionnaire. Pearson's correlations and descriptive statistics were used to examine the associations between SJT score, HEXACO personality traits, pre-admissions measures namely academic and United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) scores, as well as acceptability. Cronbach's alpha reliability for the SJT was .64. Statistically significant correlations ranging from .16 to .36 (.22 to .53 disattenuated) were observed between SJT score and the honesty-humility (integrity), conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness dimensions of the HEXACO inventory. A significant correlation of .32 (.47 disattenuated) was observed between SJT and MMI scores and no significant relationship with the UKCAT. Participant reactions to the SJTs were generally positive. Initial findings are encouraging regarding the psychometric robustness of an integrity-based SJT for medical student selection, with significant associations found between the SJTs, integrity, other desirable personality traits and the MMI. The SJTs showed little or no redundancy with

College Admissions: Beyond Conventional Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Robert J.

2012-01-01

Standardized admissions tests such as the SAT (originally stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test") and the ACT measure only a narrow segment of the skills needed to become an active citizen and possibly a leader who makes a positive, meaningful, and enduring difference to the world. The problem with these tests is that they promised, under…

Predictive value of grade point average (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), internal examinations (Block) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores on Medical Council of Canada qualifying examination part I (MCCQE-1) scores.

PubMed

Roy, Banibrata; Ripstein, Ira; Perry, Kyle; Cohen, Barry

2016-01-01

To determine whether the pre-medical Grade Point Average (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Internal examinations (Block) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores are correlated with and predict the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I (MCCQE-1) scores. Data from 392 admitted students in the graduating classes of 2010-2013 at University of Manitoba (UofM), College of Medicine was considered. Pearson's correlation to assess the strength of the relationship, multiple linear regression to estimate MCCQE-1 score and stepwise linear regression to investigate the amount of variance were employed. Complete data from 367 (94%) students were studied. The MCCQE-1 had a moderate-to-large positive correlation with NBME scores and Block scores but a low correlation with GPA and MCAT scores. The multiple linear regression model gives a good estimate of the MCCQE-1 (R2 =0.604). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that 59.2% of the variation in the MCCQE-1 was accounted for by the NBME, but only 1.9% by the Block exams, and negligible variation came from the GPA and the MCAT. Amongst all the examinations used at UofM, the NBME is most closely correlated with MCCQE-1.

A modified Elixhauser score for predicting in-hospital mortality in internal medicine admissions.

PubMed

Fabbian, Fabio; De Giorgi, Alfredo; Maietti, Elisa; Gallerani, Massimo; Pala, Marco; Cappadona, Rosaria; Manfredini, Roberto; Fedeli, Ugo

2017-05-01

In-hospital mortality (IHM) is an indicator of the quality of care provided. The two most widely used scores for predicting IHM by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes are the Elixhauser (EI) and the Charlson Comorbidity indexes. Our aim was to obtain new measures based on internal medicine ICD codes for the original EI, to detect risk for IHM. This single-center retrospective study included hospital admissions for any cause in the department of internal medicine between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013, recorded in the hospital database. The EI was calculated for evaluation of comorbidity, then we added age, gender and diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. IHM was our outcome. Only predictors positively associated with IHM were taken into consideration and the Sullivan's method was applied in order to modify the parameter estimates of the regression model into an index. We analyzed 75,586 admissions (53.4% females) and mean age was 72.7±16.3years. IHM was 7.9% and mean score was 12.1±7.6. The points assigned to each condition ranged from 0 to 16, and the possible range of the score varied between 0 and 89. In our population the score ranged from 0 to 54, and it was higher in the deceased group. Receiver operating characteristic curve of the new score was 0.721 (95% CI 0.714-0.727, p<0.001). In order to make prognostic assessment, the use of a score could be of help in targeting interventions in older adults, identifying subjects at high risk for IHM. Copyright © 2017 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of Effectiveness and Fairness of Chinese Higher Education Admissions Policy Reformed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jing

2010-01-01

Since 1949 when the People's Republic of China was established, China adopted the single criterion higher education admissions policy. That is, admissions only looked at the Gao Kao scores. The test-score-centered admissions policy undermined students' health, distorted instructions and curricula and also resulted in corruption. As a result, China…

Profile of Graduate Management Admission Test[R] Candidates 2007-08 to 2011-12: Five-Year Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graduate Management Admission Council, 2012

2012-01-01

The 2011-2012 testing year held a number of significant milestones for the Graduate Management Admission Test exam. A total of 286,529 GMAT exams were administered, with 831,337 score reports sent to more than 5,200 graduate-level management programs around the world--all record numbers. This record volume reflects the increase in graduate-level…

Predictive validity of pre-admission assessments on medical student performance.

PubMed

Dabaliz, Al-Awwab; Kaadan, Samy; Dabbagh, M Marwan; Barakat, Abdulaziz; Shareef, Mohammad Abrar; Al-Tannir, Mohamad; Obeidat, Akef; Mohamed, Ayman

2017-11-24

To examine the predictive validity of pre-admission variables on students' performance in a medical school in Saudi Arabia. In this retrospective study, we collected admission and college performance data for 737 students in preclinical and clinical years. Data included high school scores and other standardized test scores, such as those of the National Achievement Test and the General Aptitude Test. Additionally, we included the scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams. Those datasets were then compared with college performance indicators, namely the cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA) and progress test, using multivariate linear regression analysis. In preclinical years, both the National Achievement Test (p=0.04, B=0.08) and TOEFL (p=0.017, B=0.01) scores were positive predictors of cGPA, whereas the General Aptitude Test (p=0.048, B=-0.05) negatively predicted cGPA. Moreover, none of the pre-admission variables were predictive of progress test performance in the same group. On the other hand, none of the pre-admission variables were predictive of cGPA in clinical years. Overall, cGPA strongly predict-ed students' progress test performance (p<0.001 and B=19.02). Only the National Achievement Test and TOEFL significantly predicted performance in preclinical years. However, these variables do not predict progress test performance, meaning that they do not predict the functional knowledge reflected in the progress test. We report various strengths and deficiencies in the current medical college admission criteria, and call for employing more sensitive and valid ones that predict student performance and functional knowledge, especially in the clinical years.

Eliminating Standardized Tests in College Admissions: The New Affirmative Action?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwick, Rebecca

1999-01-01

Eliminating the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college admissions might seem a form of covert affirmative action. Although it is possible to design a workable admissions policy that excludes standardized tests (as 15 percent of colleges have done), banishing admissions tests to further a social-policy goal indirectly is unsound policy. (Contains 25…

Beyond Standardized Tests: Admissions Alternatives That Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allina, Amy; And Others

Seven schools that have re-evaluated their needs for standardized college admissions examinations were studied to explore their admissions and innovative testing policies. The schools include: (1) Bates College in Lewiston, Maine; (2) Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine; (3) Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Cambridge,…

Routine admission laboratory testing for general medical patients.

PubMed

Hubbell, F A; Frye, E B; Akin, B V; Rucker, L

1988-06-01

We evaluated the usefulness of commonly ordered routine admission laboratory tests in 301 patients admitted consecutively to the internal medicine wards of a university teaching hospital. Using a consensus analysis approach, three Department of Medicine faculty members reviewed the charts of admitted patients to determine the impact of the test results on patient care. The evaluated tests were the urinalysis, hematocrit, white blood cell count, platelet count, six-factor automated multiple analysis (serum sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen), prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, chest x-ray, and electrocardiogram. Forty-five percent of the 3,684 tests were ordered for patients without recognizable medical indications. Twelve percent of these routine tests were abnormal, 5% led to additional laboratory testing, but only 0.5% led to change in the treatment of patients. We conclude that the impact of routine admission laboratory testing on patient care is very small and that there is little justification for ordering tests solely because of hospital admission.

A simple tool to predict admission at the time of triage.

PubMed

Cameron, Allan; Rodgers, Kenneth; Ireland, Alastair; Jamdar, Ravi; McKay, Gerard A

2015-03-01

To create and validate a simple clinical score to estimate the probability of admission at the time of triage. This was a multicentre, retrospective, cross-sectional study of triage records for all unscheduled adult attendances in North Glasgow over 2 years. Clinical variables that had significant associations with admission on logistic regression were entered into a mixed-effects multiple logistic model. This provided weightings for the score, which was then simplified and tested on a separate validation group by receiving operator characteristic (ROC) analysis and goodness-of-fit tests. 215 231 presentations were used for model derivation and 107 615 for validation. Variables in the final model showing clinically and statistically significant associations with admission were: triage category, age, National Early Warning Score (NEWS), arrival by ambulance, referral source and admission within the last year. The resulting 6-variable score showed excellent admission/discharge discrimination (area under ROC curve 0.8774, 95% CI 0.8752 to 0.8796). Higher scores also predicted early returns for those who were discharged: the odds of subsequent admission within 28 days doubled for every 7-point increase (log odds=+0.0933 per point, p<0.0001). This simple, 6-variable score accurately estimates the probability of admission purely from triage information. Most patients could accurately be assigned to 'admission likely', 'admission unlikely', 'admission very unlikely' etc., by setting appropriate cut-offs. This could have uses in patient streaming, bed management and decision support. It also has the potential to control for demographics when comparing performance over time or between departments. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Predictive validity of pre-admission assessments on medical student performance

PubMed Central

Dabaliz, Al-Awwab; Kaadan, Samy; Dabbagh, M. Marwan; Barakat, Abdulaziz; Shareef, Mohammad Abrar; Al-Tannir, Mohamad; Obeidat, Akef

2017-01-01

Objectives To examine the predictive validity of pre-admission variables on students’ performance in a medical school in Saudi Arabia.  Methods In this retrospective study, we collected admission and college performance data for 737 students in preclinical and clinical years. Data included high school scores and other standardized test scores, such as those of the National Achievement Test and the General Aptitude Test. Additionally, we included the scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams. Those datasets were then compared with college performance indicators, namely the cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA) and progress test, using multivariate linear regression analysis. Results In preclinical years, both the National Achievement Test (p=0.04, B=0.08) and TOEFL (p=0.017, B=0.01) scores were positive predictors of cGPA, whereas the General Aptitude Test (p=0.048, B=-0.05) negatively predicted cGPA. Moreover, none of the pre-admission variables were predictive of progress test performance in the same group. On the other hand, none of the pre-admission variables were predictive of cGPA in clinical years. Overall, cGPA strongly predict-ed students’ progress test performance (p<0.001 and B=19.02). Conclusions Only the National Achievement Test and TOEFL significantly predicted performance in preclinical years. However, these variables do not predict progress test performance, meaning that they do not predict the functional knowledge reflected in the progress test. We report various strengths and deficiencies in the current medical college admission criteria, and call for employing more sensitive and valid ones that predict student performance and functional knowledge, especially in the clinical years. PMID:29176032

Using College Admission Test Scores to Clarify High School Placement. Leading Indicator Spotlight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flug, Susanna

2010-01-01

In "Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education," Foley and colleagues (2008) define leading indicators as those that "provide early signals of progress toward academic achievement" (p. 1) and stress that educators "need leading indicators to help them see the direction their efforts are going in and to take…

Grade Inflation and Law School Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wongsurawat, Winai

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the evidence on whether grade inflation has led to an increasing emphasis on standardized test scores as a criterion for law school admissions. Design/methodology/approach: Fit probabilistic models to admissions data for American law schools during the mid to late 1990s, a period during which…

Comparison of clock drawing with Mini Mental State Examination as a screening test in elderly acute hospital admissions.

PubMed Central

Death, J.; Douglas, A.; Kenny, R. A.

1993-01-01

Clock drawing is a quick, easy to remember test that is well received by patients. It is a good screening test for Alzheimer's disease in the outpatient setting. We evaluated its usefulness compared with the standard Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) in elderly acute medical and surgical hospital admissions. Within 48 hours of admission, 117 patients over 70 years old were administered the MMSE and asked to draw a clock. Using the MMSE as the standard, clock drawing had a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 87%. Patients with discrepant scores were then further evaluated. The findings suggest that normal clock drawing ability reasonably excludes cognitive impairment or other causes of an abnormal MMSE in elderly acute medical and surgical hospital admissions, where cognitive impairment is common and frequently missed. PMID:8255833

Validity of the Medical College Admission Test for predicting MD-PhD student outcomes.

PubMed

Bills, James L; VanHouten, Jacob; Grundy, Michelle M; Chalkley, Roger; Dermody, Terence S

2016-03-01

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a quantitative metric used by MD and MD-PhD programs to evaluate applicants for admission. This study assessed the validity of the MCAT in predicting training performance measures and career outcomes for MD-PhD students at a single institution. The study population consisted of 153 graduates of the Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (combined MD-PhD program) who matriculated between 1963 and 2003 and completed dual-degree training. This population was divided into three cohorts corresponding to the version of the MCAT taken at the time of application. Multivariable regression (logistic for binary outcomes and linear for continuous outcomes) was used to analyze factors associated with outcome measures. The MCAT score and undergraduate GPA (uGPA) were treated as independent variables; medical and graduate school grades, time-to-PhD defense, USMLE scores, publication number, and career outcome were dependent variables. For cohort 1 (1963-1977), MCAT score was not associated with any assessed outcome, although uGPA was associated with medical school preclinical GPA and graduate school GPA (gsGPA). For cohort 2 (1978-1991), MCAT score was associated with USMLE Step II score and inversely correlated with publication number, and uGPA was associated with preclinical GPA (mspGPA) and clinical GPA (mscGPA). For cohort 3 (1992-2003), the MCAT score was associated with mscGPA, and uGPA was associated with gsGPA. Overall, MCAT score and uGPA were inconsistent or weak predictors of training metrics and career outcomes for this population of MD-PhD students.

Hypogonadism on admission to acute rehabilitation is correlated with lower functional status at admission and discharge.

PubMed

Carlson, N E; Brenner, L A; Wierman, M E; Harrison-Felix, C; Morey, C; Gallagher, S; Ripley, D

2009-04-01

To investigate the association between hormone levels and functional status during acute TBI rehabilitation. Retrospective cohort study of 43 men with moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to an acute rehabilitation unit during a 1 year period. Labs were drawn on admission, including total and free testosterone (T), prolactin, adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were obtained at admission and discharge. Associations between admission hormone levels and the main outcomes, admission and discharge FIM scores, were assessed using linear regression. Lower total and free T-levels at admission were associated with lower total FIM scores at admission (p < 0.038) and discharge (p < 0.046). Higher cortisol levels at admission were significantly associated with lower admission (p = 0.012) and discharge (p = 0.036) scores on the cognitive-FIM. Prolactin, TSH, fT4 and IGF-1 were not correlated with functional status. In men, lower total and free T-levels at admission to acute rehabilitation correlate with lower admission and discharge FIM scores. These data support the need for studies to investigate the impact of physiological testosterone therapy on outcomes during and post-rehabilitation.

The Relationship of Performance on the Dental Admission Test and Performance on Part I of the National Board Dental Examinations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Ball, Suzanne; Sullivan, Kathleen; Horine, Julie; Duncan, William K.; Replogle, William

2002-01-01

Comapred University of Mississippi dental student scores on the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and Part I of the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE) and found that DAT reading comprehension was a statistically significant predictor of all four subtests of the NBDE. Also found that DAT biology and organic chemistry scores were predictors of NBDE…

Risk score for pediatric intensive care unit admission in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and analysis of predictive factors for survival.

PubMed

González-Vicent, Marta; Marín, Catalina; Madero, Luis; Sevilla, Julián; Díaz, Miguel Angel

2005-10-01

The authors retrospectively analyzed postransplantation events in 198 children who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) between 1998 and 2002 to obtain a risk score for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and to ascertain variables predicting a poor outcome. Thirty-six patients (18%) were admitted to the PICU. Median age was 9 years (range 1-18). On univariate analysis, variables significantly associated with PICU admission were male gender (P = 0.01), more than first complete remission (P = 0.003), allogeneic transplantation (P = 0.001), engraftment syndrome (P = 0.03), and acute graft-versus-host disease grade of at least two (P = 0.05). According to this, patients were divided in two levels of risk (low and high), with a respective probability of PICU admission of 8.8 +/- 2.2% and 63.8 +/- 8.8% (P < 0.0001). Seventeen (47%) patients were discharged from the PICU. The probability of event-free survival after PICU admission at 3 years was 24.2 +/- 7%. On univariate analysis, variables with a negative impact on event-free survival were type of transplantation, inotropic support, a C-reactive protein level of at least 10 mg/dL, and a high O-PRISM score. On multivariate analysis, the only variable that influenced event-free survival was the O-PRISM score (< or =10 points, 54.6 +/- 15.3%; >10 points, 8.6 +/- 5.8%; P = 0.007). In conclusion, the risk of PICU admission may be easily estimated using simple variables. A high O-PRISM score at the time of PICU admission predicts a dismal outcome.

Evaluation of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coates, Hamish; Friedman, Tim

2010-01-01

This paper reports findings from the first national Australian study of the predictive validity of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). Background on tertiary admissions procedures in Australia is presented, followed by information on STAT and the research methods. The results affirm that STAT, through the provision of baseline and…

Can we predict 4-year graduation in podiatric medical school using admission data?

PubMed

Sesodia, Sanjay; Molnar, David; Shaw, Graham P

2012-01-01

This study examined the predictive ability of educational background and demographic variables, available at the admission stage, to identify applicants who will graduate in 4 years from podiatric medical school. A logistic regression model was used to identify two predictors of 4-year graduation: age at matriculation and total Medical College Admission Test score. The model was cross-validated using a second independent sample from the same population. Cross-validation gives greater confidence that the results could be more generally applied. Total Medical College Admission Test score was the strongest predictor of 4-year graduation, with age at matriculation being a statistically significant but weaker predictor. Despite the model's capacity to predict 4-year graduation better than random assignment, a sufficient amount of error in prediction remained, suggesting that important predictors are missing from the model. Furthermore, the high rate of false-positives makes it inappropriate to use age and Medical College Admission Test score as admission screens in an attempt to eliminate attrition by not accepting at-risk students.

Admission Scores as a Predictor of Academic Success in the Fiji School of Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezeala, Christian C.; Swami, Niraj S.; Lal, Nilesh; Hussain, Shagufta

2012-01-01

Secondary education in Fiji ends with the Form 7 examination. Predictive validity for academic success of Form 7 scores which form the basis for admission into the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery programme of the Fiji School of Medicine was examined via a cohort of 129 students. Success rates for year 1 in 2008, 2009, and 2010 were 90.7…

The Predictive Validity of Using Admissions Testing and Multiple Mini-Interviews in Undergraduate University Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makransky, Guido; Havmose, Philip; Vang, Maria Louison; Andersen, Tonny Elmose; Nielsen, Tine

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive validity of a two-step admissions procedure that included a cognitive ability test followed by multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) used to assess non-cognitive skills, compared to grade-based admissions relative to subsequent drop-out rates and academic achievement after one and two years of study.…

Predicting the risk for hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI) at the time of inpatient admission: HO-CDI risk score.

PubMed

Tabak, Ying P; Johannes, Richard S; Sun, Xiaowu; Nunez, Carlos M; McDonald, L Clifford

2015-06-01

To predict the likelihood of hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI) based on patient clinical presentations at admission Retrospective data analysis Six US acute care hospitals Adult inpatients We used clinical data collected at the time of admission in electronic health record (EHR) systems to develop and validate a HO-CDI predictive model. The outcome measure was HO-CDI cases identified by a nonduplicate positive C. difficile toxin assay result with stool specimens collected >48 hours after inpatient admission. We fit a logistic regression model to predict the risk of HO-CDI. We validated the model using 1,000 bootstrap simulations. Among 78,080 adult admissions, 323 HO-CDI cases were identified (ie, a rate of 4.1 per 1,000 admissions). The logistic regression model yielded 14 independent predictors, including hospital community onset CDI pressure, patient age ≥65, previous healthcare exposures, CDI in previous admission, admission to the intensive care unit, albumin ≤3 g/dL, creatinine >2.0 mg/dL, bands >32%, platelets ≤150 or >420 109/L, and white blood cell count >11,000 mm3. The model had a c-statistic of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.81) with good calibration. Among 79% of patients with risk scores of 0-7, 19 HO-CDIs occurred per 10,000 admissions; for patients with risk scores >20, 623 HO-CDIs occurred per 10,000 admissions (P<.0001). Using clinical parameters available at the time of admission, this HO-CDI model demonstrated good predictive ability, and it may have utility as an early risk identification tool for HO-CDI preventive interventions and outcome comparisons.

Potential Utility of Non-Cognitive Constructs in Graduate Admissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Casey

2015-03-01

It is becoming clear that the methods employed by many graduate admissions committees need updating. Regarding outcomes, we cannot select students that will actually graduate much better than would a coin toss. Further, the GRE is often misused. For example, the most recent GRE general test data (2006-2007) shows that for US citizens in the physical sciences, a cut-off score of ~64th percentile (700/155 on old/new test) would eliminate from eligibility: 63% of women vs 42% of men; 76% of all under-represented minorities vs 38% of Asian and 47% of White applicants. Fortunately, Organizational Psychologists have identified and validated several ``non-cognitive constructs'' for admissions: aspects of personality (conscientiousness); and self-management factors. Some intriguing facts about these parameters: they are measurable with the help of social scientists; they do not show race/ethnicity/gender performance differences; they are orthogonal to cognitive metrics measured by GPA and tests scores. These are proven to enhance both validity and diversity in admissions. My goals for this talk are to overview the non-cognitive constructs with the most potential for being used in physics graduate admissions, and to suggest example admissions protocols. Supported by the National Science Foundation.

The National Center Test for University Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watanabe, Yoshinori

2013-01-01

This article describes the National Center Test for University Admissions, a unified national test in Japan, which is taken by 500,000 students every year. It states that implementation of the Center Test began in 1990, with the English component consisting only of the written section until 2005, when the listening section was first implemented…

The Medical College Admission Test: Past, Present, Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdmann, James B.; And Others

The evolution of the Medial College Admission Test (MCAT), its present constitution and operation, and plans for its future are discussed. Also included is a current selected bibliography on the test. (AG)

Thoracic Trauma Severity score on admission allows to determine the risk of delayed ARDS in trauma patients with pulmonary contusion.

PubMed

Daurat, Aurélien; Millet, Ingrid; Roustan, Jean-Paul; Maury, Camille; Taourel, Patrice; Jaber, Samir; Capdevila, Xavier; Charbit, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Pulmonary contusion is a major risk factor of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in trauma patients. As this complication may appear after a free interval of 24-48 h, detection of patients at risk is essential. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of the Thoracic Trauma Severity (TTS) score upon admission in predicting delayed ARDS in blunt trauma patients with pulmonary contusion. All blunt thoracic trauma patients admitted consecutively to our trauma centre between January 2005 and December 2009 were retrospectively included if they presented a pulmonary contusion on the admission chest computed tomography scan. Main outcome measure was the presence of moderate or severe ARDS (PaO2/FiO2 ratio≤200) for 48 h or more. The global ability of the TTS score to predict ARDS was studied by ROC curves with a threshold analysis using a grey zone approach. Of 329 patients studied (75% men, mean age 36.9 years [SD 17.8 years], mean Injury Severity Score 21.7 [SD 16.0]), 82 (25%) presented with ARDS (mean lowest PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 131 [SD 34]). The area under the ROC curves for the TTS score in predicting ARDS was 0.82 (95% CI 0.78-0.86) in the overall population. TTS scores between 8 and 12 belonged to the inconclusive grey zone. A TTS score of 13-25 was found to be independent risk factors of ARDS (OR 25.8 [95% CI 6.7-99.6] P<0.001). An extreme TTS score on admission accurately predicts the occurrence of delayed ARDS in blunt thoracic trauma patients affected by pulmonary contusion. This simple score could guide early decision making and management for a non-negligible proportion of this specific population. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Admission glucose does not improve GRACE score at 6 months and 5 years after myocardial infarction.

PubMed

de Mulder, Maarten; van der Ploeg, Tjeerd; de Waard, Guus A; Boersma, Eric; Umans, Victor A

2011-01-01

Admission plasma glucose (APG) is a biomarker that predicts mortality in myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Therefore, APG may improve risk stratification based on the GRACE risk score. We collected data on baseline characteristics and long-term (median 55 months) outcome of 550 MI patients who entered our hospital in 2003 and 2006. We determined the GRACE risk score at admission for each patient, which was entered in a logistic regression model, together with APG, to evaluate their prognostic value for 6-month and 5-year mortality. Patients with APG ≥7.8 mmol/l had a higher mortality than those with APG levels <7.8 mmol/l; 6 months: 13.7 versus 3.6%, p value <0.001; 5 years: 20.4 versus 11.1%, p value 0.003. After adjustment for the GRACE risk score variables, APG appeared a significant predictor of 6-month and 5-year mortality, adjusted OR 1.17 (1.06-1.29) and 1.12 (1.03-1.22). The combination of the GRACE risk score and APG increased the model's performance (discrimination C-index 0.87 vs. 0.85), although the difference was not significant (p = 0.095). Combining the GRACE risk score and APG reclassified 12.9% of the patients, but the net reclassification improvement was nonsignificant (p = 0.146). APG is a predictor of 6-month and 5-year mortality, each mmol/l increase in APG being associated with a mortality increase of 17 and 12%, respectively, independent of the GRACE risk score. However, adding APG to the GRACE model did not result in significantly improved clinical risk stratification. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Primary and Secondary Selection Tools in an Optometry Admission Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spafford, Marlee M.

2000-01-01

A five-year evaluation of the admissions decision process at the University of Waterloo (Ontario) School of Optometry found that when primary tools (i.e., university grades, Optometry Admission Test scores) did not differentiate candidates, there was an increased emphasis on secondary tools (i.e., interview, autobiographic sketch, prerequisite…

A Survey of International Practice in University Admissions Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Daniel; Coates, Hamish; Friedman, Tim

2012-01-01

This paper explores how admissions tests are used in different higher education systems around the world. This is a relatively new area of research, despite the fact that admissions processes are a key component of university practices and given the ever increasing globalisation of higher education. This paper shows that aptitude and achievement…

At Admissions Conference, Talk of Standardized Tests, Early Decisions, and Swag

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Elizabeth F.; Hoover, Eric

2007-01-01

At the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (Nacac), admissions deans and high-school counselors gathered in September 2007 to grapple with questions such as: (1) Rethinking the role of standardized tests in admissions (many attendees predict that psychometric giants ACT and SAT, will not always dominate…

The impact of testing accommodations on MCAT scores: descriptive results.

PubMed

Julian, Ellen R; Ingersoll, Deborah J; Etienne, Patricia M; Hilger, Anthony E

2004-04-01

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) examinees with disabilities who receive accommodations receive flagged scores indicating nonstandard administration. This report compares MCAT examinees who received accommodations and their performances with standard examinees. Aggregate history records of all 1994-2000 MCAT examinees were identified as flagged (2,401) or standard (297,880), then further sorted by race/ethnicity (broadly identified as underrepresented minority and non-URM, at the time of testing) and gender. Those with flagged scores were also classified by disability (LD = learning disability, ADHD = attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, LD/ADHD = learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Other = other disability) and type of accommodation. Mean MCAT scores were calculated for all groups. A group of 866 examinees took the MCAT first as a standard administration and subsequently with accommodations. In a separate analysis, their two sets of scores were compared. Less than 1% of examinees (2,401) had accommodations; of these, 55% were LD, 17% ADHD, 5% LD/ADHD, and 23% Other. Extended time was the most frequently provided accommodation. Mean flagged scores slightly exceeded mean standard scores on all MCAT sections. Examinees who retook the MCAT with accommodations after a standard administration increased their scores by six points, quadrupling the average gain Standard-Standard retest cohort from another study. The small but statistically significant different higher flagged scores may reflect either appropriate compensation or overly generous accommodations. Extended time had a positive impact on the scores of those who retested with this accommodation. The validity the flagged MCAT in predicting success in medical school is not known, and further investigation is underway.

Development of a Maximum Admissions Index for Freshman Admissions to the University of Washington.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunneborg, Clifford E.

A new technique has been developed for admitting new freshman students at the University of Washington. Previously, an Admissions Index (AI) was used, in which the high school grade point average (HSGPA) was assigned twice the weight of the composite verbal and quantitative scores from the Washington Pre-College Test Battery (WPC). To offset the…

"Score Choice": A Tempest in a Teapot?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Eric

2009-01-01

A new option that allows students to choose which of their test scores to send to colleges has generated renewed criticism of the College Board. College Board officials tout the option, called Score Choice, as a way to ease test taker anxiety. Some prominent admissions officials have publicly described Score Choice as a sales tactic that will…

What Role Does Schema Play in Preparing Minority Postbaccalaureate Students for the Reading Comprehension Section of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Gina; Verhulst, Steve

2007-01-01

Problem: Minority students often score lower than majority students on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Verbal Reasoning section. Method: To determine what role schema plays in reading comprehension in 64 adult minority students, the Treatment group viewed a slide presentation regarding a topic that both groups would be tested on in a…

High Scores but Low Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Liqun; Neilson, William S.

2011-01-01

In this paper college admissions are based on test scores and students can exert two types of effort: real learning and exam preparation. The former improves skills but the latter is more effective in raising test scores. In this setting the students with the lowest skills are no longer the ones with the lowest aptitude, but instead are the ones…

Association of MCAT scores obtained with standard vs extra administration time with medical school admission, medical student performance, and time to graduation.

PubMed

Searcy, Cynthia A; Dowd, Keith W; Hughes, Michael G; Baldwin, Sean; Pigg, Trey

2015-06-09

Individuals with documented disabilities may receive accommodations on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Whether such accommodations are associated with MCAT scores, medical school admission, and medical school performance is unclear. To determine the comparability of MCAT scores obtained with standard vs extra administration time with respect to likelihood of acceptance to medical school and future medical student performance. Retrospective cohort study of applicants to US medical schools for the 2011-2013 entering classes who reported MCAT scores obtained with standard time (n = 133,962) vs extra time (n = 435), and of students who matriculated in US medical schools from 2000-2004 who reported MCAT scores obtained with standard time (n = 76,262) vs extra time (n = 449). Standard or extra administration time during MCAT. Primary outcome measures were acceptance rates at US medical schools and graduation rates within 4 or 5 years after matriculation. Secondary outcome measures were pass rates on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step examinations and graduation rates within 6 to 8 years after matriculation. Acceptance rates were not significantly different for applicants who had MCAT scores obtained with standard vs extra time (44.5% [59,585/133,962] vs 43.9% [191/435]; difference, 0.6% [95% CI, -4.1 to 5.3]). Students who tested with extra time passed the Step examinations on first attempt at significantly lower rates (Step 1, 82.1% [344/419] vs 94.0% [70,188/74,668]; difference, 11.9% [95% CI, 9.6% to 14.2%]; Step 2 CK, 85.5% [349/408] vs 95.4% [70,476/73,866]; difference, 9.9% [95% CI, 7.8% to 11.9%]; Step 2 CS, 92.0% [288/313] vs 97.0% [60,039/61,882]; difference, 5.0% [95% CI, 3.1% to 6.9%]). They also graduated from medical school at significantly lower rates at different times (4 years, 67.2% [285/424] vs 86.1% [60,547/70,305]; difference, 18.9% [95% CI, 15.6% to 22.2%]; 5 years, 81.6% [346/424] vs 94.4% [66

SAT Wars: The Case for Test-Optional College Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soares, Joseph A., Ed.

2011-01-01

What can a college admissions officer safely predict about the future of a 17-year-old? Are the best and the brightest students the ones who can check off the most correct boxes on a multiple-choice exam? Or are there better ways of measuring ability and promise? In this penetrating and revealing look at high-stakes standardized admissions tests,…

Index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis restores Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) score.

PubMed

Yu, Hongyan; Chan, Esther Ern-Hwei; Lingam, Pravin; Lee, Jingwen; Woon, Winston Wei Liang; Low, Jee Keem; Shelat, Vishal G

2018-02-01

Previous studies have evaluated quality of life (QoL) in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for cholelithiasis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate QoL after index admission LC in patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis (AC) using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire. Patients ≥21 years admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore for AC and who underwent index admission LC between February 2015 and January 2016 were evaluated using the GIQLI questionnaire preoperatively and 30 days postoperatively. A total of 51 patients (26 males, 25 females) with a mean age of 60 years (24-86 years) were included. Median duration of abdominal pain at presentation was 2 days (1-21 days). 45% of patients had existing comorbidities, with diabetes mellitus being most common (33%). 31% were classified as mild AC, 59% as moderate and 10% as severe AC according to Tokyo Guideline 2013 (TG13) criteria. Post-operative complications were observed in 8 patients, including retained common bile duct stone (n=1), wound infection (n=2), bile leakage (n=2), intra-abdominal collection (n=1) and atrial fibrillation (n=2). 86% patients were well at 30 days follow-up and were discharged. A significant improvement in GIQLI score was observed postoperatively, with mean total GIQLI score increasing from 106.0±16.9 (101.7-112.1) to 120.4±18.0 (114.8-125.9) ( p <0.001). Significant improvements were also observed in GIQLI subgroups of gastrointestinal symptoms, physical status, emotional status and social function status. Index admission LC restores QoL in patients with AC as measured by GIQLI questionnaire.

An Empirical Investigation of the Potential Impact of Item Misfit on Test Scores. Research Report. ETS RR-17-60

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sooyeon; Robin, Frederic

2017-01-01

In this study, we examined the potential impact of item misfit on the reported scores of an admission test from the subpopulation invariance perspective. The target population of the test consisted of 3 major subgroups with different geographic regions. We used the logistic regression function to estimate item parameters of the operational items…

Estimation of plasma fibrinogen levels based on hemoglobin, base excess and Injury Severity Score upon emergency room admission

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction Fibrinogen plays a key role in hemostasis and is the first coagulation factor to reach critical levels in massively bleeding trauma patients. Consequently, rapid estimation of plasma fibrinogen (FIB) is essential upon emergency room (ER) admission, but is not part of routine coagulation monitoring in many centers. We investigated the predictive ability of the laboratory parameters hemoglobin (Hb) and base excess (BE) upon admission, as well as the Injury Severity Score (ISS), to estimate FIB in major trauma patients. Methods In this retrospective study, major trauma patients (ISS ≥16) with documented FIB analysis upon ER admission were eligible for inclusion. FIB was correlated with Hb, BE and ISS, alone and in combination, using regression analysis. Results A total of 675 patients were enrolled (median ISS 27). FIB upon admission correlated strongly with Hb, BE and ISS. Multiple regression analysis showed that Hb and BE together predicted FIB (adjusted R2 = 0.46; loge(FIB) = 3.567 + 0.223.Hb - 0.007.Hb2 + 0.044.BE), and predictive strength increased when ISS was included (adjusted R2 = 0.51; loge(FIB) = 4.188 + 0.243.Hb - 0.008.Hb2 + 0.036.BE - 0.031.ISS + 0.0003.ISS2). Of all major trauma patients admitted with Hb <12 g/dL, 74% had low (<200 mg/dL) FIB and 54% had critical (<150 mg/dL) FIB. Of patients admitted with Hb <10 g/dL, 89% had low FIB and 73% had critical FIB. These values increased to 93% and 89%, respectively, among patients with an admission Hb <8 g/dL. Sixty-six percent of patients with only a weakly negative BE (<−2 mmol/L) showed low FIB. Of patients with BE <−6 mmol/L upon admission, 81% had low FIB and 63% had critical FIB. The corresponding values for BE <−10 mmol/L were 89% and 78%, respectively. Conclusions Upon ER admission, FIB of major trauma patients shows strong correlation with rapidly obtainable, routine laboratory parameters such as Hb and BE. These two parameters might provide an insightful and rapid tool to

Diversity efforts, admissions, and national rankings: can we align priorities?

PubMed

Heller, Caren A; Rúa, Sandra Hurtado; Mazumdar, Madhu; Moon, Jennifer E; Bardes, Charles; Gotto, Antonio M

2014-01-01

Increasing student body diversity is a priority for national health education and professional organizations and for many medical schools. However, national rankings of medical schools, such as those published by U.S. News & World Report, place a heavy emphasis on grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores, without considering student body diversity. These rankings affect organizational reputation and admissions outcomes, even though there is considerable controversy surrounding the predictive value of GPA and MCAT scores. Our aim in this article was to explore the relationship between standard admissions practices, which typically aim to attract students with the highest academic scores, and student body diversity. We examined how changes in GPA and MCAT scores over 5 years correlated with the percentage of enrolled students who are underrepresented in medicine. In a majority of medical schools in the United States from 2005 to 2009, average GPA and MCAT scores of applicants increased, whereas the percentage of enrolled students who are underrepresented in medicine decreased. Our findings suggest that efforts to increase the diversity of medical school student bodies may be complicated by a desire to maintain high average GPA and MCAT scores. We propose that U.S. News revise its ranking methodology by incorporating a new diversity score into its student selectivity score and by reducing the weight placed on GPA and MCAT scores.

Validation of APACHE II scoring system at 24 hours after admission as a prognostic tool in urosepsis: A prospective observational study.

PubMed

VijayGanapathy, Sundaramoorthy; Karthikeyan, VIlvapathy Senguttuvan; Sreenivas, Jayaram; Mallya, Ashwin; Keshavamurthy, Ramaiah

2017-11-01

Urosepsis implies clinically evident severe infection of urinary tract with features of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). We validate the role of a single Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score at 24 hours after admission in predicting mortality in urosepsis. A prospective observational study was done in 178 patients admitted with urosepsis in the Department of Urology, in a tertiary care institute from January 2015 to August 2016. Patients >18 years diagnosed as urosepsis using SIRS criteria with positive urine or blood culture for bacteria were included. At 24 hours after admission to intensive care unit, APACHE II score was calculated using 12 physiological variables, age and chronic health. Mean±standard deviation (SD) APACHE II score was 26.03±7.03. It was 24.31±6.48 in survivors and 32.39±5.09 in those expired (p<0.001). Among patients undergoing surgery, mean±SD score was higher (30.74±4.85) than among survivors (24.30±6.54) (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed area under curve (AUC) of 0.825 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 56.4% specific to predict mortality. Mean±SD score in those undergoing surgery was 25.22±6.70 and was lesser than those who did not undergo surgery (28.44±7.49) (p=0.007). ROC analysis revealed AUC of 0.760 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 45.6% specific to predict mortality even after surgery. A single APACHE II score assessed at 24 hours after admission was able to predict morbidity, mortality, need for surgical intervention, length of hospitalization, treatment success and outcome in urosepsis patients.

Comparative Predictive Validity of the New MCAT Using Different Admissions Criteria.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golmon, Melton E.; Berry, Charles A.

1981-01-01

New Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and undergraduate academic achievement were examined for their validity in predicting the performance of two select student populations at Northwestern University Medical School. The data support the hypothesis that New MCAT scores possess substantial predictive validity. (Author/MLW)

Assessment of Communications-related Admissions Criteria in a Three-year Pharmacy Program.

PubMed

Parmar, Jayesh R; Tejada, Frederick R; Lang, Lynn A; Purnell, Miriam; Acedera, Lisa; Ngonga, Ferdinand

2015-08-25

To determine if there is a correlation between TOEFL and other admissions criteria that assess communications skills (ie, PCAT variables: verbal, reading, essay, and composite), interview, and observational scores and to evaluate TOEFL and these admissions criteria as predictors of academic performance. Statistical analyses included two sample t tests, multiple regression and Pearson's correlations for parametric variables, and Mann-Whitney U for nonparametric variables, which were conducted on the retrospective data of 162 students, 57 of whom were foreign-born. The multiple regression model of the other admissions criteria on TOEFL was significant. There was no significant correlation between TOEFL scores and academic performance. However, significant correlations were found between the other admissions criteria and academic performance. Since TOEFL is not a significant predictor of either communication skills or academic success of foreign-born PharmD students in the program, it may be eliminated as an admissions criterion.

Medical University admission test: a confirmatory factor analysis of the results.

PubMed

Luschin-Ebengreuth, Marion; Dimai, Hans P; Ithaler, Daniel; Neges, Heide M; Reibnegger, Gilbert

2016-05-01

The Graz Admission Test has been applied since the academic year 2006/2007. The validity of the Test was demonstrated by a significant improvement of study success and a significant reduction of dropout rate. The purpose of this study was a detailed analysis of the internal correlation structure of the various components of the Graz Admission Test. In particular, the question investigated was whether or not the various test parts constitute a suitable construct which might be designated as "Basic Knowledge in Natural Science." This study is an observational investigation, analyzing the results of the Graz Admission Test for the study of human medicine and dentistry. A total of 4741 applicants were included in the analysis. Principal component factor analysis (PCFA) as well as techniques from structural equation modeling, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), were employed to detect potential underlying latent variables governing the behavior of the measured variables. PCFA showed good clustering of the science test parts, including also text comprehension. A putative latent variable "Basic Knowledge in Natural Science," investigated by CFA, was indeed shown to govern the response behavior of the applicants in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics as well as text comprehension. The analysis of the correlation structure of the various test parts confirmed that the science test parts together with text comprehension constitute a satisfactory instrument for measuring a latent construct variable "Basic Knowledge in Natural Science." The present results suggest the fundamental importance of basic science knowledge for results obtained in the framework of the admission process for medical universities.

Assessing Admission Interviews at Residential STEM Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Brent M.

2011-01-01

Seventeen state-sponsored residential math and science schools have been created across the country to direct talented teens toward STEM careers. Admission is selective, based on competitive grades, standardized test scores, and references. Most of the schools also require preadmission interviews. However, selection interviews may be challenged as…

MCAT Verbal Reasoning score: less predictive of medical school performance for English language learners.

PubMed

Winegarden, Babbi; Glaser, Dale; Schwartz, Alan; Kelly, Carolyn

2012-09-01

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores are widely used as part of the decision-making process for selecting candidates for admission to medical school. Applicants who learned English as a second language may be at a disadvantage when taking tests in their non-native language. Preliminary research found significant differences between English language learners (ELLs), applicants who learned English after the age of 11 years, and non-ELL examinees on the Verbal Reasoning (VR) sub-test of the MCAT. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships between VR sub-test scores and measures of medical school performance differed between ELL and non-ELL students. Scores on the MCAT VR sub-test and student performance outcomes (grades, examination scores, and markers of distinction and difficulty) were extracted from University of California San Diego School of Medicine admissions files and the Association of American Medical Colleges database for 924 students who matriculated in 1998-2005 (graduation years 2002-2009). Regression models were fitted to determine whether MCAT VR sub-test scores predicted medical school performance similarly for ELLs and non-ELLs. For several outcomes, including pre-clerkship grades, academic distinction, US Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores and two clerkship shelf examinations, ELL status significantly affects the ability of the VR score to predict performance. Higher correlations between VR score and medical school performance emerged for non-ELL students than for ELL students for each of these outcomes. The MCAT VR score should be used with discretion when assessing ELL applicants for admission to medical school. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Assessment of Communications-related Admissions Criteria in a Three-year Pharmacy Program

PubMed Central

Tejada, Frederick R.; Lang, Lynn A.; Purnell, Miriam; Acedera, Lisa; Ngonga, Ferdinand

2015-01-01

Objective. To determine if there is a correlation between TOEFL and other admissions criteria that assess communications skills (ie, PCAT variables: verbal, reading, essay, and composite), interview, and observational scores and to evaluate TOEFL and these admissions criteria as predictors of academic performance. Methods. Statistical analyses included two sample t tests, multiple regression and Pearson’s correlations for parametric variables, and Mann-Whitney U for nonparametric variables, which were conducted on the retrospective data of 162 students, 57 of whom were foreign-born. Results. The multiple regression model of the other admissions criteria on TOEFL was significant. There was no significant correlation between TOEFL scores and academic performance. However, significant correlations were found between the other admissions criteria and academic performance. Conclusion. Since TOEFL is not a significant predictor of either communication skills or academic success of foreign-born PharmD students in the program, it may be eliminated as an admissions criterion. PMID:26430273

Do Traditional Admissions Criteria Reflect Applicant Creativity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretz, Jean E.; Kaufman, James C.

2017-01-01

College admissions decisions have traditionally focused on high school academic performance and standardized test scores. An ongoing debate is the validity of these measures for predicting success in college; part of this debate includes how success is defined. One potential way of defining college success is a student's creative accomplishments.…

Similar Outcomes for Contact Aspiration and Stent Retriever Use According to the Admission Clot Burden Score in ASTER.

PubMed

Zhu, François; Lapergue, Bertrand; Kyheng, Maéva; Blanc, Raphael; Labreuche, Julien; Ben Machaa, Malek; Duhamel, Alain; Marnat, Gautier; Saleme, Suzana; Costalat, Vincent; Bracard, Serge; Richard, Sébastien; Desal, Hubert; Mazighi, Mikael; Consoli, Arturo; Piotin, Michel; Gory, Benjamin

2018-07-01

The clot burden score (CBS) at admission reliably evaluates the thrombus burden in acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. Mechanical thrombectomy has been diversified, especially with contact aspiration technique, and its efficiency with respect to the thrombus burden is not known. We compared reperfusion, adverse events, neurological recovery, and 90-day functional outcome of stent retriever use versus contact aspiration according to the admission CBS. This is a post hoc analysis of the ASTER (Contact Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization) randomized trial. The primary outcome was successful reperfusion after all procedures, defined as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scores 2b/3. Secondary outcomes were 90-day functional outcome, assessed with the modified Rankin Scale. Safety outcomes included 90-day mortality and any intracerebral hemorrhage. A total of 231 randomized patients were included in this study: 114 patients had a CBS of 0 to 6 and 117 a CBS ≥7 at admission. Successful reperfusion at procedure end was achieved more frequently in patients with CBS ≥7 (88.9%) than patients with a CBS 0 to 6 (81.6%; fully adjusted risk ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.28). Favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 0-2) at 90 days was achieved in significantly more patients with CBS ≥7 (61.9%) than in patients with CBS 0 to 6 (41.8%; fully adjusted risk ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.40). No outcome differences of first-line mechanical thrombectomy strategy (aspiration versus stent) on any angiographic or clinical outcomes were observed between the 2 groups. We also found no evidence of interaction between first-line mechanical thrombectomy strategy and CBS groups regarding safety. First-line mechanical thrombectomy with contact aspiration compared with stent retriever did not result in an increased successful reperfusion rate in acute ischemic stroke

An Assessment of the Importance of Admission Test for Enrollments in Public Universities of Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhuia, Mohammad Romel; Das, Sumonkanti; Rahman, Khalidur; Alam, Khurshid,; Kawsar, Luthful Alahi; Hossain, Md. Kabir

2016-01-01

Public universities in Bangladesh arrange admission test to judge the students' merit before the enrollment. Academic results of previous examinations (SSC and HSC) are also considered in the admission procedure. There are some disputes regarding the importance of admission test besides the previous academic records. The universities emphasize on…

Theory-Based University Admissions Testing for a New Millennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Robert J.

2004-01-01

This article describes two projects based on Robert J. Sternberg's theory of successful intelligence and designed to provide theory-based testing for university admissions. The first, Rainbow Project, provided a supplementary test of analytical, practical, and creative skills to augment the SAT in predicting college performance. The Rainbow…

Opening a Side-Gate: Engaging the Excluded in Chilean Higher Education through Test-Blind Admission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koljatic, Mladen; Silva, Monica

2013-01-01

The article describes a test-blind admission initiative in a Chilean research university aimed at expanding the inclusion of talented, albeit educationally and socially disadvantaged, students. The outcomes of the test-blind admission cohort were compared with those of students admitted via the regular admission procedure to the same academic…

Application of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) as a stratification tool on admission in an Italian acute medical ward: A perspective study.

PubMed

Spagnolli, Walter; Rigoni, Marta; Torri, Emanuele; Cozzio, Susanna; Vettorato, Elisa; Nollo, Giandomenico

2017-03-01

We aimed to assess the performance of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) as tool for patient risk stratification at admission in an acute Internal Medicine ward and to ensure patient placement in ward areas with the required and most appropriate intensity of care. As secondary objective, we considered NEWS performance in two subgroups of patients: sudden cardiac events (acute coronary syndromes and arrhythmic events), and chronic respiratory insufficiency. We conducted a perspective cohort single centre study on 2,677 unselected patients consecutively admitted from July 2013 to March 2015 in the Internal Medicine ward of the hospital of Trento, Italy. The NEWS was mandatory collected on ward admission. We defined three risk categories for clinical deterioration: low score (NEWS 0-4), medium score (NEWS 5-6), and high score (NEWS≥7). Following adverse outcomes were considered: total and early (<72 hours) in-hospital mortality, urgent transfers to a higher intensity of care. A logistic regression model quantified the association between outcomes and NEWS. For patients with NEWS >4 vs patients with NEWS <4, the risk of early death increased from 12 to 36 times, total mortality from 3.5 to 9, and urgent transfers from 3.5 to 7. In patients with sudden cardiac events, lower scores were significantly associated with higher risk of transfer to a higher intensity of care. In patients affected by chronic hypoxaemia, adverse outcomes occurred less in medium and high score categories of NEWS. National Early Warning Score assessed on ward admission may enable risk stratification of clinical deterioration and can be a good predictor of in-hospital serious adverse outcomes, although sudden cardiac events and chronic hypoxaemia could constitute some limits. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adjusting medical school admission: assessing interpersonal skills using situational judgement tests.

PubMed

Lievens, Filip

2013-02-01

Today's formal medical school admission systems often include only cognitively oriented tests, although most medical school curricula emphasise both cognitive and non-cognitive factors. Situational judgement tests (SJTs) may represent an innovative approach to the formal measurement of interpersonal skills in large groups of candidates in medical school admission processes. This study examined the validity of interpersonal video-based SJTs in relation to a variety of outcome measures. This study used a longitudinal and multiple-cohort design to examine anonymised medical school admissions and medical education data. It focused on data for the Flemish medical school admission examination between 1999 and 2002. Participants were 5444 candidates taking the medical school admission examination. Outcome measures were first-year grade point average (GPA), GPA in interpersonal communication courses, GPA in non-interpersonal courses, Bachelor's degree GPA, Master's degree GPA and final-year GPA (after 7 years). For students pursuing careers in general practice, additional outcome measures (9 years after sitting examinations) included supervisor ratings and the results of an interpersonal objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), a general practice knowledge test and a case-based interview. Interpersonal skills assessment carried out using SJTs had significant added value over cognitive tests for predicting interpersonal GPA throughout the curriculum, doctor performance, and performance on an OSCE and in a case-based interview. For the other outcomes, cognitive tests emerged as the better predictors. Females significantly outperformed males on the SJT (d = -0.26). The interpersonal SJT was perceived as significantly more job-related than the cognitive tests (d = 0.55). Video-based SJTs as measures of procedural knowledge about interpersonal behaviour show promise as complements to cognitive examination components. The interpersonal skills training received during

Pre-hospital National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is associated with in-hospital mortality and critical care unit admission: A cohort study.

PubMed

Abbott, Tom E F; Cron, Nicholas; Vaid, Nidhi; Ip, Dorothy; Torrance, Hew D T; Emmanuel, Julian

2018-03-01

National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is increasingly used in UK hospitals. However, there is only limited evidence to support the use of pre-hospital early warning scores. We hypothesised that pre-hospital NEWS was associated with death or critical care escalation within the first 48 h of hospital stay. Planned secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study at a single UK teaching hospital. Consecutive medical ward admissions over a 20-day period were included in the study. Data were collected from ambulance report forms, medical notes and electronic patient records. Pre-hospital NEWS was calculated retrospectively. The primary outcome was a composite of death or critical care unit escalation within 48 h of hospital admission. The secondary outcome was length of hospital stay. 189 patients were included in the analysis. The median pre-hospital NEWS was 3 (IQR 1-5). 13 patients (6.9%) died or were escalated to the critical care unit within 48 h of hospital admission. Pre-hospital NEWS was associated with death or critical care unit escalation (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.51; p = 0.02), but NEWS on admission to hospital was more strongly associated with this outcome (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.18-1.97, p < 0.01). Neither was associated with hospital length of stay. Pre-hospital NEWS was associated with death or critical care unit escalation within 48 h of hospital admission. NEWS could be used by ambulance crews to assist in the early triage of patients requiring hospital treatment or rapid transport. Further cohort studies or trials in large samples are required before implementation.

Relationship of academic success of medical students with motivation and pre-admission grades.

PubMed

Luqman, Muhammad

2013-01-01

To determine predictive validity of pre-admission scores of medical students, evaluate correlation between level of motivation and later on academic success in a medical college. Analytical study. Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, from June to August 2011. A non-probability convenience sampling of students of 1st to final year MBBS classes was done after obtaining informed consent. These students filled out 'Strength of Motivation for Medical School' (SMMS) questionnaire. The data of pre-admission grades of these students along with academic success in college according to examination results in different years were collected. The correlation between the pre-admission grades and score of SMMS questionnaire with their academic success in medical college was found by applying Pearson co-efficient of correlation in order to determine the predictive validity. Only 46% students revealed strong motivation. A significant, moderate correlation was found between preadmission scores and academic success in 1st year modular examination (0.52) which became weaker in various professional examinations in higher classes. However, no significant correlation was observed between motivation and academic success of medical students in college. Selecting medical students by pre-admission scores or motivation level alone may not be desirable. A combination of measures of cognitive ability criteria (FSc/pre-admission test scores) and non-cognitive skills (personality traits) is recommended to be employed with the use of right tools for selection of students in medical schools.

Universality, correlations, and rankings in the Brazilian universities national admission examinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Roberto; Lamb, Luis C.; Barbosa, Marcia C.

2016-09-01

We analyze the scores obtained by students who have taken the ENEM examination, The Brazilian High School National Examination which is used in the admission process at Brazilian universities. The average high schools scores from different disciplines are compared through the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results show a very large correlation between the performance in the different school subjects. Even though the students' scores in the ENEM form a Gaussian due to the standardization, we show that the high schools' scores form a bimodal distribution that cannot be used to evaluate and compare students performance over time. We also show that this high schools distribution reflects the correlation between school performance and the economic level (based on the average family income) of the students. The ENEM scores are compared with a Brazilian non standardized exam, the entrance examination from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. The analysis of the performance of the same individuals in both tests shows that the two tests not only select different abilities, but also lead to the admission of different sets of individuals. Our results indicate that standardized tests might be an interesting tool to compare performance of individuals over the years, but not of institutions.

The Impact of Flagging on the Admission Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahalan-Laitusis, Cara; Mandinach, Ellen B.; Camara, Wayne J.

2003-01-01

Study explored issues surrounding flagging test scores taken under non-standard conditions and how the admission process could better serve students with disabilities. Respondents to survey felt current system was not adequately serving subgroups of students, believing some non-disabled students were manipulating the system to gain an advantage on…

Is the admission test for a course in medicine a good predictor of academic performance? A case-control experience at the school of medicine of Turin.

PubMed

Migliaretti, Giuseppe; Bozzaro, Salvatore; Siliquini, Roberta; Stura, Ilaria; Costa, Giuseppe; Cavallo, Franco

2017-12-01

The usefulness of university admission tests to medical schools has been discussed in recent years. In the academic year 2014-15 in Italy, several students who failed the admission test appealed to the regional administrative court ('Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale'-TAR) requesting to be included, despite their test results, and all were admitted to their respective courses. The existence of this population of students generated a control group, in order to evaluate the predictive capacity of the admission test. The aim of the present work is to discuss the ability of university admission tests to predict subsequent academic success. The study involved 683 students who enrolled onto the first year of the degree course in medicine in the academic year 2014-15 at the University of Turin (Molinette and San Luigi Gonzaga colleges). The students were separated into two categories: those who passed the admission test (n1=531) and those who did not pass the admission test but won their appeal in the TAR (n2=152). The validity of the admission test was analysed using specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative likelihood ratios (LH+, LH-), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the ROC curve (AUC), and relative (95% CI). The results showed that the admission test appeared to be a good tool for predicting the academic performances in the first year of the course (AUC=0.70, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.76). Moreover, some subject areas seemed to have a greater discriminating capacity than others. In general, students who obtained a high score in scientific questions were more likely to obtain the required standards during the first year (LH+ 1.22, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.25). Based on a consistent statistical approach, our study seems to confirm the ability of the admission test to predict academic success in the first year at the school of medicine of Turin. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All

Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Zachary W.

2017-01-01

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80--the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States--usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12th-grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university's international…

Do Test Scores Buy Happiness?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCluskey, Neal

2017-01-01

Since at least the enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002, standardized test scores have served as the primary measures of public school effectiveness. Yet, such scores fail to measure the ultimate goal of education: maximizing happiness. This exploratory analysis assesses nation level associations between test scores and happiness, controlling…

A Regression Model Approach to First-Year Honors Program Admissions Serving a High-Minority Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhea, David M.

2017-01-01

Many honors programs make admissions decisions based on student high school GPA and a standardized test score. However, McKay argued that standardized test scores can be a barrier to honors program participation, particularly for minority students. Minority students, particularly Hispanic and African American students, are apt to have lower…

The injury severity score or the new injury severity score for predicting mortality, intensive care unit admission and length of hospital stay: experience from a university hospital in a developing country.

PubMed

Tamim, Hala; Al Hazzouri, Adina Zeki; Mahfoud, Ziad; Atoui, Maria; El-Chemaly, Souheil

2008-01-01

Limited research has been performed to compare the predictive abilities of the injury severity score (ISS) and the new ISS (NISS) in the developing world. From January 2001 until January 2003 all trauma patients admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Centre were enrolled. The statistical performance of the ISS/NISS in predicting mortality, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and length of hospital stay (LOS dichotomised as <10 or > or =10 days) was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic and the Hosmer-Lemeshow calibration statistic. A total of 891 consecutive patients were enrolled. The ISS and NISS were equivalent in predicting survival, and both performed better in patients younger than 65 years of age. However, the ISS predicted ICU admission and LOS better than the NISS. However, these predictive abilities were lower for the geriatric trauma patients aged 65 years and above compared to the other age groups. There are conflicting results in the literature about the abilities of ISS and NISS to predict mortality. However, this is the first study to report that ISS has a superior ability in predicting both LOS and ICU admission. The scoring of trauma severity may need to be individualised to different countries and trauma systems.

Reasons for refusal of admission to intensive care and impact on mortality.

PubMed

Iapichino, Gaetano; Corbella, Davide; Minelli, Cosetta; Mills, Gary H; Artigas, Antonio; Edbooke, David L; Pezzi, Angelo; Kesecioglu, Jozef; Patroniti, Nicolò; Baras, Mario; Sprung, Charles L

2010-10-01

To identify factors influencing triage decisions and investigate whether admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) could reduce mortality compared with treatment on the ward. A multicentre cohort study in 11 university hospitals from seven countries, evaluating triage decisions and outcomes of patients referred for admission to ICU who were either accepted, or refused and treated on the ward. Confounding in the estimation of the effect of ICU admission on mortality was controlled by use of a propensity score approach, which adjusted for the probability of being admitted. Variability across centres was accounted for in both analyses of factors influencing ICU admission and effect of ICU admission on mortality. Eligible were 8,616 triages in 7,877 patients referred for ICU admission. Variables positively associated with probability of being admitted to ICU included: ventilators in ward; bed availability; Karnofsky score; absence of comorbidity; presence of haematological malignancy; emergency surgery and elective surgery (versus medical treatment); trauma, vascular involvement, liver involvement; acute physiologic score II; ICU treatment (versus ICU observation). Multiple triages during patient's hospital stay and age were negatively associated with ICU admission. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model was 0.83 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81-0.84], with Hosmer-Lemeshow test P = 0.300. ICU admission was associated with a statistically significant reduction of both 28-day mortality [odds ratio (OR): 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62-0.87] and 90-day mortality (0.79; 0.66-0.93). The benefit of ICU admission increased substantially in patients with greater severity of illness. We suggest that intensivists take great care to avoid ICU admission of patients judged not severe enough for ICU or with low performance status, and they tend to admit surgical patients more readily than medical patients. Interestingly, they do not judge age per se as

The Association Between Premedical Curricular and Admission Requirements and Medical School Performance and Residency Placement: A Study of Two Admission Routes.

PubMed

George, Paul; Park, Yoon Soo; Ip, Julianne; Gruppuso, Philip A; Adashi, Eli Y

2016-03-01

The curricular elements of undergraduate premedical education are the subject of an ongoing debate. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (AMS) matriculates students via the traditional premedical route (TPM) and an eight-year baccalaureate/MD program-the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME)-which provides students with a broad and liberal education. Using the juxtaposition of these two admission routes, the authors aimed to determine whether there is an association between highly distinct premedical curricular and admission requirements and medical school performance and residency placement. The cohorts studied included all of the PLME (n = 295) and TPM (n = 215) students who graduated from the AMS between 2010 and 2015. Outcome variables consisted of multiple measures of medical school performance, including standardized multiple-choice examination scores and honors grades, and residency placement. The authors employed unadjusted tests of averages and proportions (independent t tests and chi-square tests) to compare variables. The TPM students attained marginally, but statistically significantly, higher average scores on standardized multiple-choice examinations than their PLME counterparts. The number of undergraduate premedical science courses completed by PLME students accounted for less than 4% of the variance in key metrics of medical school performance. The residency placement record of the PLME and TPM cohorts proved comparable. These findings suggest that the association between medical school performance and residency placement and undergraduate premedical curricular and admission requirements is weak. Further study is needed to determine the optimal premedical preparation of students.

GMAT Scores of Undergraduate Economics Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Paul A.; Monson, Terry D.

2008-01-01

The average score of economics majors on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) exceeds those of nearly all humanities and arts, social sciences, and business undergraduate majors but not those of most science, engineering, and mathematics majors. (Contains 1 table.)

Predicting occupational personality test scores.

PubMed

Furnham, A; Drakeley, R

2000-01-01

The relationship between students' actual test scores and their self-estimated scores on the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI; R. Hogan & J. Hogan, 1992), an omnibus personality questionnaire, was examined. Despite being given descriptive statistics and explanations of each of the dimensions measured, the students tended to overestimate their scores; yet all correlations between actual and estimated scores were positive and significant. Correlations between self-estimates and actual test scores were highest for sociability, ambition, and adjustment (r = .62 to r = .67). The results are discussed in terms of employers' use and abuse of personality assessment for job recruitment.

Assessing Personal Qualities in Medical School Admissions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albanese, Mark A.; Snow, Mikel H.; Skochelak, Susan E.; Huggett, Kathryn N.; Farrell, Philip M.

2003-01-01

Analyzes the challenges to using academic measures (MCAT scores and GPAs) as thresholds for medical school admissions and, for applicants exceeding the threshold, using personal qualities for admission decisions; reviews the literature on using the medical school interview and other admission data to assess personal qualities of applicants;…

The Relation of Student Engagement and Other Admission Metrics to Master of Accounting Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckless, Frank; Krawczyk, Kathy

2016-01-01

This paper examines whether the use of student engagement (SE) information as part of the admissions process can help us to predict student academic success in Master of Accounting (MAC) programs. The association of SE, undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), and Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score to academic performance was tested…

Exploring a Source of Uneven Score Equity across the Test Score Range

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huggins-Manley, Anne Corinne; Qiu, Yuxi; Penfield, Randall D.

2018-01-01

Score equity assessment (SEA) refers to an examination of population invariance of equating across two or more subpopulations of test examinees. Previous SEA studies have shown that score equity may be present for examinees scoring at particular test score ranges but absent for examinees scoring at other score ranges. No studies to date have…

An Empirical Investigation of Change in MCAT Scores upon Retest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hynes, Kevin; Givner, Nathaniel

1980-01-01

An investigation of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) retest scores indicates that limited retest improvement may result when initial scores are fairly low or below what might be predicted based on grade point averages. However, when initial scores approach the national, standardized MCAT mean, or are above what might be predicted, significant…

Do Examinees Understand Score Reports for Alternate Methods of Scoring Computer Based Tests?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Williams, Natasha J.; Dodd, Barbara G.

2011-01-01

This study assessed the interpretability of scaled scores based on either number correct (NC) scoring for a paper-and-pencil test or one of two methods of scoring computer-based tests: an item pattern (IP) scoring method and a method based on equated NC scoring. The equated NC scoring method for computer-based tests was proposed as an alternative…

How Accurate Is a Test Score?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doppelt, Jerome E.

1956-01-01

The standard error of measurement as a means for estimating the margin of error that should be allowed for in test scores is discussed. The true score measures the performance that is characteristic of the person tested; the variations, plus and minus, around the true score describe a characteristic of the test. When the standard deviation is used…

Undergraduate GPAs, MCAT scores, and academic performance the first 2 years in podiatric medical school at Des Moines University.

PubMed

Yoho, Robert M; Antonopoulos, Kosta; Vardaxis, Vassilios

2012-01-01

This study was performed to determine the relationship between undergraduate academic performance and total Medical College Admission Test score and academic performance in the podiatric medical program at Des Moines University. The allopathic and osteopathic medical professions have published educational research examining this relationship. To our knowledge, no such educational research has been published for podiatric medical education. The undergraduate cumulative and science grade point averages and total Medical College Admission Test scores of four podiatric medical classes (2007-2010, N = 169) were compared with their academic performance in the first 2 years of podiatric medical school using pairwise Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regression analysis. Significant low to moderate positive correlations were identified between undergraduate cumulative and science grade point averages and student academic performance in years 1 and 2 of podiatric medical school for each of the four classes (except one) and the pooled data. There was no significant correlation between Medical College Admission Test score and academic performance in years 1 and 2 (except one) and the pooled data. These results identify undergraduate cumulative grade point average as the strongest cognitive admissions variable in predicting academic performance in the podiatric medicine program at Des Moines University, followed by undergraduate science grade point average. These results also suggest limitations of the total Medical College Admission Test score in predicting academic performance. Information from this study can be used in the admissions process and to monitor student progress.

What Do Test Score Really Mean? A Latent Class Analysis of Danish Test Score Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, James; Munk, Martin D.

2014-01-01

Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyse a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-1955, tested in 1968, and followed until 2011. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. We show that the test scores measure manifest or measured ability as it has…

The Effects of Coaching on Standardized Admission Examinations. Staff Memorandum of the Boston Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Consumer Protection.

A non-experimental design was used to determine if scores of students enrolled in specified major coaching schools were significantly higher than scores of comparable uncoached groups. Score increases at two Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) coaching schools and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) schools were compared. Over 1,400 SAT examinees and…

Fixed and growth mindsets in physics graduate admissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Plisch, Monica; Gray, Kara E.; Potvin, Geoff; Hodapp, Theodore

2017-12-01

Considering the evidence that standard physics graduate admissions practices tend to exclude women and traditionally marginalized racial and ethnic groups from the discipline, we investigate (a) the characteristics of students that physics graduate admissions committee members seek to admit to their programs and (b) the practices associated with these admissions goals. The data for this investigation are interviews with 18 faculty who chair graduate admissions committees in programs that prioritize diversity in their graduate admissions practices. We find that some express elements of an implicit theory of intelligence known as a "fixed mindset," in which intelligence is understood as an inherent capacity or ability primarily measured by standardized test scores and grades. Some also express elements of a "growth mindset," in which intelligence is understood in terms of acquired knowledge and effort. Overall, most faculty interviewed expressed elements of both mindsets. A fixed mindset in physics graduate admissions is consistent with research identifying physics as a "brilliance-required" field, whose members tend to believe that raw, innate talent is a primary requirement for success in the discipline. Such a mindset directly affects the participation of women and some racial or ethnic groups, who are stereotyped as lacking such high-level intellectual ability.

EAP Study Recommendations and Score Gains on the IELTS Academic Writing Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Anthony

2005-01-01

The IELTS test is widely accepted by university admissions offices as evidence of English language ability. The test is also used to guide decisions about the amount of language study required for students to satisfy admissions requirements. Guidelines currently published by the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes…

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Predictive Validity of MCAT Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Robert F.; Mitchell, Karen

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score differences were examined for Black and White examinees who entered American medical schools in 1978 and 1979. The incidence of academic difficulty resulting in delayed graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal was also examined. The MCAT provides six scores: biology, chemistry, physics, science problems,…

Relationship Between Dental Students' Pre-Admission Record and Performance on the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination.

PubMed

Lee, Kevin C; Lee, Victor Y; Zubiaurre, Laureen A; Grbic, John T; Eisig, Sidney B

2018-04-01

The Comprehensive Basic Science Examination (CBSE) is the entrance examination for oral and maxillofacial surgery, but its implementation among dental students is a relatively recent and unintended use. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between pre-admission data and performance on the CBSE for dental students at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM). This study followed a retrospective cohort, examining data for the CDM Classes of 2014-19. Data collected were Dental Admission Test (DAT) and CBSE scores and undergraduate GPAs for 49 CDM students who took the CBSE from September 2013 to July 2016. The results showed that the full regression model did not demonstrate significant predictive capability (F[8,40]=1.70, p=0.13). Following stepwise regression, only the DAT Perceptual Ability score remained in the final model (F[1,47]=7.97, p<0.01). Variations in DAT Perceptual Ability scores explained 15% of the variability in CBSE scores (R 2 =0.15). This study found that, among these students, pre-admission data were poor predictors of CBSE performance.

Socio-economic predictors of performance in the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT).

PubMed

Puddey, Ian B; Mercer, Annette

2013-11-29

Entry from secondary school to Australian and New Zealand undergraduate medical schools has since the late 1990's increasingly relied on the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) as one of the selection factors. The UMAT consists of 3 sections - logical reasoning and problem solving (UMAT-1), understanding people (UMAT-2) and non-verbal reasoning (UMAT-3). One of the goals of using this test has been to enhance equity in the selection of students with the anticipation of an increase in the socioeconomic diversity in student cohorts. However there has been limited assessment as to whether UMAT performance itself might be influenced by socioeconomic background. Between 2000 and 2012, 158,909 UMAT assessments were completed. From these, 118,085 cases have been identified where an Australian candidate was sitting for the first time during that period. Predictors of the total UMAT score, UMAT-1, UMAT-2 and UMAT-3 scores were entered into regression models and included gender, age, school type, language used at home, deciles for the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage score, the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA), self-identification as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin (ATSI) and current Australian state or territory of abode. A lower UMAT score was predicted by living in an area of relatively higher social disadvantage and lower social advantage. Other socioeconomic indicators were consistent with this observation with lower scores in those who self-identified as being of ATSI origin and higher scores evident in those from fee-paying independent school backgrounds compared to government schools. Lower scores were seen with increasing age, female gender and speaking any language other than English at home. Divergent effects of rurality were observed, with increased scores for UMAT-1 and UMAT-2, but decreasing UMAT-3 scores with increasing ARIA score. Significant state-based differences

The Landscape of Graduate Admissions: Surveying Physics Programs about Doctoral Admissions Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potvin, Geoff

2014-03-01

Sustaining or improving the best graduate programs as well as increasing the diversity of the physics community requires us to better understand the critical gatekeeping role played by graduate admissions. Admissions processes determine not only who is allowed to begin graduate study but can also influence who chooses to even consider applying. Recently, in concert with some of the activities of the APS Bridge Program, a survey was conducted of directors of graduate admissions and associated faculty in doctoral-granting departments about their admissions practices. Receiving responses from over 75% of departments that award PhDs in physics, respondents were probed about their admissions decisions with special attention on the criteria used in admissions and their relative importance, and how student representation considerations are dealt with in the admissions process (if at all). Results indicate a number of important issues for future students, faculty, and administrators to consider including the importance placed on GRE scores. Results also indicate a sizable number of departments express a latent demand for greater numbers of students from traditionally-underrepresented backgrounds (including women) but simultaneously report a dearth of such students who even apply to their doctoral programs. Implications of these and other findings will be discussed.

Validating Test Score Meaning and Defending Test Score Use: Different Aims, Different Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cizek, Gregory J.

2016-01-01

Advances in validity theory and alacrity in validation practice have suffered because the term "validity" has been used to refer to two incompatible concerns: (1) the degree of support for specified interpretations of test scores (i.e. intended score meaning) and (2) the degree of support for specified applications (i.e. intended test…

Predictive validity of the Biomedical Admissions Test: an evaluation and case study.

PubMed

McManus, I C; Ferguson, Eamonn; Wakeford, Richard; Powis, David; James, David

2011-01-01

There has been an increase in the use of pre-admission selection tests for medicine. Such tests need to show good psychometric properties. Here, we use a paper by Emery and Bell [2009. The predictive validity of the Biomedical Admissions Test for pre-clinical examination performance. Med Educ 43:557-564] as a case study to evaluate and comment on the reporting of psychometric data in the field of medical student selection (and the comments apply to many papers in the field). We highlight pitfalls when reliability data are not presented, how simple zero-order associations can lead to inaccurate conclusions about the predictive validity of a test, and how biases need to be explored and reported. We show with BMAT that it is the knowledge part of the test which does all the predictive work. We show that without evidence of incremental validity it is difficult to assess the value of any selection tests for medicine.

Analysis of failed discharge after ambulatory surgery: unanticipated admission.

PubMed

Van Caelenberg, Els; De Regge, Melissa; Eeckloo, Kristof; Coppens, Marc

2018-05-30

Advantages of ambulatory surgery are lost when patients need an unplanned admission. This retrospective cohort study investigated reasons for failed discharge and unanticipated admission of adult patients after day surgery. Ambulatory patients (n = 145) requiring unanticipated admission were compared to patients (n = 4980) not requiring admission and timely discharged from a total of 5156 ambulatory surgical procedures. Demographic data, organisational data, reason for admission, type of anesthesia, surgical discipline, length of procedure, ASA classification, surgical completion time and severity of illness score were collected from both groups. Reason for admission was classified according to four subtypes. Logistic regression analysis was used. Incidence of unanticipated admission following day care surgery was 2.89%. The reasons for admission were mainly organisational issues (45.52%), time of completion surgery in the afternoon between 12 pm and 3 pm (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.05-2.86) and surgery that ends after 3 pm (OR 6.52; 95% CI 4.11-10.34). Surgical factors associated with unanticipated admission (38.62%) were length of surgery of one to three hours (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.27-3.29), length of surgery more than three hours (OR 8.31; 95% CI 3.56-19.40). Additionally, anaesthetic (10.34%) and medical (5.52%) reasons were found, e.g. ASA class II (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.06-2.44), ASA class III (OR 2.19; 95% CI 1.10-4.34); moderate severity of illness score (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.03-2.88) and major of severity of illness score (OR 7.85; 95% CI 2.31-26.62). Unanticipated admissions following day surgery occur mainly due to social/organisational and surgical reasons. However, medical and anaesthetic reasons also explain 15.86% of the unanticipated admissions.

Testing Peer Effects among College Students: Evidence from an Unusual Admission Policy Change in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Fangwen

2014-01-01

This paper studies a natural experiment due to an unusual change in the college admission policy at a Chinese university, which brought a large number of low-score students into several academic departments in the university. Exploiting large variations in peer characteristics and strong interactions among peer groups, the analysis finds that…

Use of a Simulated MCAT to Predict Real MCAT Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pohlman, Mary; And Others

1979-01-01

A simulated Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was administered to 39 premedical students two weeks prior to the new MCAT. High correlations between simulated and active test scores were obtained in the biology, chemistry, physics, science problems, reading, and quantitative areas. (MH)

A perspective on medical school admission research and practice over the last 25 years.

PubMed

Kreiter, Clarence D; Axelson, Rick D

2013-01-01

Over the last 25 years a large body of research has investigated how best to select applicants to study medicine. Although these studies have inspired little actual change in admission practice, the implications of this research are substantial. Five areas of inquiry are discussed: (1) the interview and related techniques, (2) admission tests, (3) other measures of personal competencies, (4) the decision process, and (5) defining and measuring the criterion. In each of these areas we summarize consequential developments and discuss their implication for improving practice. (1) The traditional interview has been shown to lack both reliability and validity. Alternatives have been developed that display promising measurement characteristics. (2) Admission test scores have been shown to predict academic and clinical performance and are generally the most useful measures obtained about an applicant. (3) Due to the high-stakes nature of the admission decision, it is difficult to support a logical validity argument for the use of personality tests. Although standardized letters of recommendation appear to offer some promise, more research is needed. (4) The methods used to make the selection decision should be responsive to validity research on how best to utilize applicant information. (5) Few resources have been invested in obtaining valid criterion measures. Future research might profitably focus on composite score as a method for generating a measure of a physician's career success. There are a number of social and organization factors that resist evidence-based change. However, research over the last 25 years does present important findings that could be used to improve the admission process.

Predicting mortality in sick African children: the FEAST Paediatric Emergency Triage (PET) Score.

PubMed

George, Elizabeth C; Walker, A Sarah; Kiguli, Sarah; Olupot-Olupot, Peter; Opoka, Robert O; Engoru, Charles; Akech, Samuel O; Nyeko, Richard; Mtove, George; Reyburn, Hugh; Berkley, James A; Mpoya, Ayub; Levin, Michael; Crawley, Jane; Gibb, Diana M; Maitland, Kathryn; Babiker, Abdel G

2015-07-31

Mortality in paediatric emergency care units in Africa often occurs within the first 24 h of admission and remains high. Alongside effective triage systems, a practical clinical bedside risk score to identify those at greatest risk could contribute to reducing mortality. Data collected during the Fluid As Expansive Supportive Therapy (FEAST) trial, a multi-centre trial involving 3,170 severely ill African children, were analysed to identify clinical and laboratory prognostic factors for mortality. Multivariable Cox regression was used to build a model in this derivation dataset based on clinical parameters that could be quickly and easily assessed at the bedside. A score developed from the model coefficients was externally validated in two admissions datasets from Kilifi District Hospital, Kenya, and compared to published risk scores using Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow tests. The Net Reclassification Index (NRI) was used to identify additional laboratory prognostic factors. A risk score using 8 clinical variables (temperature, heart rate, capillary refill time, conscious level, severe pallor, respiratory distress, lung crepitations, and weak pulse volume) was developed. The score ranged from 0-10 and had an AUROC of 0.82 (95 % CI, 0.77-0.87) in the FEAST trial derivation set. In the independent validation datasets, the score had an AUROC of 0.77 (95 % CI, 0.72-0.82) amongst admissions to a paediatric high dependency ward and 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.82-0.89) amongst general paediatric admissions. This discriminative ability was similar to, or better than other risk scores in the validation datasets. NRI identified lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and pH to be important prognostic laboratory variables that could add information to the clinical score. Eight clinical prognostic factors that could be rapidly assessed by healthcare staff for triage were combined to create the FEAST Paediatric Emergency Triage (PET) score and externally

An Evaluation of the IntelliMetric[SM] Essay Scoring System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudner, Lawrence M.; Garcia, Veronica; Welch, Catherine

2006-01-01

This report provides a two-part evaluation of the IntelliMetric[SM] automated essay scoring system based on its performance scoring essays from the Analytic Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test[TM] (GMAT[TM]). The IntelliMetric system performance is first compared to that of individual human raters, a Bayesian system…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chudowsky, Naomi; Chudowsky, Victor

2010-01-01

In recent years, scores on the annual state reading and mathematics tests used for accountability have gone up in most states. These trends in state test scores do not always coincide, however, with trends on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the federally sponsored assessment that is administered periodically to…

This Test Is Unfair: African American and Latino High School Students' Perceptions of Standardized College Admission Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walpole, MaryBeth; McDonough, Patricia M.; Bauer, Constance J.; Gibson, Carolyn; Kanyi, Kamau T.; Toliver, Rita

This qualitative study focused on African American and Latino high school students perceptions of standardized admission tests, including the Scholastic Assessment Tests (I and II) and the ACT Assessment. Students enrolled in college preparatory classes were interviewed about these tests individually and in focus groups in fall 1998 in their…

Estimating Total-Test Scores from Partial Scores in a Matrix Sampling Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachar, Jane; Suppes, Patrick

1980-01-01

The present study compared six methods, two of which utilize the content structure of items, to estimate total-test scores using 450 students and 60 items of the 110-item Stanford Mental Arithmetic Test. Three methods yielded fairly good estimates of the total-test score. (Author/RL)

Testing In College Admissions: An Alternative to the Traditional Predictive Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunneborg, Clifford E.

1982-01-01

A decision-making or utility theory model (which deals effectively with affirmative action goals and allows standardized tests to be placed in the service of those goals) is discussed as an alternative to traditional predictive admissions. (Author/PN)

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Washington

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Washington's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) decreased in grade 4 reading. In grade 4 math, the percentage scoring proficient on the state test decreased…

Interventions following a high violence risk assessment score: a naturalistic study on a Finnish psychiatric admission ward.

PubMed

Kaunomäki, Jenni; Jokela, Markus; Kontio, Raija; Laiho, Tero; Sailas, Eila; Lindberg, Nina

2017-01-11

Patient aggression and violence against staff members and other patients are common concerns in psychiatric units. Many structured clinical risk assessment tools have recently been developed. Despite their superiority to unaided clinical judgments, staff has shown ambivalent views towards them. A constant worry of staff is that the results of risk assessments would not be used. The aims of the present study were to investigate what were the interventions applied by the staff of a psychiatric admission ward after a high risk patient had been identified, how frequently these interventions were used and how effective they were. The data were collected in a naturalistic setting during a 6-month period in a Finnish psychiatric admission ward with a total of 331 patients with a mean age of 42.9 years (SD 17.39) suffering mostly from mood, schizophrenia-related and substance use disorders. The total number of treatment days was 2399. The staff assessed the patients daily with the Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA), which is a structured violence risk assessment considering the upcoming 24 h. The interventions in order to reduce the risk of violence following a high DASA total score (≥4) were collected from the patients' medical files. Inductive content analysis was used. There were a total of 64 patients with 217 observations of high DASA total score. In 91.2% of cases, at least one intervention aiming to reduce the violence risk was used. Pro re nata (PRN)-medication, seclusion and focused discussions with a nurse were the most frequently used interventions. Non-coercive and non-pharmacological interventions like daily activities associated significantly with the decrease of perceived risk of violence. In most cases, a high score in violence risk assessment led to interventions aiming to reduce the risk. Unfortunately, the most frequently used methods were psychopharmacological or coercive. It is hoped that the findings will encourage the staff to use

Dropout rates in medical students at one school before and after the installation of admission tests in Austria.

PubMed

Reibnegger, Gilbert; Caluba, Hans-Christian; Ithaler, Daniel; Manhal, Simone; Neges, Heide Maria; Smolle, Josef

2011-08-01

Admission to medical studies in Austria since academic year 2005-2006 has been regulated by admission tests. At the Medical University of Graz, an admission test focusing on secondary-school-level knowledge in natural sciences has been used for this purpose. The impact of this important change on dropout rates of female versus male students and older versus younger students is reported. All 2,860 students admitted to the human medicine diploma program at the Medical University of Graz from academic years 2002-2003 to 2008-2009 were included. Nonparametric and semiparametric survival analysis techniques were employed to compare cumulative probability of dropout between demographic groups. Cumulative probability of dropout was significantly reduced in students selected by active admission procedure versus those admitted openly (P < .0001). Relative hazard ratio of selected versus openly admitted students was only 0.145 (95% CI, 0.106-0.198). Among openly admitted students, but not for selected ones, the cumulative probabilities for dropout were higher for females (P < .0001) and for older students (P < .0001). Generally, dropout hazard is highest during the second year of study. The introduction of admission testing significantly decreased the cumulative probability for dropout. In openly admitted students a significantly higher risk for dropout was found in female students and in older students, whereas no such effects can be detected after admission testing. Future research should focus on the sex dependence, with the aim of improving success rates among female applicants on the admission tests.

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Utah

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Utah's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 8 reading. In grade 4 reading, the percentage scoring proficient on the state test showed a…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Arkansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Arkansas's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) went up in math at grades 4 and 8. In reading, the percentages scoring proficient on the state test went up at…

Rethinking Dental School Admission Criteria: Correlation Between Pre-Admission Variables and First-Year Performance for Six Classes at One Dental School.

PubMed

Rowland, Kevin C; Rieken, Susan

2018-04-01

Admissions committees in dental schools are charged with the responsibility of selecting candidates who will succeed in school and become successful members of the profession. Identifying students who will have academic difficulty is challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of pre-admission variables for the first-year performance of six classes at one U.S. dental school. The authors hypothesized that the variables undergraduate grade point average (GPA), undergraduate science GPA (biology, chemistry, and physics), and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores would predict the level of performance achieved in the first year of dental school, measured by year-end GPA. Data were collected in 2015 from school records for all 297 students in the six cohorts who completed the first year (Classes of 2007 through 2013). In the results, statistically significant correlations existed between all pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the associations were only weak to moderate. Lower performing students at the end of the first year (lowest 10% of GPA) had, on average, lower pre-admission variables than the other students, but the differences were small (≤10.8% in all categories). When all the pre-admission variables were considered together in a multiple regression analysis, a significant association was found between pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the association was weak (adjusted R 2 =0.238). This weak association suggests that these students' first-year dental school GPAs were mostly determined by factors other than the pre-admission variables studied and has resulted in the school's placing greater emphasis on other factors for admission decisions.

At Wake Forest U., Admissions Has Become "More Art than Science"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Eric

2009-01-01

The admissions process is awash in numbers. Students accumulate grade-point averages and test scores. Colleges use statistical models to predict enrollment outcomes, and they tout their place in commercial rankings. In many ways, numbers simplify this complex enterprise. However, they have come to carry undue weight, says Martha Blevins Allman,…

Validity of the Medical College Admission Test for Predicting MD-PhD Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bills, James L.; VanHouten, Jacob; Grundy, Michelle M.; Chalkley, Roger; Dermody, Terence S.

2016-01-01

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a quantitative metric used by MD and MD-PhD programs to evaluate applicants for admission. This study assessed the validity of the MCAT in predicting training performance measures and career outcomes for MD-PhD students at a single institution. The study population consisted of 153 graduates of the…

Predictors of student performance on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment at a new school of pharmacy using admissions and demographic data.

PubMed

Gillette, Chris; Rudolph, Michael; Rockich-Winston, Nicole; Blough, Eric R; Sizemore, James A; Hao, Jinsong; Booth, Chris; Broedel-Zaugg, Kimberly; Peterson, Megan; Anderson, Stephanie; Riley, Brittany; Train, Brian C; Stanton, Robert B; Anderson, H Glenn

To characterize student performance on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) and to determine the significance of specific admissions criteria and pharmacy school performance to predict student performance on the PCOA during the first through third professional years. Multivariate linear regression models were developed to study the relationships between various independent variables and students' PCOA total scores during the first through third professional years. To date, four cohorts have successfully taken the PCOA examination. Results indicate that the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT), and cumulative pharmacy grade point average were the only consistent significant predictors of higher PCOA total scores across all students who have taken the exam at our school of pharmacy. The school should examine and clarify the role of PCOA within its curricular assessment program. Results suggest that certain admissions criteria and performance in pharmacy school are associated with higher PCOA scores. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES

PubMed Central

Pershad, Dwarka; Verma, S. K.

1980-01-01

Education, a long neglected variable affecting psychological test score, is in search of reemphasis. Some evidence for this has accumulated on the psychological tests constructed and standardized here at the department of Psychiatry, P.G.I., Chandigarh. Tentative norms prepared education wise on WAIS-Verbal section, PGI-Memory Scale, Proverb and Similarity Tests, Psychoticism Questionnaire, and PGI MQN 2, for adults, in the age range of 16-50, are reported. The results showed marked difference in the mean scores of different educational categories and thus stressed the need for reporting norms separately for different educational levels. PMID:22064617

A Survey of Master's-Level Psychology Programs: Admissions Criteria and Program Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briihl, Deborah S.; Wasieleski, David T.

2004-01-01

This study summarizes the admission and program characteristics of American master's-level graduate programs housed in psychology departments. Individual programs (N = 253) from 163 colleges and universities provided data, including the use of grade point average, Graduate Record Exam scores, and other tests (Psychology Graduate Record Exam,…

Updating prognosis of cirrhosis by Cox's regression model using Child-Pugh score and aminopyrine breath test as time-dependent covariates.

PubMed

Merkel, C; Morabito, A; Sacerdoti, D; Bolognesi, M; Angeli, P; Gatta, A

1998-06-01

The determination of aminopyrine breath test on entry into the study was recently shown to improve the accuracy of prediction of death based on the Child-Pugh classification, but the possible usefulness of serial determinations of both parameters has not been assessed. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating whether serial determinations of aminopyrine breath test and Child-Pugh score improve prognostic accuracy in patients with cirrhosis, compared with determinations obtained only on admission. In 74 patients with liver cirrhosis aminopyrine breath test and Child-Pugh score were obtained upon entry into the study. Patients were followed with sequential aminopyrine breath tests and assessments of the Child-Pugh score every 4-6 months. A total number of 232 determinations were obtained. During follow-up 45 patients died, on average after 12 months of follow-up. Child-Pugh score improved in the beginning of follow-up, and then remained fairly constant; aminopyrine breath test showed no improvement in the beginning of follow-up, but rather a slowly progressive decline. In patients who died, both the Child-Pugh score and the metabolism of aminopyrine were significantly more impaired in the last year preceding death (p < 0.05). Applying Cox's regression model with time-dependent covariates, Child-Pugh score and aminopyrine breath test were independent significant predictors of survival. The model with time-dependent covariates explained the observed survival much better than the model with time-fixed covariates (chi-sq. explained by regression = 31.45 vs 11.97; d.f. = 2; p = 0.0000001 vs 0.003). These data suggest that serial determinations of Child-Pugh score and aminopyrine breath test can be used to efficiently update prognosis of cirrhosis.

Admission characteristics and academic performance of podiatric and osteopathic medical students at Des Moines University.

PubMed

Yoho, Robert M; Vardaxis, Vassilios; Comstock, Kathryn

2010-01-01

Podiatric and osteopathic medical students at Des Moines University take the same basic science medical curriculum. The first course students complete is medical biochemistry. The final common course is the second-year medical pharmacology course. Attrition typically occurs between these academic offerings. We sought to compare admissions data, retention rates, and academic performance between these two groups of medical students for the classes of 2008 to 2011. Average admission scores, performance scores for the biochemistry and medical pharmacology courses, and retention rates for the 2008 to 2011 classes were obtained from the registrar and enrollment offices. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the scores of the two cohorts. Linear regression was used to identify changes across time. The DO students showed significantly better performance than the DPM students in matriculating overall and science grade point averages, total Medical College Admissions Test scores, retention rates, and the medical biochemistry course (P < .01). There was no difference in the performance of the student groups in the medical pharmacology course. The DPM student scores across the four classes increased for both academic courses, whereas the DO student scores remained at the same level for medical biochemistry, at a rate of 0.74% per year (R(2) = 0.50), and pharmacology, at a rate of 0.90% per year (R(2) = 0.49). Admissions data and initial academic performance of osteopathic medical students were higher than those of podiatric medical students. Once attrition occurred in year 1, the difference in academic performance between these groups of students was no longer statistically significant, and students in both medical programs at that time in the curriculum are equally academically qualified.

Should efforts in favor of medical student diversity be focused during admissions or farther upstream?

PubMed

Reiter, Harold I; Lockyer, Jocelyn; Ziola, Barry; Courneya, Carol-Ann; Eva, Kevin

2012-04-01

Traditional medical school admissions assessment tools may be limiting diversity. This study investigates whether the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) is diversity-neutral and, if so, whether applying it with greater weight would dilute the anticipated negative impact of diversity-limiting admissions measures. Interviewed applicants to six medical schools in 2008 and 2009 underwent MMI. Predictor variables of MMI scores, grade point average (GPA), and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores were correlated with diversity measures of age, gender, size of community of origin, income level, and self-declared aboriginal status. A subset of the data was then combined with variable weight assigned to predictor variables to determine whether weighting during the applicant selection process would affect diversity among chosen applicants. MMI scores were unrelated to gender, size of community of origin, and income level. They correlated positively with age and negatively with aboriginal status. GPA and MCAT correlated negatively with age and aboriginal status, GPA correlated positively with income level, and MCAT correlated positively with size of community of origin. Even extreme combinations of MMI and GPA weightings failed to increase diversity among applicants who would be selected on the basis of weighted criteria. MMI could not neutralize the diversity-limiting properties of academic scores as selection criteria to interview. Using academic scores in this way causes range restriction, counteracting attempts to enhance diversity using downstream admissions selection measures such as MMI. Diversity efforts should instead be focused upstream. These results lend further support for the development of pipeline programs.

Prediction of true test scores from observed item scores and ancillary data.

PubMed

Haberman, Shelby J; Yao, Lili; Sinharay, Sandip

2015-05-01

In many educational tests which involve constructed responses, a traditional test score is obtained by adding together item scores obtained through holistic scoring by trained human raters. For example, this practice was used until 2008 in the case of GRE(®) General Analytical Writing and until 2009 in the case of TOEFL(®) iBT Writing. With use of natural language processing, it is possible to obtain additional information concerning item responses from computer programs such as e-rater(®). In addition, available information relevant to examinee performance may include scores on related tests. We suggest application of standard results from classical test theory to the available data to obtain best linear predictors of true traditional test scores. In performing such analysis, we require estimation of variances and covariances of measurement errors, a task which can be quite difficult in the case of tests with limited numbers of items and with multiple measurements per item. As a consequence, a new estimation method is suggested based on samples of examinees who have taken an assessment more than once. Such samples are typically not random samples of the general population of examinees, so that we apply statistical adjustment methods to obtain the needed estimated variances and covariances of measurement errors. To examine practical implications of the suggested methods of analysis, applications are made to GRE General Analytical Writing and TOEFL iBT Writing. Results obtained indicate that substantial improvements are possible both in terms of reliability of scoring and in terms of assessment reliability. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Relationship of admissions variables and college of osteopathic medicine variables to performance on COMLEX-USA level 3.

PubMed

Baker, Helen H; Shuman, Victoria L; Ridpath, Lance C; Pence, Lorenzo L; Fisk, Robert M; Boisvert, Craig S

2015-02-01

New accreditation standards require that all US colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) publically report the first-time pass rates of graduates on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 3. Little is known about the extent to which admissions variables or COM performance measures relate to Level 3 performance. To examine the relationship of admissions variables and COM performance to scores on Level 3 and to assess whether a relationship existed between Level 3 scores and sex, curriculum track, year of graduation, and residency specialty in the first postgraduate year. Data were analyzed from 4 graduating classes (2008-2011) of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. Relationships were examined between first-attempt scores on COMLEX-USA Level 3 and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores; undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs); GPAs in COM year 1, year 2, and clinical rotation years (years 3 and 4); and first-attempt scores on COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation, and Level 2-Performance Evaluation. Of the 556 graduates during this 4-year period, COMLEX-USA Level 3 scores were available for 552 graduates (99.3%). No statistically significant differences were found in Level 3 scores based on sex, curriculum track, graduating class, or residency specialty. The strongest relationship between Level 3 scores and any admissions variable was with total MCAT score, which accounted for 4.2% of the variation in Level 3 scores. The strongest relationship between Level 3 scores and COM year performance measures was with year 2 GPA, which accounted for 35.4% of the variation in Level 3 scores. Level 1 scores accounted for 38.5% of the variation in Level 3 scores, and Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation scores accounted for the greatest percentage of variation (45.7%). The correlation of Level 3 scores with passing the Level 2-Performance Evaluation on the first attempt was not statistically

40 CFR 85.1509 - Final admission of modification and test vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Final admission of modification and test vehicles. 85.1509 Section 85.1509 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION FROM MOBILE SOURCES Importation of Motor...

Examining the Impact of Covariates on Anchor Tests to Ascertain Quality over Time in a College Admissions Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiberg, Marie; von Davier, Alina A.

2017-01-01

We propose a comprehensive procedure for the implementation of a quality control process of anchor tests for a college admissions test with multiple consecutive administrations. We propose to examine the anchor tests and their items in connection with covariates to investigate if there was any unusual behavior in the anchor test results over time…

The Frog Pond Revisited: High School Academic Context, Class Rank, and Elite College Admission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espenshade, Thomas J.; Hale, Lauren E.; Chung, Chang Y.

2005-01-01

In this article, the authors test a "frog-pond" model of elite college admission proposed by Attewell, operationalizing high school academic context as the secondary school-average SAT score and number of Advanced Placement tests per high school senior. Data on more than 45,000 applications to three elite universities show that a high…

Effectiveness of Student Admission Essays in Identifying Attrition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Judith

2003-01-01

From a longitudinal sample of nursing students, 193 completers and 43 noncompleters were compared, revealing significant differences in the groups' mean scores on admission essays but not admission grade point averages. Content analysis revealed how completers had internalized the role of nurse. (Contains 12 references.) (SK)

The Role of Testing in Affirmative Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Winton H.

Graphs and charts pertaining to testing in affirmative action are presented. Data concern the following: the predictive validity of College Board admissions tests using freshman grade point average as the criterion; validity coefficients of undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) alone, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, and undergraduate…

Admissions of injection drug users to drug abuse treatment following HIV counseling and testing.

PubMed

McCusker, J; Willis, G; McDonald, M; Lewis, B F; Sereti, S M; Feldman, Z T

1994-01-01

The outcomes of counseling and testing programs related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and risk of infection among injection drug users (IDUs) are not well known or understood. A counseling and testing outcome of potential public health importance is attaining admission to drug abuse treatment by those IDUs who are either infected or who are at high risk of becoming infected. The authors investigated factors related to admission to drug abuse treatment among 519 IDUs who received HIV counseling and testing from September 1987 through December 1990 at a men's prison and at community-based testing sites in Worcester, MA. By June 1991, 123 of the 519 IDUs (24 percent) had been admitted to treatment. Variables associated with their admission included a long history of drug injection, frequent recent drug injection, cleaning injection equipment using bleach, prior drug treatment, and a positive HIV test result. Logistic regression analyses, controlling for effects of recruitment site, year, sex, and area of residence, generally confirmed the associations. IDUs in the study population who were HIV-infected sought treatment or were admitted to treatment more frequently than those who were not infected. The results indicate that access to drug abuse treatment should be facilitated for high-risk IDUs and for those who have begun to inject drugs recently.

Test/score/report: Simulation techniques for automating the test process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hageman, Barbara H.; Sigman, Clayton B.; Koslosky, John T.

1994-01-01

A Test/Score/Report capability is currently being developed for the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) system which will automate testing of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) and Mission Operations Center (MOC) software in three areas: telemetry decommutation, spacecraft command processing, and spacecraft memory load and dump processing. Automated computer control of the acceptance test process is one of the primary goals of a test team. With the proper simulation tools and user interface, the task of acceptance testing, regression testing, and repeatability of specific test procedures of a ground data system can be a simpler task. Ideally, the goal for complete automation would be to plug the operational deliverable into the simulator, press the start button, execute the test procedure, accumulate and analyze the data, score the results, and report the results to the test team along with a go/no recommendation to the test team. In practice, this may not be possible because of inadequate test tools, pressures of schedules, limited resources, etc. Most tests are accomplished using a certain degree of automation and test procedures that are labor intensive. This paper discusses some simulation techniques that can improve the automation of the test process. The TASS system tests the POCC/MOC software and provides a score based on the test results. The TASS system displays statistics on the success of the POCC/MOC system processing in each of the three areas as well as event messages pertaining to the Test/Score/Report processing. The TASS system also provides formatted reports documenting each step performed during the tests and the results of each step. A prototype of the Test/Score/Report capability is available and currently being used to test some POCC/MOC software deliveries. When this capability is fully operational it should greatly reduce the time necessary

Test-Taking Intervention: Its Effects on Minority Students' MCAT Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frierson, Henry T., Jr.

Test-taking intervention procedures were implemented for minority premedical students. The intent of the intervention was to modify expected performances on the science subtest of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The group used to determine the effectiveness of the test intervention procedures consisted of 11 students who had previously…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chudowsky, Naomi; Chudowsky, Victor

2010-01-01

This report compares state math and reading proficiency scores in grades 4 and 8 to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) basic scores for the period of 2005 to 2009. The study found that scores on state tests and NAEP have increased in most states with sufficient data. Also included with the report are profiles for the 23 states that…

Estimating Total-test Scores from Partial Scores in a Matrix Sampling Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachar, Jane; Suppes, Patrick

It is sometimes desirable to obtain an estimated total-test score for an individual who was administered only a subset of the items in a total test. The present study compared six methods, two of which utilize the content structure of items, to estimate total-test scores using 450 students in grades 3-5 and 60 items of the ll0-item Stanford Mental…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Ohio's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 reading and grade 8 math. In grade 8 reading, the percentage of students scoring proficient…

A "Rearrangement Procedure" for Scoring Adaptive Tests with Review Options.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanastasiou, Elena C.

Due to the increased popularity of computerized adaptive testing (CAT), many admissions tests, as well as certification and licensure examinations, have been transformed from their paper-and-pencil versions to computerized adaptive versions. A major difference between paper-and-pencil tests and CAT, from an examinees point of view, is that in many…

A "Rearrangement Procedure" for Scoring Adaptive Tests with Review Options

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanastasiou, Elena C.; Reckase, Mark D.

2007-01-01

Because of the increased popularity of computerized adaptive testing (CAT), many admissions tests, as well as certification and licensure examinations, have been transformed from their paper-and-pencil versions to computerized adaptive versions. A major difference between paper-and-pencil tests and CAT from an examinee's point of view is that in…

Estimating the Reliability of a Test Battery Composite or a Test Score Based on Weighted Item Scoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldt, Leonard S.

2004-01-01

In some settings, the validity of a battery composite or a test score is enhanced by weighting some parts or items more heavily than others in the total score. This article describes methods of estimating the total score reliability coefficient when differential weights are used with items or parts.

ITC Guidelines on Quality Control in Scoring, Test Analysis, and Reporting of Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allalouf, Avi

2014-01-01

The Quality Control (QC) Guidelines are intended to increase the efficiency, precision, and accuracy of the scoring, analysis, and reporting process of testing. The QC Guidelines focus on large-scale testing operations where multiple forms of tests are created for use on set dates. However, they may also be used for a wide variety of other testing…

Sex-Specific Differential Prediction of College Admission Tests: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Franziska T.; Schult, Johannes; Hell, Benedikt

2013-01-01

This is the first meta-analysis that investigates the differential prediction of undergraduate and graduate college admission tests for women and men. Findings on 130 independent samples representing 493,048 students are summarized. The underprediction of women's academic performance (d = 0.14) and the overprediction of men's academic performance…

The Utility of the Systemic Inflammatory Respsonse Syndrome Score on Admission in Children With Acute Pancreatitis.

PubMed

Grover, Amit S; Kadiyala, Vivek; Banks, Peter A; Grand, Richard J; Conwell, Darwin L; Lightdale, Jenifer R

2017-01-01

Pediatric patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) may meet criteria at admission for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Early SIRS in adults with AP is associated with severe disease. Our aim was to evaluate the importance of SIRS in children presenting with AP on various outcomes. This is a retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized with AP at Boston Children's Hospital in 2010. Increased length of stay (LOS) and/or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) served as the primary outcomes. Statistical analyses of measures studied included the presence of SIRS, demographic, and clinical information present on admission. Fifty encounters, in which AP was the primary admitting diagnosis, were documented. Patients had a median LOS of 4.5 (interquartile range, 2-9) days. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome was present in 22 (44%) of 50 patients at admission. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome at admission was an independent predictor of increased LOS (odds ratio, 7.99; P = 0.045) as well as admission to the ICU (odds ratio, 12.06; P = 0.027). The presence of SIRS criteria on admission serves as a useful and easy-to-calculate predictor of increased LOS and admission to ICU in children with AP.

Practical Implications of Test Dimensionality for Item Response Theory Calibration of the Medical College Admission Test. MCAT Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childs, Ruth A.; Oppler, Scott H.

The use of item response theory (IRT) in the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) testing program has been limited. This study provides a basis for future IRT analyses of the MCAT by exploring the dimensionality of each of the MCAT's three multiple-choice test sections (Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences) and the…

Use of Admissions Data to Predict Student Success in Postsecondary Freshman Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Amie K.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant relationships exist for any of the variables, age, gender, previous GPA, test scores (ACT, Compass), number of accumulated credits, and student success in Biology. This study strived to determine what academic/admissions data can be used to determine the likelihood of student success in…

Sepsis patients in the emergency department: stratification using the Clinical Impression Score, Predisposition, Infection, Response and Organ dysfunction score or quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score?

PubMed

Quinten, Vincent M; van Meurs, Matijs; Wolffensperger, Anna E; Ter Maaten, Jan C; Ligtenberg, Jack J M

2017-05-08

The aim of this study was to compare the stratification of sepsis patients in the emergency department (ED) for ICU admission and mortality using the Predisposition, Infection, Response and Organ dysfunction (PIRO) and quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) scores with clinical judgement assessed by the ED staff. This was a prospective observational study in the ED of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Adult nontrauma patients with suspected infection and at least two Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria were included. The primary outcome was direct ED to ICU admission. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital, 28-day and 6-month mortality, indirect ICU admission and length of stay. Clinical judgement was recorded using the Clinical Impression Scores (CIS), appraised by a nurse and the attending physician. The PIRO and qSOFA scores were calculated from medical records. We included 193 patients: 103 presented with sepsis, 81 with severe sepsis and nine with septic shock. Fifteen patients required direct ICU admission. The CIS scores of nurse [area under the curve (AUC)=0.896] and the attending physician (AUC=0.861), in conjunction with PIRO (AUC=0.876) and qSOFA scores (AUC=0.849), predicted direct ICU admission. The CIS scores did not predict any of the mortality endpoints. The PIRO predicted in-hospital (AUC=0.764), 28-day (AUC=0.784) and 6-month mortality (AUC=0.695). The qSOFA score also predicted in-hospital (AUC=0.823), 28-day (AUC=0.848) and 6-month mortality (AUC=0.620). Clinical judgement is a fast and reliable method to stratify between ICU and general ward admission in ED patients with sepsis. The PIRO and qSOFA scores do not add value to this stratification, but perform better on the prediction of mortality. In sepsis patients, therefore, the principle of 'treat first what kills first' can be supplemented with 'judge first and calculate later'.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons

Preliminary Investigation of the 1991 Medical College Admission Test Factor Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Weichang; Mitchell, Karen J.

A substantially revised Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was introduced in spring 1991. The new examination is designed to assess critical thinking skills, basic concepts and problem solving facility in science, and writing skills. This paper reports preliminary findings on the factor structure of the revised MCAT, which consists of four…

A comparison of pre ICU admission SIRS, EWS and q SOFA scores for predicting mortality and length of stay in ICU.

PubMed

Siddiqui, Shahla; Chua, Maureen; Kumaresh, Venkatesan; Choo, Robin

2017-10-01

The 2015 sepsis definitions suggest using the quick SOFA score for risk stratification of sepsis patients among other changes in sepsis definition. Our aim was to validate the q sofa score for diagnosing sepsis and comparing it to traditional scores of pre ICU admission sepsis outcome prediction such as EWS and SIRS in our setting in order to predict mortality and length of stay. This was a retrospective cohort study. We retrospectively calculated the q sofa, SIRS and EWS scores of all ICU patients admitted with the diagnosis of sepsis at our center in 2015. This was analysed using STATA 12. Logistic regression and ROC curves were used for analysis in addition to descriptive analysis. 58 patients were included in the study. Based on our one year results we have shown that although q SOFA is more sensitive in predicting LOS in ICU of sepsis patients, the EWS score is more sensitive and specific in predicting mortality in the ICU of such patients when compared to q SOFA and SIRS scores. In conclusion, we find that in our setting, EWS is better than SIRS and q SOFA for predicting mortality and perhaps length of stay as well. The q Sofa score remains validated for diagnosis of sepsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary of Score Changes (in other Tests).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleary, T. Anne; McCandless, Sam A.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores have declined during the last 14 years. Similar score declines have been observed in many different testing programs, many groups, and tested areas. The declines, while not large in any given year, have been consistent over time, area, and group. The period around 1965 is critical for the interpretation of…

Physics and the revised Medical College Admission Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilborn, Robert C.

2014-05-01

Physics has played an important role in the preparation of future physicians and other health professionals for more than 100 years. Almost all pre-health students take a year of college-level physics as part of their preparation for medical, dental, and pharmacy school. In particular, the widely-used Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) contains a significant number of questions that require physics knowledge and skills. This paper describes the changes in the MCAT to be implemented in 2015, the role of physics in the revised MCAT, and implications for introductory physics courses for the life sciences.

Enrollment Management in Medical School Admissions: A Novel Evidence-Based Approach at One Institution.

PubMed

Burkhardt, John C; DesJardins, Stephen L; Teener, Carol A; Gay, Steven E; Santen, Sally A

2016-11-01

In higher education, enrollment management has been developed to accurately predict the likelihood of enrollment of admitted students. This allows evidence to dictate numbers of interviews scheduled, offers of admission, and financial aid package distribution. The applicability of enrollment management techniques for use in medical education was tested through creation of a predictive enrollment model at the University of Michigan Medical School (U-M). U-M and American Medical College Application Service data (2006-2014) were combined to create a database including applicant demographics, academic application scores, institutional financial aid offer, and choice of school attended. Binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models were estimated in order to study factors related to enrollment at the local institution versus elsewhere and to groupings of competing peer institutions. A predictive analytic "dashboard" was created for practical use. Both models were significant at P < .001 and had similar predictive performance. In the binomial model female, underrepresented minority students, grade point average, Medical College Admission Test score, admissions committee desirability score, and most individual financial aid offers were significant (P < .05). The significant covariates were similar in the multinomial model (excluding female) and provided separate likelihoods of students enrolling at different institutional types. An enrollment-management-based approach would allow medical schools to better manage the number of students they admit and target recruitment efforts to improve their likelihood of success. It also performs a key institutional research function for understanding failed recruitment of highly desirable candidates.

Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school.

PubMed

Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from r(tt)=.53 to r(tt)=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were r(tt)=.54 and r(tt )=.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students' achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test.

Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school

PubMed Central

Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

Objective: The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). Methods: 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Results: Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from rtt=.53 to rtt=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were rtt=.54 and rtt =.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. Conclusions: The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students’ achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test. PMID:21866246

Improving the residency admissions process by integrating a professionalism assessment: a validity and feasibility study.

PubMed

Bajwa, Nadia M; Yudkowsky, Rachel; Belli, Dominique; Vu, Nu Viet; Park, Yoon Soo

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to provide validity and feasibility evidence in measuring professionalism using the Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX) scores as part of a residency admissions process. In 2012 and 2013, three standardized-patient-based P-MEX encounters were administered to applicants invited for an interview at the University of Geneva Pediatrics Residency Program. Validity evidence was gathered for P-MEX content (item analysis); response process (qualitative feedback); internal structure (inter-rater reliability with intraclass correlation and Generalizability); relations to other variables (correlations); and consequences (logistic regression to predict admission). To improve reliability, Kane's formula was used to create an applicant composite score using P-MEX, structured letter of recommendation (SLR), and structured interview (SI) scores. Applicant rank lists using composite scores versus faculty global ratings were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Seventy applicants were assessed. Moderate associations were found between pairwise correlations of P-MEX scores and SLR (r = 0.25, P = .036), SI (r = 0.34, P = .004), and global ratings (r = 0.48, P < .001). Generalizability of the P-MEX using three cases was moderate (G-coefficient = 0.45). P-MEX scores had the greatest correlation with acceptance (r = 0.56, P < .001), were the strongest predictor of acceptance (OR 4.37, P < .001), and increased pseudo R-squared by 0.20 points. Including P-MEX scores increased composite score reliability from 0.51 to 0.74. Rank lists of applicants using composite score versus global rating differed significantly (z = 5.41, P < .001). Validity evidence supports the use of P-MEX scores to improve the reliability of the residency admissions process by improving applicant composite score reliability.

A comparison of statistical criteria for setting optimally discriminating MCAT and GPA thresholds in medical school admissions.

PubMed

Albanese, Mark A; Farrell, Philip; Dottl, Susan L

2005-01-01

Using Medical College Admission Test-grade point average (MCAT-GPA) scores as a threshold has the potential to address issues raised in recent Supreme Court cases, but it introduces complicated methodological issues for medical school admissions. To assess various statistical indexes to determine optimally discriminating thresholds for MCAT-GPA scores. Entering classes from 1992 through 1998 (N = 752) are used to develop guidelines for cut scores that optimize discrimination between students who pass and do not pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 on the first attempt. Risk differences, odds ratios, sensitivity, and specificity discriminated best for setting thresholds. Compensatory versus noncompensatory procedures both accounted for 54% of Step 1 failures, but demanded different performance requirements (noncompensatory MCAT-biological sciences = 8, physical sciences = 7, verbal reasoning = 7--sum of scores = 22; compensatory MCAT total = 24). Rational and defensible intellectual achievement thresholds that are likely to comply with recent Supreme Court decisions can be set from MCAT scores and GPAs.

Appraising the Dimensionality of the Medical College Admission Test. MCAT Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meara, Kevin; Sireci, Stephen G.

To provide a better understanding of the structure of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and to determine if there are structural differences across selected groups of MCAT examinees, several dimensionality analyses were conducted on data from recent administrations of the MCAT. The first set of analyses focused on the global structure of…

Analysis of Institutional Competitiveness of Junior High Schools through the Admission Test to High School Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armendáriz, Joyzukey; Tarango, Javier; Machin-Mastromatteo, Juan Daniel

2018-01-01

This descriptive and correlational research studies 15,658 students from 335 secondary schools in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, through the results of the examination of admission to high school education (National High School Admission Test--EXANI I from the National Assessment Center for Education--CENEVAL) on logical-mathematical and verbal…

Investigating approaches to diversity in a national survey of physics doctoral degree programs: The graduate admissions landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potvin, Geoff; Chari, Deepa; Hodapp, Theodore

2017-12-01

Graduate admissions play a critical gatekeeping role in the physics community not only because they select students who are allowed to begin their graduate studies, but also because they influence how students perceive graduate school, and in some cases whether or not they will even choose to apply. In conjunction with the APS Bridge Program, we conducted a national survey of graduate directors (and related faculty) of physics Ph.D. programs in the United States to explore graduate admissions practices. Our focus was on criteria used in determining admissions, mechanisms through which graduate applicants are handled, and how student representation considerations are incorporated into admissions (if at all). We report here on existing graduate admission practices in physics departments and highlight some critical issues for understanding barriers for diversifying graduate physics, including the use of GRE scores (and the relative importance placed on them). We find that the use of a minimum GRE score for admission, a practice in opposition to recommendations made by the tests designers, is reported to be used in many departments (more than one in three). We also find letters of recommendation to be highly valued in admissions decisions. Our data describe various initiatives at the institutional or individual level to increase gender diversity in admissions. A sizable number of departments also express a latent demand for greater numbers of students from traditionally marginalized racial or ethnic groups, but simultaneously report a lack of such applicants.

Can paediatric early warning scores (PEWS) be used to guide the need for hospital admission and predict significant illness in children presenting to the emergency department? An assessment of PEWS diagnostic accuracy using sensitivity and specificity.

PubMed

Lillitos, Peter J; Hadley, Graeme; Maconochie, Ian

2016-05-01

Designed to detect early deterioration of the hospitalised child, paediatric early warning scores (PEWS) validity in the emergency department (ED) is less validated. We aimed to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of two commonly used PEWS (Brighton and COAST) in predicting hospital admission and, for the first time, significant illness. Retrospective analysis of PEWS data for paediatric ED attendances at St Mary's Hospital, London, UK, in November 2012. Patients with missing data were excluded. Diagnoses were grouped: medical and surgical. To classify diagnoses as significant, established guidelines were used and, where not available, common agreement between three acute paediatricians. 1921 patients were analysed. There were 211 admissions (11%). 1630 attendances were medical (86%) and 273 (14%) surgical. Brighton and COAST PEWS performed similarly. hospital admission: PEWS of ≥3 was specific (93%) but poorly sensitive (32%). The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was low at 0.690. Significant illness: for medical illness, PEWS ≥3 was highly specific (96%) but poorly sensitive (44%). The AUC was 0.754 and 0.755 for Brighton and COAST PEWS, respectively. Both scores performed poorly for predicting significant surgical illness (AUC 0.642). PEWS ≥3 performed well in predicting significant respiratory illness: sensitivity 75%, specificity 91%. Both Brighton and COAST PEWS scores performed similarly. A score of ≥3 has good specificity but poor sensitivity for predicting hospital admission and significant illness. Therefore, a high PEWS should be taken seriously but a low score is poor at ruling out the requirement for admission or serious underlying illness. PEWS was better at detecting significant medical illness compared with detecting the need for admission. PEWS performed poorly in detecting significant surgical illness. PEWS may be particularly useful in evaluating respiratory illness in a paediatric ED. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group

Validating Standardized Testing: The Role of the SAT and ACT in Undergraduate Admissions. [Background Information to Legislative Hearing].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Jamillah; Teng, Allen

A hearing was planned by the California Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach to consider the role of the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) in the admission of students to California's public universities. The hearing was intended to provide a serious discussion of the merits and…

Correlation of admissions statistics to graduate student success in medical physics

PubMed Central

McSpadden, Erin; Rakowski, Joseph; Nalichowski, Adrian; Yudelev, Mark; Snyder, Michael

2014-01-01

The purpose of this work is to develop metrics for evaluation of medical physics graduate student performance, assess relationships between success and other quantifiable factors, and determine whether graduate student performance can be accurately predicted by admissions statistics. A cohort of 108 medical physics graduate students from a single institution were rated for performance after matriculation based on final scores in specific courses, first year graduate Grade Point Average (GPA), performance on the program exit exam, performance in oral review sessions, and faculty rating. Admissions statistics including matriculating program (MS vs. PhD); undergraduate degree type, GPA, and country; graduate degree; general and subject GRE scores; traditional vs. nontraditional status; and ranking by admissions committee were evaluated for potential correlation with the performance metrics. GRE verbal and quantitative scores were correlated with higher scores in the most difficult courses in the program and with the program exit exam; however, the GRE section most correlated with overall faculty rating was the analytical writing section. Students with undergraduate degrees in engineering had a higher faculty rating than those from other disciplines and faculty rating was strongly correlated with undergraduate country. Undergraduate GPA was not statistically correlated with any success metrics investigated in this study. However, the high degree of selection on GPA and quantitative GRE scores during the admissions process results in relatively narrow ranges for these quantities. As such, these results do not necessarily imply that one should not strongly consider traditional metrics, such as undergraduate GPA and quantitative GRE score, during the admissions process. They suggest that once applicants have been initially filtered by these metrics, additional selection should be performed via the other metrics shown here to be correlated with success. The parameters used

Predictive Value of Glasgow Coma Score and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness Score on the Outcome of Multiple Trauma Patients.

PubMed

Baratloo, Alireza; Shokravi, Masumeh; Safari, Saeed; Aziz, Awat Kamal

2016-03-01

The Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) score was developed to compensate for the limitations of Glasgow coma score (GCS) in recent years. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of GCS and FOUR score on the outcome of multiple trauma patients admitted to the emergency department. The present prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on multiple trauma patients admitted to the emergency department. GCS and FOUR scores were evaluated at the time of admission and at the sixth and twelfth hours after admission. Then the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive value of GCS and FOUR score were evaluated to predict patients' outcome. Patients' outcome was divided into discharge with and without a medical injury (motor deficit, coma or death). Finally, 89 patients were studied. Sensitivity and specificity of GCS in predicting adverse outcome (motor deficit, coma or death) were 84.2% and 88.6% at the time of admission, 89.5% and 95.4% at the sixth hour and 89.5% and 91.5% at the twelfth hour, respectively. These values for the FOUR score were 86.9% and 88.4% at the time of admission, 89.5% and 100% at the sixth hour and 89.5% and 94.4% at the twelfth hour, respectively. Findings of this study indicate that the predictive value of FOUR score and GCS on the outcome of multiple trauma patients admitted to the emergency department is similar.

A scoring system for ascertainment of incident stroke; the Risk Index Score (RISc).

PubMed

Kass-Hout, T A; Moyé, L A; Smith, M A; Morgenstern, L B

2006-01-01

The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a computer-based statistical algorithm that could be translated into a simple scoring system in order to ascertain incident stroke cases using hospital admission medical records data. The Risk Index Score (RISc) algorithm was developed using data collected prospectively by the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project, 2000. The validity of RISc was evaluated by estimating the concordance of scoring system stroke ascertainment to stroke ascertainment by physician and/or abstractor review of hospital admission records. RISc was developed on 1718 randomly selected patients (training set) and then statistically validated on an independent sample of 858 patients (validation set). A multivariable logistic model was used to develop RISc and subsequently evaluated by goodness-of-fit and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The higher the value of RISc, the higher the patient's risk of potential stroke. The study showed RISc was well calibrated and discriminated those who had potential stroke from those that did not on initial screening. In this study we developed and validated a rapid, easy, efficient, and accurate method to ascertain incident stroke cases from routine hospital admission records for epidemiologic investigations. Validation of this scoring system was achieved statistically; however, clinical validation in a community hospital setting is warranted.

Testing Intelligently Includes Double-Checking Wechsler IQ Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuentzel, Jeffrey G.; Hetterscheidt, Lesley A.; Barnett, Douglas

2011-01-01

The rigors of standardized testing make for numerous opportunities for examiner error, including simple computational mistakes in scoring. Although experts recommend that test scoring be double-checked, the extent to which independent double-checking would reduce scoring errors is not known. A double-checking procedure was established at a…

The Gender Difference: Validity of Standardized Admission Tests in Predicting MBA Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hancock, Terence

1999-01-01

Of 120 female and 149 male master of business administration (MBA) students, women performed significantly less well on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). There were no differences in overall MBA grade point average, indicating no strong correlation between the GMAT and MBA performance. (SK)

Validating Standardized Testing: The Role of the SAT and ACT in Undergraduate Admissions. [Hearing before the California Legislature, Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach, Sacramento, California, February 5, 1998].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Legislature, Sacramento. Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach.

This report contains testimony and materials presented at the California Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach hearing, February 1998, held to examine the role of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) in undergraduate admissions to the public universities of California. In her…

Minority Group Status and Bias in College Admissions Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Bernie I.; And Others

1976-01-01

Cleary's and Thorndike's definition of bias in college admissions criteria (ACT scores and high school percentile rank) were examined for black, white, and Jewish students. Use of the admissions criteria tended to overpredict blacks' performance, accurately predict whites' performance, and underpredict that of Jews. In light of Cleary's…

The predictive validity of the BioMedical Admissions Test for pre-clinical examination performance.

PubMed

Emery, Joanne L; Bell, John F

2009-06-01

Some medical courses in the UK have many more applicants than places and almost all applicants have the highest possible previous and predicted examination grades. The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was designed to assist in the student selection process specifically for a number of 'traditional' medical courses with clear pre-clinical and clinical phases and a strong focus on science teaching in the early years. It is intended to supplement the information provided by examination results, interviews and personal statements. This paper reports on the predictive validity of the BMAT and its predecessor, the Medical and Veterinary Admissions Test. Results from the earliest 4 years of the test (2000-2003) were matched to the pre-clinical examination results of those accepted onto the medical course at the University of Cambridge. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were performed for each cohort. Section 2 of the test ('Scientific Knowledge') correlated more strongly with examination marks than did Section 1 ('Aptitude and Skills'). It also had a stronger relationship with the probability of achieving the highest examination class. The BMAT and its predecessor demonstrate predictive validity for the pre-clinical years of the medical course at the University of Cambridge. The test identifies important differences in skills and knowledge between candidates, not shown by their previous attainment, which predict their examination performance. It is thus a valid source of additional admissions information for medical courses with a strong scientific emphasis when previous attainment is very high.

Computerized test versus personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies: A retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Hazut, Koren; Romem, Pnina; Malkin, Smadar; Livshiz-Riven, Ilana

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive validity, economic efficiency, and faculty staff satisfaction of a computerized test versus a personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies. A mixed method study was designed, including cross-sectional and retrospective cohorts, interviews, and cost analysis. One hundred and thirty-four students in the Master of Nursing program participated. The success of students in required core courses was similar in both admission method groups. The personal interview method was found to be a significant predictor of success, with cognitive variables the only significant contributors to the model. Higher satisfaction levels were reported with the computerized test compared with the personal interview method. The cost of the personal interview method, in annual hourly work, was 2.28 times higher than the computerized test. These findings may promote discussion regarding the cost benefit of the personal interview as an admission method for advanced academic studies in healthcare professions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Trunk control test as an early predictor of stroke rehabilitation outcome.

PubMed

Franchignoni, F P; Tesio, L; Ricupero, C; Martino, M T

1997-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the construct and predictive validity of the Trunk Control Test (TCT) in postacute stroke patients by comparing TCT scores at admission and discharge with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Forty-nine patients participated in the study. The TCT examines four movements: rolling from a supine position to the weak side (T1) and to the strong side (T2), sitting up from a lying-down position (T3), and sitting balance (T4). The FIM is an 18-item scale (13 motor [motFIM] and 5 cognitive [cognFIM]) used to determine the level of dependence of patients in daily life. Thirty-six patients (73%) increased their TCT overall score at discharge. The TCT item-total correlations were high, both at admission and discharge (P < .0001). The individual TCT items were intercorrelated. Furthermore, the homogeneity of the TCT was confirmed by a high Cronbach's index. High correlations were found between admission and discharge scores in the different tests (TCT, FIM, and motFIM; P < .0001) and between TCT at admission and FIM (P < .0001) and motFIM (P < .0001) at admission. TCT at admission alone explained 71% of the variance in motFIM at discharge. The TCT showed a good sensitivity to change in assessing recovery of stroke patients. The high item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha value of the TCT suggest that there is one homogeneous construct underlying the item list. The TCT construct validity was confirmed by the correlation between this test and the FIM scores. TCT at admission predicted motFIM at discharge even better than motFIM at admission alone. Possibly, the TCT captures basic motor skills that foreshadow the recovery of more complex behavioral skills described by the FIM.

Test Scores and Stereotypes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gose, Ben

1995-01-01

A psychologist's research suggests that black and female students may have lower standardized test scores and academic achievement because they have accepted stereotypes concerning their ability. Critics feel the researcher, Claude M. Steele, may be overlooking other factors. Steele has developed a program a Stanford University (California) to…

HIV testing for acute medical admissions: evaluation of a pilot study in Leicester, England.

PubMed

Palfreeman, Adrian; Nyatsanza, Farai; Farn, Helen; McKinnon, Graham; Schober, Paul; McNally, Paul

2013-06-01

The 2008 UK National Guidelines for HIV testing recommended HIV testing should be offered to all general medical admissions aged 16-60 years in high prevalence areas, and that this should be evaluated to ensure this was effective in diagnosing previously undiagnosed HIV. HIV testing was introduced as a routine test for all patients admitted to the acute medical admissions unit, comparisons were made between the testing rates before, during and after this intervention. The pilot was initiated in August 2009. Prior to the pilot the unit was carrying out 15 tests per month. However, when the pilot was introduced 82 tests were being carried out per month with a total of 10 new diagnoses since the start of the pilot. The proportion of patients tested versus those eligible for testing remained low varying between 6% and 22% month by month. 10 patients we found to be HIV positive with a prevalence of approximately 1%, 10 fold higher than the cut off for cost effectiveness used in the guidelines. Overall the pilot showed that HIV testing could be delivered without the use of extra resources and is acceptable to patients.

Bronchiolitis Score of Sant Joan de Déu: BROSJOD Score, validation and usefulness.

PubMed

Balaguer, Mònica; Alejandre, Carme; Vila, David; Esteban, Elisabeth; Carrasco, Josep L; Cambra, Francisco José; Jordan, Iolanda

2017-04-01

To validate the bronchiolitis score of Sant Joan de Déu (BROSJOD) and to examine the previously defined scoring cutoff. Prospective, observational study. BROSJOD scoring was done by two independent physicians (at admission, 24 and 48 hr). Internal consistency of the score was assessed using Cronbach's α. To determine inter-rater reliability, the concordance correlation coefficient estimated as an intraclass correlation coefficient (CCC) and limits of agreement estimated as the 90% total deviation index (TDI) were estimated. An expert opinion was used to classify patients according to clinical severity. A validity analysis was conducted comparing the 3-level classification score to that expert opinion. Volume under the surface (VUS), predictive values, and probability of correct classification (PCC) were measured to assess discriminant validity. About 112 patients were recruited, 62 of them (55.4%) males. Median age: 52.5 days (IQR: 32.75-115.25). The admission Cronbach's α was 0.77 (CI95%: 0.71; 0.82) and at 24 hr it was 0.65 (CI95%: 0.48; 0.7). The inter-rater reliability analysis was: CCC at admission 0.96 (95%CI 0.94-0.97), at 24 h 0.77 (95%CI 0.65-0.86), and at 48 hr 0.94 (95%CI 0.94-0.97); TDI 90%: 1.6, 2.9, and 1.57, respectively. The discriminant validity at admission: VUS of 0.8 (95%CI 0.70-0.90), at 24 h 0.92 (95%CI 0.85-0.99), and at 48 hr 0.93 (95%CI 0.87-0.99). The predictive values and PCC values were within 38-100% depending on the level of clinical severity. There is a high inter-rater reliability, showing the BROSJOD score to be reliable and valid, even when different observers apply it. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:533-539. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Results of applying a paediatric early warning score system as a healthcare quality improvement plan].

PubMed

Rivero-Martín, M J; Prieto-Martínez, S; García-Solano, M; Montilla-Pérez, M; Tena-Martín, E; Ballesteros-García, M M

2016-06-01

The aims of this study were to introduce a paediatric early warning score (PEWS) into our daily clinical practice, as well as to evaluate its ability to detect clinical deterioration in children admitted, and to train nursing staff to communicate the information and response effectively. An analysis was performed on the implementation of PEWS in the electronic health records of children (0-15 years) in our paediatric ward from February 2014 to September 2014. The maximum score was 6. Nursing staff reviewed scores >2, and if >3 medical and nursing staff reviewed it. Monitoring indicators: % of admissions with scoring; % of complete data capture; % of scores >3; % of scores >3 reviewed by medical staff, % of changes in treatment due to the warning system, and number of patients who needed Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admission, or died without an increased warning score. The data were collected from all patients (931) admitted. The scale was measured 7,917 times, with 78.8% of them with complete data capture. Very few (1.9%) showed scores >3, and 14% of them with changes in clinical management (intensifying treatment or new diagnostic tests). One patient (scored 2) required PICU admission. There were no deaths. Parents or nursing staff concern was registered in 80% of cases. PEWS are useful to provide a standardised assessment of clinical status in the inpatient setting, using a unique scale and implementing data capture. Because of the lack of severe complications requiring PICU admission and deaths, we will have to use other data to evaluate these scales. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Rationalization and Student/School Personhood in U.S. College Admissions: The Rise of Test-Optional Policies, 1987 to 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furuta, Jared

2017-01-01

This article examines the rise of "test-optional" college admissions policies since the 1990s. I argue that the rationalization of college admissions policies after World War II contributed to the rise of "meritocratic" stratification (in policy) and standardized tests, like the SAT, but it also led to the expansion and…

Using Patterns of Summed Scores in Paper-and-Pencil Tests and Computer-Adaptive Tests to Detect Misfitting Item Score Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meijer, Rob R.

2004-01-01

Two new methods have been proposed to determine unexpected sum scores on sub-tests (testlets) both for paper-and-pencil tests and computer adaptive tests. A method based on a conservative bound using the hypergeometric distribution, denoted p, was compared with a method where the probability for each score combination was calculated using a…

Predicting Performance during Clinical Years from the New Medical College Admission Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caroline, Jan D.; And Others

1983-01-01

The results of a predictive validity study of the new Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) using criteria from the clinical years of undergraduate medical education are discussed. The criteria included course grades and faculty ratings of clerks in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. (Author/MLW)

The Association Between Premedical Curricular and Admission Requirements and Medical School Performance and Residency Placement: A Study of Two Admission Routes at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

PubMed Central

George, Paul; Park, Yoon Soo; Ip, Julianne; Gruppuso, Philip A.; Adashi, Eli Y.

2015-01-01

Purpose The curricular elements of undergraduate premedical education are the subject of an ongoing debate. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (AMS) matriculates students via the traditional premedical route (TPM) and an eight-year baccalaureate/MD program—the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME)—which provides students with a broad and liberal education. Using the juxtaposition of these two admission routes, the authors aimed to determine whether there is an association between highly distinct premedical curricular and admission requirements and medical school performance and residency placement. Method The cohorts studied included all of the PLME (n = 295) and TPM (n = 215) students who graduated from the AMS between 2010 and 2015. Outcome variables consisted of multiple measures of medical school performance, including standardized multiple-choice examination scores and honors grades, and residency placement. The authors employed unadjusted tests of averages and proportions (independent t tests and chi-squared tests) to compare variables. Results The TPM students attained marginally, but statistically significantly, higher average scores on standardized multiple-choice examinations than their PLME counterparts. The number of undergraduate premedical science courses completed by PLME students accounted for less than 4% of the variance in key metrics of medical school performance. The residency placement record of the PLME and TPM cohorts proved comparable. Conclusions These findings suggest that the association between medical school performance and residency placement and undergraduate premedical curricular and admission requirements is weak. Further study is needed to determine the optimal premedical preparation of students. PMID:26422591

[Comprehensive Assessment of Psychiatric Residents: An Addition to the Program Admission Process].

PubMed

Luis, E Jaramillo G; Elena, Martín C

2012-01-01

The training of medical specialists is a long and complex process. Its purpose is to guarantee the society that they are the right professionals to meet the health needs of the population. The first step to ensure this objective is the admission process. In psychiatry this process, monitoring resident students and the criteria for each one are different in each country. Admission in Colombia is a heterogeneous process, not standardized, which varies greatly from one university to another, even between private and public universities. At the National University of Colombia, the admissions process is handled by the Admissions Office and includes: a written test for which you must obtain a minimum score, a resume rating and an interview. The Teaching Committee and the Department of Psychiatry considered the admission procedure in general to be good, but in need of refinement. Due to the experience of some teachers and given the current rules, a "comprehensive assessment" for master and doctoral students was required and in 1996 it was decided that this method of assessment for admission to a specialization in Psychiatry would serve to complement the admission process. The article describes the experience of the process and its outcomes, strengths and weaknesses. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Does Test Preparation Work? Implications for Score Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Qin

2013-01-01

This article reports an empirical study that examined the pattern of test preparation for College English Test Band 4 (CET4) and the differential effects of test preparation practices on its scores, thereby drawing implications for CET4 score validity. Data collection involved 1,003 test takers of CET4. A pretest was administered at the beginning…

Use of MCAT Data in Admissions. A Guide for Medical School Admissions Officers and Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Karen J.

A description of the standardized, multiple-choice Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and how to use it is offered. Medical school admissions officers medical educators, college faculty members, and practicing physicians are active participants in selecting content, drafting test specifications, and authoring questions for the exam. The MCAT is…

Quality of Education Outcomes: The Role of the Graduate Management Admission Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wamala, Robert; Buyinza, Mukadasi

2013-01-01

Although the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is considered by leading business institutions worldwide as a predictor of success in graduate programs, an issue of contention is whether the introduction of the examination enhances the quality of education outcomes. This study sought to obtain an understanding of this issue, focusing on…

Facilitating the Interpretation of English Language Proficiency Scores: Combining Scale Anchoring and Test Score Mapping Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Donald; Schedl, Mary; Papageorgiou, Spiros

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop, for the benefit of both test takers and test score users, enhanced "TOEFL ITP"® test score reports that go beyond the simple numerical scores that are currently reported. To do so, we applied traditional scale anchoring (proficiency scaling) to item difficulty data in order to develop performance…

The Impact of the Revamped SAT on Admissions Policies Among Western Land Grant Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choroszy, Melisa N.; Muehlberg, Jessica

2006-01-01

The newly revamped Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was administered for the first time in March 2005. Administrators, faculty, and staff in colleges and universities throughout the country were asking the same questions as students: "What was this new score of 2400 and what would it mean for them in terms of admissions, scholarships, and…

Overview of different scoring systems in Fournier’s Gangrene and assessment of prognostic factors

PubMed Central

Doluoğlu, Ömer Gökhan; Karagöz, Mehmet Ali; Kılınç, Muhammet Fatih; Karakan, Tolga; Yücetürk, Cem Nedim; Sarıcı, Haşmet; Özgür, Berat Cem; Eroğlu, Muzaffer

2016-01-01

Objective In this study we aimed to evaluate prognostic factors for the survival of patients with Fournier’s gangrene (FG), and overview different validated scoring systems for outcome prediction. Material and methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 39 patients treated for FG in our clinic. Data were collected on medical history, symptoms, physical examination findings, vital signs, laboratory parameters at admission and at the end of treatment, timing and extent of surgical debridement, and the antibiotic treatment used. The Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were used to predict outcome. The data were analyzed in relation with the survival of the patients. Mann-Whitney U test, chi -square test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Cox regression analysis were used for the statistical analysis. Results Of 39 patients analyzed, 8 (20.5%) died and 31 (79.5%) survived. The median FGSI score on admission was 2 (0–9) for the survivors and 6 (2–14) for the non-survivors (p=0.004). The median CCI scores of the survivors and non-survivors were 2 (0–10) and 6.5 (5–11), respectively (p=0.001). Except for urea, albumin and hematocrit levels, no significant differences were found between survivors and non-survivors for other laboratory parameters on admission. Lower albumin levels and advanced age were found to be associated with mortality. Conclusion High blood urea, low albumin, and low hematocrit levels were associated with poor prognosis. High CCI and FGSI scores could be associated with a poor prognosis in patients with FG. PMID:27635295

The Truth about Scores Children Achieve on Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jonathan R.

1989-01-01

The importance of using the standard error of measurement (SEm) in determining reliability in test scores is emphasized. The SEm is compared to the hypothetical true score for standardized tests, and procedures for calculation of the SEm are explained. (JDD)

On the Validity of Repeated Assessments in the UMAT, a High-Stakes Admissions Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrich, David; Styles, Irene; Mercer, Annette; Puddey, Ian B.

2017-01-01

The possibility that the validity of assessment is compromised by repeated sittings of highly competitive and high profile selection tests has been documented and is of concern to stake-holders. An illustrative example is the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) used by some medical and dental courses in Australia and…

A Retrospective View of Selective Admission of Physical Therapist Assistants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, C. Dale; Casey, John P.

1986-01-01

This study was an attempt to evaluate how well a specific selection formula for admission to a physical therapist assistant program worked. It compared the relative selective admission score with the clinical and academic success of those students who completed the course of study; this necessitated a retrospective analysis. (Author/CT)

The Probability of Obtaining Two Statistically Different Test Scores as a Test Index

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Jorg M.

2006-01-01

A new test index is defined as the probability of obtaining two randomly selected test scores (PDTS) as statistically different. After giving a concept definition of the test index, two simulation studies are presented. The first analyzes the influence of the distribution of test scores, test reliability, and sample size on PDTS within classical…

Admissions Criteria as Predictors of Academic Performance in a Three-Year Pharmacy Program at a Historically Black Institution

PubMed Central

Parmar, Jayesh R.; Purnell, Miriam; Lang, Lynn A.

2016-01-01

Objective. To determine the ability of University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy’s admissions criteria to predict students’ academic performance in a 3-year pharmacy program and to analyze transferability to African-American students. Methods. Statistical analyses were conducted on retrospective data for 174 students. Didactic and experiential scores were used as measures of academic performance. Results. Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), grade point average (GPA), interview, and observational scores combined with previous pharmacy experience and biochemistry coursework predicted the students' academic performance except second-year (P2) experiential performance. For African-American students, didactic performance positively correlated with PCAT writing subtests, while the experiential performance positively correlated with previous pharmacy experience and observational score. For nonAfrican-American students, didactic performance positively correlated with PCAT multiple-choice subtests, and experiential performance with interview score. The prerequisite GPA positively correlated with both of the student subgroups’ didactic performance. Conclusion. Both PCAT and GPA were predictors of didactic performance, especially in nonAfrican-Americans. Pharmacy experience and observational scores were predictors of experiential performance, especially in African-Americans. PMID:26941432

Quantitative analysis of a Māori and Pacific admission process on first-year health study.

PubMed

Curtis, Elana; Wikaire, Erena; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Robert; Airini; Reid, Papaarangi

2015-11-03

Universities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies to increase equity in access and outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students. This study investigates an equity-targeted admissions process, involving a Multiple Mini Interview and objective testing, advising Māori and Pacific students on their best starting point for academic success towards a career in medicine, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy. All Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) interviewees enrolled in bridging/foundation or degree-level programmes at the University of Auckland were identified (2009 to 2012). Generalised linear regression models estimated the predicted effects of admission variables (e.g. MAPAS Maths Test; National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Rank Score; Any 2 Sciences; Followed MAPAS Advice) on first year academic outcomes (i.e. Grade Point Average (GPA) and Passes All Courses) adjusting for MAPAS interview year, gender, ancestry and school decile. 368 First Year Tertiary (bridging/foundation or degree-level) and 242 First Year Bachelor (degree-level only) students were investigated. NCEA Rank Score (estimate 0.26, CI: 0.18-0.34, p< 0.0001); MAPAS Advice Followed (1.26, CI: 0.18-1.34, p = 0.0002); Exposure to Any 2 Sciences (0.651, CI: 0.15-1.15, p = 0.012); and MAPAS Mathematics Test (0.14, CI: 0.02-0.26, p = 0.0186) variables were strongly associated with an increase in First Year Tertiary GPA. The odds of passing all courses in First Year Tertiary study was 5.4 times higher for students who Followed MAPAS Advice (CI: 2.35-12.39; p< 0.0001) and 2.3 times higher with Exposure to Any Two Sciences (CI: 1.15-4.60; p = 0.0186). First Year Bachelor students who Followed MAPAS Advice had an average GPA that was 1.1 points higher for all eight (CI: 0.45-1.73; p = 0.0009) and Core 4 courses (CI: 0.60-2.04; p = 0.0004). The MAPAS admissions process was strongly associated with positive academic

Do racial and ethnic group differences in performance on the MCAT exam reflect test bias?

PubMed

Davis, Dwight; Dorsey, J Kevin; Franks, Ronald D; Sackett, Paul R; Searcy, Cynthia A; Zhao, Xiaohui

2013-05-01

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized examination that assesses fundamental knowledge of scientific concepts, critical reasoning ability, and written communication skills. Medical school admission officers use MCAT scores, along with other measures of academic preparation and personal attributes, to select the applicants they consider the most likely to succeed in medical school. In 2008-2011, the committee charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the MCAT exam examined four issues: (1) whether racial and ethnic groups differ in mean MCAT scores, (2) whether any score differences are due to test bias, (3) how group differences may be explained, and (4) whether the MCAT exam is a barrier to medical school admission for black or Latino applicants. This analysis showed that black and Latino examinees' mean MCAT scores are lower than white examinees', mirroring differences on other standardized admission tests and in the average undergraduate grades of medical school applicants. However, there was no evidence that the MCAT exam is biased against black and Latino applicants as determined by their subsequent performance on selected medical school performance indicators. Among other factors which could contribute to mean differences in MCAT performance, whites, blacks, and Latinos interested in medicine differ with respect to parents' education and income. Admission data indicate that admission committees accept majority and minority applicants at similar rates, which suggests that medical students are selected on the basis of a combination of attributes and competencies rather than on MCAT scores alone.

A twelve-year profile of students' SAT scores, GPAs, and MCAT scores from a small university's premedical program.

PubMed

Montague, J R; Frei, J K

1993-04-01

To determine whether significant correlations existed among quantitative and qualitative predictors of students' academic success and quantitative outcomes of such success over a 12-year period in a small university's premedical program. A database was assembled from information on the 199 graduates who earned BS degrees in biology from Barry University's School of Natural and Health Sciences from 1980 through 1991. The quantitative variables were year of BS degree, total score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), various measures of undergraduate grade-point averages (GPAs), and total score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT); and the qualitative variables were minority (54% of the students) or majority status and transfer (about one-third of the students) or nontransfer status. The statistical methods were multiple analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regression. Statistically significant positive correlations were found among SAT total scores, final GPAs, biology GPAs versus nonbiology GPAs, and MCAT total scores. These correlations held for transfer versus nontransfer students and for minority versus majority students. Over the 12-year period there were significant fluctuations in mean MCAT scores. The students' SAT scores and GPAs proved to be statistically reliable predictors of MCAT scores, but the minority or majority status and the transfer or nontransfer status of the students were statistically insignificant.

Testing the Predictive Validity of the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model.

PubMed

Jung, Hyesil; Park, Hyeoun-Ae

2018-03-01

Cumulative data on patient fall risk have been compiled in electronic medical records systems, and it is possible to test the validity of fall-risk assessment tools using these data between the times of admission and occurrence of a fall. The Hendrich II Fall Risk Model scores assessed during three time points of hospital stays were extracted and used for testing the predictive validity: (a) upon admission, (b) when the maximum fall-risk score from admission to falling or discharge, and (c) immediately before falling or discharge. Predictive validity was examined using seven predictive indicators. In addition, logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that significantly affect the occurrence of a fall. Among the different time points, the maximum fall-risk score assessed between admission and falling or discharge showed the best predictive performance. Confusion or disorientation and having a poor ability to rise from a sitting position were significant risk factors for a fall.

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Nevada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Nevada's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP increased in grade 8 reading and math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test than on NAEP in both subjects. Trends in average (mean) test scores…

Reflections on a Century of College Admissions Tests. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.4.09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Richard C.; Geiser, Saul

2009-01-01

Standardized testing for college admissions has grown exponentially since the first administration of the old "College Boards" in 1901. This paper surveys major developments since then: the introduction of the "Scholastic Aptitude Test" in 1926, designed to tap students' general analytic ability; E.F. Lindquist's creation of…

Mobility and cognition at admission to the nursing home - a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sverdrup, Karen; Bergh, Sverre; Selbæk, Geir; Røen, Irene; Kirkevold, Øyvind; Tangen, Gro Gujord

2018-01-30

Earlier studies show that the main reasons for admission to long-term nursing home care are cognitive impairment and functional impairments of activities of daily life. However, descriptive evidence of mobility is scant. The aims of this study were to describe mobility at admission to nursing homes and to assess the association between mobility and degree of dementia. We included 696 residents at admission to 47 nursing homes in Norway. Inclusion criteria were expected stay for more than 4 weeks and 65 years or older. In addition, younger residents with dementia were included. Residents with life expectancy shorter than six weeks were excluded. Mobility was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Nursing Home Life Space Diameter (NHLSD). The Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) was used to describe the degree of dementia. The associations between mobility and degree of dementia was analysed using the Chi-square and the Kruskal-Wallis test (KW-test). When the KW-test indicated a statistical significant difference, we proceeded with planned group comparisons with the Mann-Whitney U-test. In addition, we performed multiple linear regression analyses to control for potential confounders. Forty-three percent of the residents were not able to perform the balance test in SPPB. Twenty-four percent of the residents were not able to walk four meters, while only 17.6% had a walking speed of 0.83 m/s or higher. Sixty-two percent of the residents were not able to rise from a chair or spent more than 60 s doing it. The median score on NHLSD area was 22 (IQR 17) and the median score on NHLSD dependency was 36 (IQR 26). Residents with severe dementia had significantly lower levels of mobility than residents with moderate dementia. Cognitive function was associated with SPPB and NHLSD dependency in the adjusted models. Nursing home residents form a frail, but heterogeneous group both in terms of cognition and mobility at admission. Mobility was

Do Gains in Test Scores Explain Labor Market Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Heather

2006-01-01

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, this article investigates whether students who made relatively large test score gains during high school had larger earnings 7 years after high school compared to students whose scores improved little. In models that control for pre-high school test scores, family background, and…

Triage of patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding for intensive care unit admission based on risk factors for poor outcome.

PubMed

Afessa, B

2000-04-01

This study's aim was to determine the prognostic factors and to develop a triage system for intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). This prospective, observational study included 411 adults consecutively hospitalized for GIB. Each patient's selected clinical findings and laboratory values at presentation were obtained. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores were calculated from the initial findings in the emergency department. Poor outcome was defined as recurrent GIB, emergency surgery, or death. The role of hepatic cirrhosis, APACHE II score, active GIB, end-organ dysfunction, and hypotension in predicting outcome was evaluated. Chi-square, Student's t, Mann-Whitney U, and logistic regression analysis tests were used for statistical comparisons. Poor outcome developed in 81 (20%) patients; 39 died, 23 underwent emergency surgery, and 47 rebled. End-organ dysfunction, active bleeding, hepatic cirrhosis, and high APACHE II scores were independent predictors of poor outcome with odds ratios of 3:1, 3:1, 2:3, and 1:1, respectively. The ICU admission rate was 37%. High APACHE II score, active bleeding, end-organ dysfunction, and hepatic cirrhosis are independent predictors of poor outcome in patients with GIB and can be used in the triage of these patients for ICU admission.

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Time to rehabilitation admission, length of stay and functional independence

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, Husam; Qannam, Hazem; Mortenson, Ben

2017-01-01

Objectives 1) To describe functional status, length of stay (LOS), and time to rehabilitation admission trends. 2) To identify independent predictors of motor function following rehabilitation for traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants Adult patients with SCI discharged from inpatient rehabilitation between 2009–2014. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Spinal injury rehabilitation unit at the King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods From retrospective chart reviews of 312 traumatic and 106 nontraumatic SCI, we extracted information on time from injury to rehabilitation admission, rehabilitation LOS, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score (admission and discharge). Additionally we collected information on SCI patients’ demographics and injury characteristics. Hierarchical regression was employed to investigate variables associated with FIM motor score at discharge for traumatic SCI and nontraumatic SCI. Outcome measures FIM motor score measured at discharge. Results Mean and median days from injury to rehabilitation admission were not significantly different for traumatic SCI (377±855, 150) and nontraumatic SCI (288±403, 176). Mean and median days for rehabilitation LOS were significantly longer for traumatic SCI (85±60, 70) compared to nontraumatic SCI (64±59, 49) (p=…..). FIM scores improved significantly from admission to discharge in both groups. For individuals with traumatic SCI, after accounting for admission FIM motor score, tetraplegia and time from injury to rehabilitation, admission had a significant but small negative association with discharge FIM motor score. For individuals with nontraumatic SCI, increasing age and AIS score of A or B had a significant negative association with discharge FIM motor score. LOS in rehabilitation was not a significant contributor for either model. Conclusions Decreasing the time from injury to rehabilitation admission may improve outcomes for those with

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Louisiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Louisiana's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, trends on state tests and NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) sometimes differed. On the state test, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level increased at grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. On NAEP, the percentage of…

Comparing Human and Automated Essay Scoring for Prospective Graduate Students with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buzick, Heather; Oliveri, Maria Elena; Attali, Yigal; Flor, Michael

2016-01-01

Automated essay scoring is a developing technology that can provide efficient scoring of large numbers of written responses. Its use in higher education admissions testing provides an opportunity to collect validity and fairness evidence to support current uses and inform its emergence in other areas such as K-12 large-scale assessment. In this…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Tennessee

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Tennessee's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 8 reading and math. At grade 4, trends on the state test and NAEP differed somewhat. In…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Maryland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Maryland's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased at grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test than…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Pennsylvania's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 8 reading and math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test than on NAEP in…

Can a Two-Question Test Be Reliable and Valid for Predicting Academic Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridgeman, Brent

2016-01-01

Scores on essay-based assessments that are part of standardized admissions tests are typically given relatively little weight in admissions decisions compared to the weight given to scores from multiple-choice assessments. Evidence is presented to suggest that more weight should be given to these assessments. The reliability of the writing scores…

Admission to Law School: New Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shultz, Marjorie M.; Zedeck, Sheldon

2012-01-01

Standardized tests have been increasingly controversial over recent years in high-stakes admission decisions. Their role in operationalizing definitions of merit and qualification is especially contested, but in law schools this challenge has become particularly intense. Law schools have relied on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and an INDEX…

Pre-admission factors and utilization of tutoring services in health professions educational programs.

PubMed

Olivares-Urueta, Mayra; Williamson, Jon W

2013-01-01

Pre-admission factors tend to serve as indicators of student success in health professions educational programs, but less is known about the effects that academic assistance programs have on student success. This study sought to determine whether specific pre-admission factors could help to identify students who may require academic support during their health professions education. This retrospective analysis aimed to identify differences in pre-admission variables between those students requiring tutoring and a matched sample of students who did not require tutoring. One-way ANOVA was used to assess differences for dependent variables-age, cumulative GPA (cGPA), science GPA (sGPA), verbal graduate record examination (GRE) score, quantitative GRE score, analytical GRE score and combined GRE score, community college hours, average credit hours per semester, and highest semester credit hour load-across three groups of students who received no tutoring (NT 0 hrs), some tutoring (ST <8 hrs), and more tutoring (MT >8 hrs). Total GRE and average semester hours differentiated NT from ST from MT (p<0.05). A linear regression model with these pre-admission factors found only four of the independent variables to be significant (r2=0.41; p<0.05) in predicting hours of tutoring: quantitative GRE, sGPA, cGPA and average semester hours taken. The combination of lower GRE scores and lighter average semester course load were most predictive of the need for academic assistance as defined by hours of tutoring. While the value of the GRE in admissions processes is generally accepted, the average semester hour load in college can also provide important information regarding academic preparation and the need for tutoring services.

The surgical Apgar score is strongly associated with ICU admission after high-risk intra-abdominal surgery

PubMed Central

Sobol, Julia B.; Gershengorn, ayley B.; Wunsch, Hannah; Li, Guohua

2014-01-01

Background Understanding intensive care unit (ICU) triage decisions for high-risk surgical patients may ultimately facilitate resource allocation and improve outcomes. The surgical Apgar score (SAS) is a simple score that uses intraoperative information on hemodynamics and blood loss to predict postoperative morbidity and mortality, with lower scores associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that the SAS would be associated with the decision to admit a patient to the ICU postoperatively. Methods Retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing major intra-abdominal surgery from 2003 to 2010 at an academic medical center. We calculated the SAS (0 – 10) for each patient based on intraoperative heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and estimated blood loss. Using logistic regression, we assessed the association of the SAS with the decision to admit a patient directly to the ICU after surgery. Results The cohort consisted of 8,501 patients, with 72.7% having a SAS of 7-10 and less than 5% a SAS of 0-4. A total of 8.7% of patients were transferred immediately to the ICU postoperatively. After multivariate adjustment, there was a strong association between the SAS and the decision to admit a patient to the ICU (adjusted odds ratio 14.41 [95% CI 6.88 – 30.19, P < 0.001] for SAS 0-2, 4.42 [95% CI 3.19 – 6.13, P <0.001] for SAS 3-4, and 2.60 [95% CI 2.08 – 3.24, P < 0.001] for SAS 5-6 compared with SAS 7-8). Conclusions The SAS is strongly associated with clinical decisions regarding immediate ICU admission after high-risk intra-abdominal surgery. These results provide an initial step towards understanding whether intraoperative hemodynamics and blood loss influence ICU triage for post-surgical patients. PMID:23744956

Personalized Risk Scoring for Critical Care Prognosis Using Mixtures of Gaussian Processes.

PubMed

Alaa, Ahmed M; Yoon, Jinsung; Hu, Scott; van der Schaar, Mihaela

2018-01-01

In this paper, we develop a personalized real-time risk scoring algorithm that provides timely and granular assessments for the clinical acuity of ward patients based on their (temporal) lab tests and vital signs; the proposed risk scoring system ensures timely intensive care unit admissions for clinically deteriorating patients. The risk scoring system is based on the idea of sequential hypothesis testing under an uncertain time horizon. The system learns a set of latent patient subtypes from the offline electronic health record data, and trains a mixture of Gaussian Process experts, where each expert models the physiological data streams associated with a specific patient subtype. Transfer learning techniques are used to learn the relationship between a patient's latent subtype and her static admission information (e.g., age, gender, transfer status, ICD-9 codes, etc). Experiments conducted on data from a heterogeneous cohort of 6321 patients admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA medical center show that our score significantly outperforms the currently deployed risk scores, such as the Rothman index, MEWS, APACHE, and SOFA scores, in terms of timeliness, true positive rate, and positive predictive value. Our results reflect the importance of adopting the concepts of personalized medicine in critical care settings; significant accuracy and timeliness gains can be achieved by accounting for the patients' heterogeneity. The proposed risk scoring methodology can confer huge clinical and social benefits on a massive number of critically ill inpatients who exhibit adverse outcomes including, but not limited to, cardiac arrests, respiratory arrests, and septic shocks.

Incorporating Problem-Based Learning Methodology To Prepare for the Medical College Admission Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baiyee, William Agbor

The effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was studied. A 10-week PBL experience was implemented to supplement lecture-based instruction in preparing for the MCAT. Over 2 years, 33 students participated. Participants met for 3 hours in small PBL groups directed by a tutor three…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Nebraska

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Nebraska's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the percentages reaching the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased at grade 4 in both reading and math. At grade 8, however, the percentages…

DUNDRUM-2: Prospective validation of a structured professional judgment instrument assessing priority for admission from the waiting list for a forensic mental health hospital

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The criteria for deciding who should be admitted first from a waiting list to a forensic secure hospital are not necessarily the same as those for assessing need. Criteria were drafted qualitatively and tested in a prospective 'real life' observational study over a 6-month period. Methods A researcher rated all those presented at the weekly referrals meeting using the DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale. The key outcome measure was whether or not the individual was admitted. Results Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency for the DUNDRUM-2 were acceptable. The DUNDRUM-1 triage security score and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score correlated r = 0.663. At the time of admission, after a mean of 23.9 (SD35.9) days on the waiting list, those admitted had higher scores on the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale than those not admitted, with no significant difference between locations (remand or sentenced prisoners, less secure hospitals) at the time of admission. Those admitted also had higher DUNDRUM-1 triage security scores. At baseline the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve for a combined score was the best predictor of admission while at the time of admission the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score had the largest AUC (0.912, 95% CI 0.838 to 0.986). Conclusions The triage urgency items and scale add predictive power to the decision to admit. This is particularly true in maintaining equitability between those referred from different locations. PMID:21722397

Equating Scores from Adaptive to Linear Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Linden, Wim J.

2006-01-01

Two local methods for observed-score equating are applied to the problem of equating an adaptive test to a linear test. In an empirical study, the methods were evaluated against a method based on the test characteristic function (TCF) of the linear test and traditional equipercentile equating applied to the ability estimates on the adaptive test…

Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Time to Rehabilitation Admission, Length of Stay, and Functional Outcome

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, Husam; Qannam, Hazem; Mortenson, Ben

2017-01-01

Objectives 1) To describe trends in time to rehabilitation admission and rehabilitation length of stay (LOS), and functional status, 2) To identify independent predictors of functional outcomes following rehabilitation. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Traumatic brain injuries rehabilitation unit of King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants Adult patients with TBI discharged from inpatient rehabilitation between 2009–2014. Methods We collected information on time from injury to rehabilitation admission, rehabilitation LOS, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score (admission and discharge), and demographic variables by chart review. Hierarchical regression was employed to investigate variables associated with FIM score at rehabilitation discharge. Results Data from 208 patients were obtained. Mean time from injury to rehabilitation admission was 263±274 days. Rehabilitation LOS was 66±43 days. FIM scores improved significantly during rehabilitation. After controlling for other variables, increasing time from injury to rehabilitation admission was associated with lower FIM score at discharge from rehabilitation. Conclusions Time from injury to rehabilitation admission is notably longer than reported elsewhere. Decreasing this time may improve functional outcome at discharge from rehabilitation. Ensuring that information regarding TBI severity is included throughout the continuum of care would benefit patients and provide insight into TBI aetiology in Saudi Arabia. PMID:28362120

Stability of scores for the Slosson Full-Range Intelligence Test.

PubMed

Williams, Thomas O; Eaves, Ronald C; Woods-Groves, Suzanne; Mariano, Gina

2007-08-01

The test-retest stability of the Slosson Full-Range Intelligence Test by Algozzine, Eaves, Mann, and Vance was investigated with test scores from a sample of 103 students. With a mean interval of 13.7 mo. and different examiners for each of the two test administrations, the test-retest reliability coefficients for the Full-Range IQ, Verbal Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Memory were .93, .85, .80, .80, and .83, respectively. Mean differences from the test-retest scores were not statistically significantly different for any of the scales. Results suggest that Slosson scores are stable over time even when different examiners administer the test.

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Alaska

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Alaska's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in math and grade 8 in reading. In grade 4 reading, the percentage reaching the…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Massachusetts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Massachusetts' test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 reading and math and grade 8 math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles California's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Montana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Montana's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 reading and math and grade 8 reading. In grade 8 math, however, the percentage proficient…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Colorado

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Colorado's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were generally larger on NAEP than…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Wisconsin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Wisconsin's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in math at grades 4 and 8 and in reading at grade 8. In grade 4 reading, the percentage scoring…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Alabama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Alabama's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were generally larger on the state…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Texas' test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in reading at grades 4 and 8 and in math at grade 8. In grade 4 math, however, the percentage scoring…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Florida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Florida's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were generally larger on the state…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Arizona

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Arizona's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were generally larger on the state…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. Iowa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles Iowa's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 reading and math and in grade 8 math. In grade 8 reading, the percentage of students reaching…

Modified Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS) test scores in athletes wearing protective equipment and cleats.

PubMed

Azad, Aftab Mohammad; Al Juma, Saad; Bhatti, Junaid Ahmad; Delaney, J Scott

2016-01-01

Balance testing is an important part of the initial concussion assessment. There is no research on the differences in Modified Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS) scores when tested in real world as compared to control conditions. To assess the difference in M-BESS scores in athletes wearing their protective equipment and cleats on different surfaces as compared to control conditions. This cross-sectional study examined university North American football and soccer athletes. Three observers independently rated athletes performing the M-BESS test in three different conditions: (1) wearing shorts and T-shirt in bare feet on firm surface (control); (2) wearing athletic equipment with cleats on FieldTurf; and (3) wearing athletic equipment with cleats on firm surface. Mean M-BESS scores were compared between conditions. 60 participants were recruited: 39 from football (all males) and 21 from soccer (11 males and 10 females). Average age was 21.1 years (SD=1.8). Mean M-BESS scores were significantly lower (p<0.001) for cleats on FieldTurf (mean=26.3; SD=2.0) and for cleats on firm surface (mean=26.6; SD=2.1) as compared to the control condition (mean=28.4; SD=1.5). Females had lower scores than males for cleats on FieldTurf condition (24.9 (SD=1.9) vs 27.3 (SD=1.6), p=0.005). Players who had taping or bracing on their ankles/feet had lower scores when tested with cleats on firm surface condition (24.6 (SD=1.7) vs 26.9 (SD=2.0), p=0.002). Total M-BESS scores for athletes wearing protective equipment and cleats standing on FieldTurf or a firm surface are around two points lower than M-BESS scores performed on the same athletes under control conditions.

Modified Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS) test scores in athletes wearing protective equipment and cleats

PubMed Central

Azad, Aftab Mohammad; Al Juma, Saad; Bhatti, Junaid Ahmad; Delaney, J Scott

2016-01-01

Background Balance testing is an important part of the initial concussion assessment. There is no research on the differences in Modified Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS) scores when tested in real world as compared to control conditions. Objective To assess the difference in M-BESS scores in athletes wearing their protective equipment and cleats on different surfaces as compared to control conditions. Methods This cross-sectional study examined university North American football and soccer athletes. Three observers independently rated athletes performing the M-BESS test in three different conditions: (1) wearing shorts and T-shirt in bare feet on firm surface (control); (2) wearing athletic equipment with cleats on FieldTurf; and (3) wearing athletic equipment with cleats on firm surface. Mean M-BESS scores were compared between conditions. Results 60 participants were recruited: 39 from football (all males) and 21 from soccer (11 males and 10 females). Average age was 21.1 years (SD=1.8). Mean M-BESS scores were significantly lower (p<0.001) for cleats on FieldTurf (mean=26.3; SD=2.0) and for cleats on firm surface (mean=26.6; SD=2.1) as compared to the control condition (mean=28.4; SD=1.5). Females had lower scores than males for cleats on FieldTurf condition (24.9 (SD=1.9) vs 27.3 (SD=1.6), p=0.005). Players who had taping or bracing on their ankles/feet had lower scores when tested with cleats on firm surface condition (24.6 (SD=1.7) vs 26.9 (SD=2.0), p=0.002). Conclusions Total M-BESS scores for athletes wearing protective equipment and cleats standing on FieldTurf or a firm surface are around two points lower than M-BESS scores performed on the same athletes under control conditions. PMID:27900181

Test-Optional Admission Policies and Their Effect on the Composition of the Student Body at King's College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmude, Michelle

2011-01-01

This study examined test-optional admission policies and their effect on the composition of the student body at King's College. According to the College Board (2009), students from underrepresented populations do not perform as well as White students on standardized tests. Therefore, higher education institutions have established test-optional…

The New Medical College Admission Test: Implications for Teaching Psychology

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Karen; Satterfield, Jason; Lewis, Richard S.; Hong, Barry A.

2017-01-01

This year’s applicants to medical school took a newly revised version of the Medical College Admission Test. Unlike applicants in the past, they were asked to demonstrate their knowledge and use of concepts commonly taught in introductory psychology courses. The new Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Test asked applicants to demonstrate the ways in which psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior and behavior change; what people think about themselves and others; the cultural and social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships among social stratification, access to resources, and well-being. Building from the classic biopsychosocial model, this article provides the rationale for testing psychology concepts in application to medical school. It describes the concepts and skills that the new exam tests and shows how they lay the foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health. This article discusses the implications of these changes for undergraduate psychology faculty and psychology curricula as well as their importance to the profession of psychology at large. PMID:26866988

Incidence of bacteremia at the time of ICU admission and its impact on outcome.

PubMed

Nasa, Prashant; Juneja, Deven; Singh, Omender; Dang, Rohit; Arora, Vikas; Saxena, Sanjay

2011-11-01

Blood culture is routinely taken at the time of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients suspected to have infection. We undertook this study to determine the incidence of bacteremia at the time of ICU admission and to assess its impact on the outcome. Retrospective cohort study from all the admissions in ICU, in whom blood cultures sent at the time of admission were analyzed. Data regarding patient demographics, probable source of infection, previous antibiotic use and ICU course was recorded. Severity of illness on admission was assessed by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. Qualitative data were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher Exact test and quantitative data were analyzed using Student's t-test. Primary outcome measure was ICU mortality. Of 567 patients, 42% patients were on antibiotics. Sixty-four percent of the patients were direct ICU admission from casualty, 10.76% were from wards and 6.17% from other ICUs, and 19.05% were transfers from other hospitals. Blood cultures were positive in 10.6% patients. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with positive blood cultures (45% vs. 13.6%; P=0.000). On univariate analysis, only previous antibiotic use was statistically associated with higher mortality (P=0.011). Bacteremic patients who were already on antibiotics had a significantly higher mortality (OR 12.9, 95% CI: 1.6-100). Blood cultures may be positive in only minority of the patients with suspected infection admitted to ICU. Nevertheless, the prognosis of those patients with positive blood culture is worse, especially if culture is positive in spite of the patient being on antibiotics.

Incidence of bacteremia at the time of ICU admission and its impact on outcome

PubMed Central

Nasa, Prashant; Juneja, Deven; Singh, Omender; Dang, Rohit; Arora, Vikas; Saxena, Sanjay

2011-01-01

Context: Blood culture is routinely taken at the time of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients suspected to have infection. We undertook this study to determine the incidence of bacteremia at the time of ICU admission and to assess its impact on the outcome. Methods: Retrospective cohort study from all the admissions in ICU, in whom blood cultures sent at the time of admission were analyzed. Data regarding patient demographics, probable source of infection, previous antibiotic use and ICU course was recorded. Severity of illness on admission was assessed by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. Statistical Analysis: Qualitative data were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher Exact test and quantitative data were analyzed using Student's t-test. Primary outcome measure was ICU mortality. Results: Of 567 patients, 42% patients were on antibiotics. Sixty-four percent of the patients were direct ICU admission from casualty, 10.76% were from wards and 6.17% from other ICUs, and 19.05% were transfers from other hospitals. Blood cultures were positive in 10.6% patients. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with positive blood cultures (45% vs. 13.6%; P=0.000). On univariate analysis, only previous antibiotic use was statistically associated with higher mortality (P=0.011). Bacteremic patients who were already on antibiotics had a significantly higher mortality (OR 12.9, 95% CI: 1.6–100). Conclusions: Blood cultures may be positive in only minority of the patients with suspected infection admitted to ICU. Nevertheless, the prognosis of those patients with positive blood culture is worse, especially if culture is positive in spite of the patient being on antibiotics. PMID:22223904

Explaining the Gap in Black-White Scores on IQ and College Admission Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Theodore, Ed.

1998-01-01

Argues that differences in black performance and white performance on standardized tests likely comes from deeply rooted environmental forces such as expectations of one's life being restricted to a small and poorly rewarded set of social roles. Issues of test bias, the influence of caste-like minorities, the conflict between African American…

The Role of Noncognitive Assessment in Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoerle, Heather

2014-01-01

Confident that understanding and employing new approaches to assessment is a top priority for admissions professionals, the Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB) recently launched a Think Tank on the Future of Admission Assessment, with a two-year timeline and a charge to educate its membership and inspire greater innovation in admissions…

The influence of MCAT and GPA preadmission academic metrics on interview scores.

PubMed

Gay, Steven E; Santen, Sally A; Mangrulkar, Rajesh S; Sisson, Thomas H; Ross, Paula T; Zaidi, Nikki L Bibler

2018-03-01

Medical school admissions interviews are used to assess applicants' nonacademic characteristics as advocated by the Association of American Medical Colleges' Advancing Holistic Review Initiative. The objective of this study is to determine whether academic metrics continue to significantly influence interviewers' scores in holistic processes by blinding interviewers to applicants' undergraduate grade point averages (uGPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This study examines academic and demographic predictors of interview scores for two applicant cohorts at the University of Michigan Medical School. In 2012, interviewers were provided applicants' uGPA and MCAT scores; in 2013, these academic metrics were withheld from interviewers' files. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of academic and demographic variables on overall cohort interview scores. When interviewers were provided uGPA and MCAT scores, academic metrics explained more variation in interview scores (7.9%) than when interviewers were blinded to these metrics (4.1%). Further analysis showed a statistically significant interaction between cohort and uGPA, indicating that the association between uGPA and interview scores was significantly stronger for the 2012 unblinded cohort compared to the 2013 blinded cohort (β = .573, P < .05). By contrast, MCAT scores had no interactive effects on interviewer scores. While MCAT scores accounted for some variation in interview scores for both cohorts, only access to uGPA significantly influenced interviewers' scores when looking at interaction effects. Withholding academic metrics from interviewers' files may promote assessment of nonacademic characteristics independently from academic metrics.

Predicting Admission of Minorities into Medical School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Kathleen Bodisch; Woode, Moses K.

A study identifying the relationships between quantitative academic characteristics--specifically, grade point average (GPA) and MCAT scores--and admission into medical school for minorities is presented. Explanations are proposed for contradictory findings related to this question that have appeared in literature. Data from 58 minority student…

The performance and customization of SAPS 3 admission score in a Thai medical intensive care unit.

PubMed

Khwannimit, Bodin; Bhurayanontachai, Rungsun

2010-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3) admission scores, both the original and a customized version, in mixed medical critically ill patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted over a 2-year period in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a tertiary referral university teaching hospital in Thailand. The probability of hospital mortality of the original SAPS 3 was calculated using the general and customized Australasia version (SAPS 3-AUS). The patients were randomly divided into equal calibration and validation groups for customization. A total of 1,873 patients were enrolled. The hospital mortality rate was 28.6%. The general equation of SAPS 3 had excellent discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.933, but poor calibration with the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit H = 106.7 and C = 101.2 (P < 0.001), and it overestimated mortality with a standardized mortality ratio of 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.93). The calibration of SAPS 3-AUS was also poor. The customized SAPS 3 showed a good calibration of all patients in the validation group (H = 14, P = 0.17 and C = 11.3, P = 0.33) and all subgroups according to main diagnosis, age, gender and co-morbidities. The SAPS 3 provided excellent discrimination but poor calibration in our MICU. A first level customization of the SAPS 3 improved the calibration and could be used to predict mortality and quality assessment in our ICU or other ICUs with a similar case mix.

An Investigation into the Possible Speededness of the Medical College Admission Test. MCAT Monograph 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neustel, Sandra

As a continuing part of its validity studies, the Association of American Medical Colleges commissioned a study of the speediness of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). If speed is a hidden part of the test, it is a threat to its construct validity. As a general rule, the criterion used to indicate lack of speediness is that 80% of the…

Ability of admissions criteria to predict early academic performance among students of health science colleges at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alhadlaq, Adel M; Alshammari, Osama F; Alsager, Saleh M; Neel, Khalid A Fouda; Mohamed, Ashry G

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of admissions criteria at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to predict students' early academic performance at three health science colleges (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy). A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data from the records of students enrolled in the three colleges from the 2008-09 to 2010-11 academic years. The admissions criteria-high school grade average (HSGA), aptitude test (APT) score, and achievement test (ACT) score-were the independent variables. The dependent variable was the average of students' first- and second-year grade point average (GPA). The results showed that the ACT was a better predictor of the students' early academic performance than the HSGA (β=0.368, β=0.254, respectively). No significant relationship was found between the APT and students' early academic performance (β=-0.019, p>0.01). The ACT was most predictive for pharmacy students (β=0.405), followed by dental students (β =0.392) and medical students (β=0.195). Overall, the current admissions criteria explained only 25.5% of the variance in the students' early academic performance. While the ACT and HSGA were found to be predictive of students' early academic performance in health colleges at KSU, the APT was not a strong predictor. Since the combined current admissions criteria for the health science colleges at KSU were weak predictors of the variance in early academic performance, it may be necessary to consider noncognitive evaluation methods during the admission process.

THE EFFECTS ON ACHIEVEMENT TEST RESULTS OF VARYING CONDITIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL ATMOSPHERE, NOTICE OF TEST, TEST ADMINISTRATION, AND TEST SCORING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GOODWIN, WILLIAM L.; AND OTHERS

NULL HYPOTHESES WERE TESTED TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF (1) EXPERIMENTAL ATMOSPHERE AND ABSENCE OF SAME, (2) NOTICE OF TEST (10 SCHOOL DAYS) AND NO NOTICE (1 SCHOOL DAY), (3) TEACHER ADMINISTRATION AND OUTSIDE ADMINISTRATION OF TESTS, AND (4) TEACHER SCORING AND OUTSIDE SCORING OF TESTS. SIXTH-GRADE CLASSES (N=64), EACH FROM A…

Score Equating and Nominally Parallel Language Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moy, Raymond

Score equating requires that the forms to be equated are functionally parallel. That is, the two test forms should rank order examinees in a similar fashion. In language proficiency testing situations, this assumption is often put into doubt because of the numerous tests that have been proposed as measures of language proficiency and the…

Providing Transparency and Credibility: The Selection of International Students for Australian Universities. An Examination of the Relationship between Scores in the International Student Admissions Test (ISAT), Final Year Academic Programs and an Australian University's Foundation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Kelvin; Nankervis, Susan; Story, Margot; Hodgson, Wayne; Lewenberg, Michael; Ball, Marita MacMahon

2008-01-01

Throughout 2003-04 five cohorts of students in their final year of school studies in various Malaysian colleges and a group of students completing an Australian university foundation year in Malaysia sat the International Student Admissions Test (ISAT). The ISAT is a multiple-choice test of general academic abilities developed for students whose…

Modified personal interviews: resurrecting reliable personal interviews for admissions?

PubMed

Hanson, Mark D; Kulasegaram, Kulamakan Mahan; Woods, Nicole N; Fechtig, Lindsey; Anderson, Geoff

2012-10-01

Traditional admissions personal interviews provide flexible faculty-student interactions but are plagued by low inter-interview reliability. Axelson and Kreiter (2009) retrospectively showed that multiple independent sampling (MIS) may improve reliability of personal interviews; thus, the authors incorporated MIS into the admissions process for medical students applying to the University of Toronto's Leadership Education and Development Program (LEAD). They examined the reliability and resource demands of this modified personal interview (MPI) format. In 2010-2011, LEAD candidates submitted written applications, which were used to screen for participation in the MPI process. Selected candidates completed four brief (10-12 minutes) independent MPIs each with a different interviewer. The authors blueprinted MPI questions to (i.e., aligned them with) leadership attributes, and interviewers assessed candidates' eligibility on a five-point Likert-type scale. The authors analyzed inter-interview reliability using the generalizability theory. Sixteen candidates submitted applications; 10 proceeded to the MPI stage. Reliability of the written application components was 0.75. The MPI process had overall inter-interview reliability of 0.79. Correlation between the written application and MPI scores was 0.49. A decision study showed acceptable reliability of 0.74 with only three MPIs scored using one global rating. Furthermore, a traditional admissions interview format would take 66% more time than the MPI format. The MPI format, used during the LEAD admissions process, achieved high reliability with minimal faculty resources. The MPI format's reliability and effective resource use were possible through MIS and employment of expert interviewers. MPIs may be useful for other admissions tasks.

Reporting Diagnostic Scores in Educational Testing: Temptations, Pitfalls, and Some Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinharay, Sandip; Puhan, Gautam; Haberman, Shelby J.

2010-01-01

Diagnostic scores are of increasing interest in educational testing due to their potential remedial and instructional benefit. Naturally, the number of educational tests that report diagnostic scores is on the rise, as are the number of research publications on such scores. This article provides a critical evaluation of diagnostic score reporting…

Prognosis of patients presenting extreme acidosis (pH <7) on admission to intensive care unit.

PubMed

Allyn, Jérôme; Vandroux, David; Jabot, Julien; Brulliard, Caroline; Galliot, Richard; Tabatchnik, Xavier; Combe, Patrice; Martinet, Olivier; Allou, Nicolas

2016-02-01

The purpose was to determine prognosis of patients presenting extreme acidosis (pH <7) on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to identify mortality risk factors. We retrospectively analyzed all patients who presented with extreme acidosis within 24 hours of admission to a polyvalent ICU in a university hospital between January 2011 and July 2013. Multivariate analysis and survival analysis were used. Among the 2156 patients admitted, 77 patients (3.6%) presented extreme acidosis. Thirty (39%) patients suffered cardiac arrest before admission. Although the mortality rate predicted by severity score was 93.6%, death occurred in 52 cases (67.5%) in a median delay of 13 (5-27) hours. Mortality rate depended on reason for admission, varying between 22% for cases linked to diabetes mellitus and 100% for cases of mesenteric infarction (P = .002), cardiac arrest before admission (P < .001), type of lactic acidosis (P = .007), high Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (P = .008), and low serum creatinine (P = .012). Patients with extreme acidosis on admission to ICU have a less severe than expected prognosis. Whereas mortality is almost 100% in cases of cardiac arrest before admission, mortality is much lower in the absence of cardiac arrest before admission, which justifies aggressive ICU therapies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coupling Admissions and Curricular Data to Predict Medical Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sesate, Diana B.; Milem, Jeffrey F.; McIntosh, Kadian L.; Bryan, W. Patrick

2017-01-01

The relative impact of admissions factors and curricular measures on the first medical licensing exam (United States Medical Licensing Exam [USMLE] Step 1) scores is examined. The inclusion of first-year and second-year curricular measures nearly doubled the variance explained in Step 1 scores from the amount explained by the combination of…

Student Admission Criteria as Predictors of Research Potential.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotton, Gary L.; And Others

1986-01-01

A study at one university found that traditional admission criteria for a graduate microbiology program, undergraduate grade point average, and Graduate Record Examination scores, were not good predictors of student potential as a researcher, as measured by faculty ratings. (MSE)

Prevalence of vitamin deficiencies on admission: relationship to hospital mortality in critically ill patients.

PubMed

Corcoran, T B; O'Neill, M A; Webb, S A R; Ho, K M

2009-03-01

Vitamin deficiency is believed to be common in critical illness. Water soluble and antioxidant vitamins are those most frequently used for supplementation in these patients. There are no data to confirm the prevalence of vitamin deficiencies in high-risk emergently admitted intensive care patients, nor their association with hospital mortality. One hundred and twenty-nine consecutive, critically ill patients who were emergently admitted to intensive care were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study. Patient data including diagnosis, source of admission and severity of illness scores were prospectively collected. Within the first 48 hours of admission, concentrations of C-reactive protein, Vitamins A, E, B1, B12 and folate were measured on arterial blood. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression modelling was performed to examine the association of vitamin concentrations with hospital mortality. Fifty-five patients (43%) had a biochemical deficiency of one of the five vitamins on admission to the intensive care unit. A total of 18 patients died (14%) during their hospital stay (15 of those in the intensive care unit). Moderate correlations with C-reactive protein concentrations were demonstrated for Vitamins B12, A and E (Spearman's r = 0.309, -0.541 and -0.299, P = 0.001, 0.001 and 0.007 respectively). Hospital mortality was significantly associated with age, APACHE II score, admission and maximum Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores and admission source in the univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis did not demonstrate an association between biochemical deficiency and mortality. Biochemical deficiencies of water-soluble and antioxidant vitamins are common on admission in unplanned or emergency admissions to the intensive care unit, but we could not demonstrate an independent association with hospital mortality.

Students' perceived experience of university admission based on tests and interviews.

PubMed

Röding, K; Nordenram, G

2005-11-01

The aim of the study was to generate an impression, from the perspective of graduating dental students, of the individualised admissions procedures, which they had undergone 5 years before. The subjects comprised 10 randomly selected students, five male and five female, from two different admission rounds. Qualitative research was used and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The results show that even 5 years later, the students remember clearly the different steps in the selection procedure and they found the procedure relevant. In particular, the admission interviews made a lasting impression. The students consider that being interviewed by one admissions committee member at a time reduces the applicant's apprehension and allows a more personal interview. Several believe that the admissions procedure influences academic achievement or improves self-confidence: implicit in their selection by a committee of experienced professionals is affirmation that they have the potential to become good dentists. The students therefore feel encouraged to aspire to higher achievement. All students believe that motivation is an important non-cognitive attribute for success and that students selected through this mode are not only highly motivated but also well informed, with realistic expectations of the undergraduate programme and their future professional career.

Predictors of hospital re-admissions among Hispanics with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.

PubMed

Atla, Pradeep R; Sheikh, Muhammad Y; Gill, Firdose; Kundu, Rabindra; Choudhury, Jayanta

2016-01-01

Hospital re-admissions in decompensated cirrhosis are associated with worse patient outcomes. Hispanics have a disproportionately high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting re-admission rates among Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. A total of 292 consecutive HCV-related cirrhosis admissions (Hispanics 189, non-Hispanics 103) from January 2009 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed; 132 were cirrhosis-related re-admissions. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 11.1. Chi-square/Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for hospital readmissions. Among the 132 cirrhosis-related readmissions, 71% were Hispanics while 29% were non-Hispanics (P=0.035). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and esophageal variceal hemorrhage were the most frequent causes of the first and subsequent readmissions. Hispanics with readmissions had a higher Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class (B and C) and higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (≥15), as well as a higher incidence of alcohol use, HE, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and varices (P<0.05). The majority of the study patients (81%) had MELD scores <15. Multivariate regression analysis identified alcohol use (OR 2.63; 95%CI 1.1-6.4), HE (OR 5.5; 95%CI 2-15.3), varices (OR 3.2; 95%CI 1.3-8.2), and CTP class (OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.4-8.1) as predictors for readmissions among Hispanics. CTP classes B and C, among other factors, were the major predictors for hospital readmissions in Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. The majority of these readmissions were due to HE and variceal hemorrhage.

Predictors of hospital re-admissions among Hispanics with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis

PubMed Central

Atla, Pradeep R.; Sheikh, Muhammad Y.; Gill, Firdose; Kundu, Rabindra; Choudhury, Jayanta

2016-01-01

Background Hospital re-admissions in decompensated cirrhosis are associated with worse patient outcomes. Hispanics have a disproportionately high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting re-admission rates among Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. Methods A total of 292 consecutive HCV-related cirrhosis admissions (Hispanics 189, non-Hispanics 103) from January 2009 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed; 132 were cirrhosis-related re-admissions. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 11.1. Chi-square/Fisher’s exact and Student’s t-tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for hospital readmissions. Results Among the 132 cirrhosis-related readmissions, 71% were Hispanics while 29% were non-Hispanics (P=0.035). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and esophageal variceal hemorrhage were the most frequent causes of the first and subsequent readmissions. Hispanics with readmissions had a higher Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class (B and C) and higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (≥15), as well as a higher incidence of alcohol use, HE, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and varices (P<0.05). The majority of the study patients (81%) had MELD scores <15. Multivariate regression analysis identified alcohol use (OR 2.63; 95%CI 1.1-6.4), HE (OR 5.5; 95%CI 2-15.3), varices (OR 3.2; 95%CI 1.3-8.2), and CTP class (OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.4–8.1) as predictors for readmissions among Hispanics. Conclusion CTP classes B and C, among other factors, were the major predictors for hospital readmissions in Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. The majority of these readmissions were due to HE and variceal hemorrhage. PMID:27708520

Neuropsychological test scores, academic performance, and developmental disorders in Spanish-speaking children.

PubMed

Rosselli, M; Ardila, A; Bateman, J R; Guzmán, M

2001-01-01

Limited information is currently available about performance of Spanish-speaking children on different neuropsychological tests. This study was designed to (a) analyze the effects of age and sex on different neuropsychological test scores of a randomly selected sample of Spanish-speaking children, (b) analyze the value of neuropsychological test scores for predicting school performance, and (c) describe the neuropsychological profile of Spanish-speaking children with learning disabilities (LD). Two hundred ninety (141 boys, 149 girls) 6- to 11-year-old children were selected from a school in Bogotá, Colombia. Three age groups were distinguished: 6- to 7-, 8- to 9-, and 10- to 11-year-olds. Performance was measured utilizing the following neuropsychological tests: Seashore Rhythm Test, Finger Tapping Test (FTT), Grooved Pegboard Test, Children's Category Test (CCT), California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C), Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), and Bateria Woodcock Psicoeducativa en Español (Woodcock, 1982). Normative scores were calculated. Age effect was significant for most of the test scores. A significant sex effect was observed for 3 test scores. Intercorrelations were performed between neuropsychological test scores and academic areas (science, mathematics, Spanish, social studies, and music). In a post hoc analysis, children presenting very low scores on the reading, writing, and arithmetic achievement scales of the Woodcock battery were identified in the sample, and their neuropsychological test scores were compared with a matched normal group. Finally, a comparison was made between Colombian and American norms.

Predictors of intensive care unit admission and mortality in patients with ischemic stroke: investigating the effects of a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

PubMed

Güngen, Belma Doğan; Tunç, Abdulkadir; Aras, Yeşim Güzey; Gündoğdu, Aslı Aksoy; Güngen, Adil Can; Bal, Serdar

2017-07-11

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality among stroke patients and the effects of a pulmonary rehabilitation program on stroke patients. This prospective study enrolled 181 acute ischemic stroke patients aged between 40 and 90 years. Demographical characteristics, laboratory tests, diffusion-weighed magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) time, nutritional status, vascular risk factors, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and modified Rankin scale (MRS) scores were recorded for all patients. One-hundred patients participated in the pulmonary rehabilitation program, 81 of whom served as a control group. Statistically, one- and three-month mortality was associated with NIHSS and MRS scores at admission and three months (p<0.001; r=0.440, r=0.432, r=0.339 and r=0.410, respectively). One and three months mortality- ICU admission had a statistically significant relationship with parenteral nutrition (p<0.001; r=0.346, r=0.300, respectively; r=0.294 and r=0.294, respectively). Similarly, there was also a statistically significant relationship between pneumonia onset and one- and three-month mortality- ICU admission (p<0.05; r=0.217, r=0.127, r=0.185 and r=0.185, respectively). A regression analysis showed that parenteral nutrition (odds ratio [OR] =13.434, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.148-157.265, p=0.038) was a significant predictor of ICU admission. The relationship between pulmonary physiotherapy (PPT) and ICU admission- pneumonia onset at the end of three months was statistically significant (p=0.04 and p=0.043, respectively). This study showed that PPT improved the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients. We believe that a pulmonary rehabilitation program, in addition to general stroke rehabilitation programs, can play a critical role in improving survival and functional outcomes. NCT03195907 . Trial registration date: 21.06.2017 'Retrospectively registered'.

Teacher Greetings Increase College Students' Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, Lawrence; Laverghetta, Antonio; Alexander, Ralph; Stewart, Megan

2009-01-01

The current study is an extension of a previous investigation dealing with teacher greetings to students. The present investigation used teacher greetings with college students and academic performance (test scores). We report data using university students and in-class test performance. Students in introductory psychology who received teachers'…

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. New Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles New Mexico's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 math and grade 8 reading and math. In grade 4 reading, the percentage basic on NAEP …

State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP. North Dakota

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper profiles North Dakota's test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentage of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grades 4 and 8 in both reading and math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test…

Prediction of pediatric sepsis mortality within 1 h of intensive care admission.

PubMed

Schlapbach, Luregn J; MacLaren, Graeme; Festa, Marino; Alexander, Janet; Erickson, Simon; Beca, John; Slater, Anthony; Schibler, Andreas; Pilcher, David; Millar, Johnny; Straney, Lahn

2017-08-01

The definitions of sepsis and septic shock have recently been revised in adults, but contemporary data are needed to inform similar approaches in children. Multicenter cohort study including children <16 years admitted with sepsis or septic shock to ICUs in Australia and New Zealand in the period 2012-2015. We assessed septic shock criteria at ICU admission to define sepsis severity, using 30-day mortality as outcome. Through multivariable logistic regression, a pediatric sepsis score was derived using variables available within 60 min of ICU admission. Of 42,523 pediatric admissions, 4403 children were admitted with invasive infection, including 1697 diagnosed as having sepsis/septic shock on admission. Mortality was 8.5% (144/1697) and 50.7% of deaths occurred within 48 h of admission. The presence of septic shock as defined by the 2005 consensus was sensitive but not specific in predicting mortality (AUC = 0.69; 95% CI 0.65-0.72). Combinations of hypotension, vasopressor therapy, and lactate >2 mmol/l discriminated poorly (AUC <0.60). Multivariate models showed that oxygenation markers, ventilatory support, hypotension, cardiac arrest, serum lactate, pupil responsiveness, and immunosuppression were the best-performing predictors (0.843; 0.811-0.875). We derived a pediatric sepsis score (0.817; 0.779-0.855), and every one-point increase was associated with a 28.5% (23.8-33.2%) increase in the odds of death. Children with a score ≥6 had 19.8% mortality and accounted for 74.3% of deaths. The sepsis score performed comparably when applied to all children admitted with invasive infection (0.810; 0.781-0.840). We observed mortality patterns specific to pediatric sepsis that support the need for specialized definitions of sepsis severity in children. We demonstrated the importance of lactate, cardiovascular, and respiratory derangements at ICU admission for the identification of children with substantially higher risk of sepsis mortality.

Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data.

PubMed

Gauer, Jacqueline L; Wolff, Josephine M; Jackson, J Brooks

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations and predictive values of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) component and composite scores prior to 2015 with U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, with a focus on whether students scoring low on the MCAT were particularly likely to continue to score low on the USMLE exams. Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011-2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School ( N =1,065). The multiple linear regression analyses were both significant ( p <0.001). The three MCAT component scores together explained 17.7% of the variance in Step 1 scores ( p< 0.001) and 12.0% of the variance in Step 2 CK scores ( p <0.001). In the chi-square analyses, significant, albeit weak associations were observed between almost all MCAT component scores and USMLE scores (Cramer's V ranged from 0.05 to 0.24). Each of the MCAT component scores was significantly associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, although the effect size was small. Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate. These results indicate that MCAT scores are predictive of student performance on the USMLE exams, but, given the small effect sizes, should be considered as part of the holistic view of the student.

A process dissociation approach to objective-projective test score interrelationships.

PubMed

Bornstein, Robert F

2002-02-01

Even when self-report and projective measures of a given trait or motive both predict theoretically related features of behavior, scores on the 2 tests correlate modestly with each other. This article describes a process dissociation framework for personality assessment, derived from research on implicit memory and learning, which can resolve these ostensibly conflicting results. Research on interpersonal dependency is used to illustrate 3 key steps in the process dissociation approach: (a) converging behavioral predictions, (b) modest test score intercorrelations, and (c) delineation of variables that differentially affect self-report and projective test scores. Implications of the process dissociation framework for personality assessment and test development are discussed.

Patients undergoing subacute physical rehabilitation following an acute hospital admission demonstrated improvement in cognitive functional task independence.

PubMed

McPhail, Steven M; Varghese, Paul N; Kuys, Suzanne S

2014-01-01

This study investigated cognitive functioning among older adults with physical debility not attributable to an acute injury or neurological condition who were receiving subacute inpatient physical rehabilitation. A cohort investigation with assessments at admission and discharge. Three geriatric rehabilitation hospital wards. Consecutive rehabilitation admissions (n = 814) following acute hospitalization (study criteria excluded orthopaedic, neurological, or amputation admissions). Usual rehabilitation care. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Cognitive and Motor items. A total of 704 (86.5%) participants (mean age = 76.5 years) completed both assessments. Significant improvement in FIM Cognitive items (Z-score range 3.93-8.74, all P < 0.001) and FIM Cognitive total score (Z-score = 9.12, P < 0.001) occurred, in addition to improvement in FIM Motor performance. A moderate positive correlation existed between change in Motor and Cognitive scores (Spearman's rho = 0.41). Generalized linear modelling indicated that better cognition at admission (coefficient = 0.398, P < 0.001) and younger age (coefficient = -0.280, P < 0.001) were predictive of improvement in Motor performance. Younger age (coefficient = -0.049, P < 0.001) was predictive of improvement in FIM Cognitive score. Improvement in cognitive functioning was observed in addition to motor function improvement among this population. Causal links cannot be drawn without further research.

The new Medical College Admission Test: Implications for teaching psychology.

PubMed

Mitchell, Karen; Lewis, Richard S; Satterfield, Jason; Hong, Barry A

2016-01-01

This year's applicants to medical school took a newly revised version of the Medical College Admission Test. Unlike applicants in the past, they were asked to demonstrate their knowledge and use of concepts commonly taught in introductory psychology courses. The new Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Test asked applicants to demonstrate the ways in which psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior and behavior change; what people think about themselves and others; the cultural and social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships among social stratification, access to resources, and well-being. Building from the classic biopsychosocial model, this article provides the rationale for testing psychology concepts in application to medical school. It describes the concepts and skills that the new exam tests and shows how they lay the foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health. This article discusses the implications of these changes for undergraduate psychology faculty and psychology curricula as well as their importance to the profession of psychology at large. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

A prognostic scoring system for arm exercise stress testing.

PubMed

Xie, Yan; Xian, Hong; Chandiramani, Pooja; Bainter, Emily; Wan, Leping; Martin, Wade H

2016-01-01

Arm exercise stress testing may be an equivalent or better predictor of mortality outcome than pharmacological stress imaging for the ≥50% for patients unable to perform leg exercise. Thus, our objective was to develop an arm exercise ECG stress test scoring system, analogous to the Duke Treadmill Score, for predicting outcome in these individuals. In this retrospective observational cohort study, arm exercise ECG stress tests were performed in 443 consecutive veterans aged 64.1 (11.1) years. (mean (SD)) between 1997 and 2002. From multivariate Cox models, arm exercise scores were developed for prediction of 5-year and 12-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and 5-year cardiovascular mortality or myocardial infarction (MI). Arm exercise capacity in resting metabolic equivalents (METs), 1 min heart rate recovery (HRR) and ST segment depression ≥1 mm were the stress test variables independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by step-wise Cox analysis (all p<0.01). A score based on the relation HRR (bpm)+7.3×METs-10.5×ST depression (0=no; 1=yes) prognosticated 5-year cardiovascular mortality with a C-statistic of 0.81 before and 0.88 after adjustment for significant demographic and clinical covariates. Arm exercise scores for the other outcome end points yielded C-statistic values of 0.77-0.79 before and 0.82-0.86 after adjustment for significant covariates versus 0.64-0.72 for best fit pharmacological myocardial perfusion imaging models in a cohort of 1730 veterans who were evaluated over the same time period. Arm exercise scores, analogous to the Duke Treadmill Score, have good power for prediction of mortality or MI in patients who cannot perform leg exercise.

Unemployment rate as predictor of rate of psychiatric admission.

PubMed

Kammerling, R M; O'Connor, S

1993-12-11

To examine the relation between rates of psychiatric admissions and both the rate of unemployment and the underprivileged area score within small areas. Calculation of correlation coefficients and explanatory power by using data on psychiatric admissions from April 1990 to March 1992. Crude and age standardised rates were used based on all admissions and also on the number of people admitted regardless of the number of times each person was admitted. Sectors with an average population of 45,000 consisting of aggregations of neighbouring wards in Bristol and District Health Authority and electoral wards with an average population of 9400 in the city of Bristol. Unemployment rates explained 93% of the variation in the crude person based admission rates standardised for age for those aged under 65 in the sectors. Person based rates correlated more strongly with unemployment than did rates based on all separate admissions. Inclusion of people aged 65 and over weakened the relation. Within electoral wards unemployment rates explained only about 50-60% of the variation but were still more powerful than the underprivileged area score. There was a significant negative correlation between average length of stay and readmission rates--that is, sectors with short lengths of stay were more likely to have patients readmitted (r = -0.64, 95% confidence interval -0.25 to -0.85). Unemployment rates are an extremely powerful indicator of the rates of serious mental illness that will need treatment in hospital in those aged under 65. This should be considered in the process of resource allocation, particularly to fundholders in general practice, or people with serious mental illness living in areas of high unemployment could be considerably disadvantaged.

Residency factors that influence pediatric in-training examination score improvement.

PubMed

Chase, Lindsay H; Highbaugh-Battle, Angela P; Buchter, Susie

2012-10-01

The goal of this study was to determine which measurable factors of resident training experience contribute to improvement of in-training examination (ITE) and certifying examination (CE) scores. This is a descriptive retrospective study analyzing data from July 2003 through June 2006 at a large academic pediatric training program. Pediatric categorical residents beginning residency in July 2003 were included. Regression analyses were used to determine if the number of admissions performed, core lectures attended, acute care topics heard, grand rounds attended, continuity clinic patients encountered, or procedures performed correlated with improvement of ITE scores. These factors were then analyzed in relation to CE scores. Seventeen residents were included in this study. The number of general pediatric admissions was the only factor found to correlate with an increase in ITE score (P = .04). Scores for the ITE at pediatric levels 1 and 3 were predictive of CE scores. No other factors measured were found to influence CE scores. Although all experiences of pediatric residents likely contribute to professional competence, some experiences may have more effect on ITE and CE scores. In this study, only general pediatric admissions correlated significantly with an improvement in ITE scores from year 1 to year 3. Further study is needed to identify which elements of the residency experience contribute most to CE success. This would be helpful in optimizing residency program structure and curriculum within the limitations of duty hour regulations.

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-827 Test Procedures for Video Target Scoring Using Calibration Lights

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-827 Test Procedures for Video Target Scoring Using...ABSTRACT This Test Operations Procedure (TOP) describes typical equipment and procedures to setup and operate a Video Target Scoring System (VTSS) to...lights. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Video Target Scoring System, VTSS, witness screens, camera, target screen, light pole 16. SECURITY

Evaluation of the impact of fetal fibronectin test implementation on hospital admissions for preterm labour in Ontario: a multiple baseline time-series design.

PubMed

Fell, D B; Sprague, A E; Grimshaw, J M; Yasseen, A S; Coyle, D; Dunn, S I; Perkins, S L; Peterson, W E; Johnson, M; Bunting, P S; Walker, M C

2014-03-01

To determine the impact of a health system-wide fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing programme on the rates of hospital admission for preterm labour (PTL). Multiple baseline time-series design. Canadian province of Ontario. A retrospective population-based cohort of antepartum and delivered obstetrical admissions in all Ontario hospitals between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2010. International Classification of Diseases codes in a health system-wide hospital administrative database were used to identify the study population and define the outcome measure. An aggregate time series of monthly rates of hospital admissions for PTL was analysed using segmented regression models after aligning the fFN test implementation date for each institution. Rate of obstetrical hospital admission for PTL. Estimated rates of hospital admission for PTL following fFN implementation were lower than predicted had pre-implementation trends prevailed. The reduction in the rate was modest, but statistically significant, when estimated at 12 months following fFN implementation (-0.96 hospital admissions for PTL per 100 preterm births; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.02 to -0.90, P = 0.04). The statistically significant reduction was sustained at 24 and 36 months following implementation. Using a robust quasi-experimental study design to overcome confounding as a result of underlying secular trends or concurrent interventions, we found evidence of a small but statistically significant reduction in the health system-level rate of hospital admissions for PTL following implementation of fFN testing in a large Canadian province. © 2013 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Semi-Quantitative Scoring of an Immunochromatographic Test for Circulating Filarial Antigen

PubMed Central

Chesnais, Cédric B.; Missamou, François; Pion, Sébastien D. S.; Bopda, Jean; Louya, Frédéric; Majewski, Andrew C.; Weil, Gary J.; Boussinesq, Michel

2013-01-01

The value of a semi-quantitative scoring of the filarial antigen test (Binax Now Filariasis card test, ICT) results was evaluated during a field survey in the Republic of Congo. One hundred and thirty-four (134) of 774 tests (17.3%) were clearly positive and were scored 1, 2, or 3; and 11 (1.4%) had questionable results. Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae (mf) were detected in 41 of those 133 individuals with an ICT test score ≥ 1 who also had a night blood smear; none of the 11 individuals with questionable ICT results harbored night mf. Cuzick's test showed a significant trend for higher microfilarial densities in groups with higher ICT scores (P < 0.001). The ICT scores were also significantly correlated with blood mf counts. Because filarial antigen levels provide an indication of adult worm infection intensity, our results suggest that semi-quantitative reading of the ICT may be useful for grading the intensity of filarial infections in individuals and populations. PMID:24019435

A novel early risk assessment tool for detecting clinical outcomes in patients with heat-related illness (J-ERATO score): Development and validation in independent cohorts in Japan.

PubMed

Hayashida, Kei; Kondo, Yutaka; Hifumi, Toru; Shimazaki, Junya; Oda, Yasutaka; Shiraishi, Shinichiro; Fukuda, Tatsuma; Sasaki, Junichi; Shimizu, Keiki

2018-01-01

We sought to develop a novel risk assessment tool to predict the clinical outcomes after heat-related illness. Prospective, multicenter observational study. Patients who transferred to emergency hospitals in Japan with heat-related illness were registered. The sample was divided into two parts: 60% to construct the score and 40% to validate it. A binary logistic regression model was used to predict hospital admission as a primary outcome. The resulting model was transformed into a scoring system. A total of 3,001 eligible patients were analyzed. There was no difference in variables between development and validation cohorts. Based on the result of a logistic regression model in the development phase (n = 1,805), the J-ERATO score was defined as the sum of the six binary components in the prehospital setting (respiratory rate≥22 /min, Glasgow coma scale<15, systolic blood pressure≤100 mmHg, heart rate≥100 bpm, body temperature≥38°C, and age≥65 y), for a total score ranging from 0 to 6. In the validation phase (n = 1,196), the score had excellent discrimination (C-statistic 0.84; 95% CI 0.79-0.89, p<0.0001) and calibration (P>0.2 by Hosmer-Lemeshow test). The observed proportion of hospital admission increased with increasing J-ERATO score (score = 0, 5.0%; score = 1, 15.0%; score = 2, 24.6%; score = 3, 38.6%; score = 4, 68.0%; score = 5, 85.2%; score = 6, 96.4%). Multivariate analyses showed that the J-ERATO score was an independent positive predictor of hospital admission (adjusted OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 2.06-2.87; P<0.001), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (3.73; 2.95-4.72; P<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (1.65; 1.18-2.32; P = 0.004). The J-ERATO score is simply assessed and can facilitate the identification of patients with higher risk of heat-related hospitalization. This scoring system is also significantly associated with the higher likelihood of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality after heat-related hospitalization.

CAT Procedures for Passage-Based Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Tony D.; Davey, Tim

Methods to control the test construct and the efficiency of a computerized adaptive test (CAT) were studied in the context of a reading comprehension test given as a part of a battery of tests for college admission. A goal of the study was to create test scores that were interchangeable with those from a fixed form paper and pencil test. The first…

Critical Thinking: More than Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Vernon G.; Szymanski, Antonia

2013-01-01

This article is for practicing or aspiring school administrators. The demand for excellence in public education has lead to an emphasis on standardized test scores. This article explores the development of a professional enhancement program designed to prepare teachers to teach higher order thinking skills. Higher order thinking is the primary…

Role of Admission Troponin-T and Serial Troponin-T Testing in Predicting Outcomes in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock.

PubMed

Vallabhajosyula, Saraschandra; Sakhuja, Ankit; Geske, Jeffrey B; Kumar, Mukesh; Poterucha, Joseph T; Kashyap, Rahul; Kashani, Kianoush; Jaffe, Allan S; Jentzer, Jacob C

2017-09-09

Troponin-T elevation is seen commonly in sepsis and septic shock patients admitted to the intensive care unit. We sought to evaluate the role of admission and serial troponin-T testing in the prognostication of these patients. This was a retrospective cohort study from 2007 to 2014 on patients admitted to the intensive care units at the Mayo Clinic with severe sepsis and septic shock. Elevated admission troponin-T and significant delta troponin-T were defined as ≥0.01 ng/mL and ≥0.03 ng/mL in 3 hours, respectively. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included 1-year mortality and lengths of stay. During this 8-year period, 944 patients met the inclusion criteria with 845 (90%) having an admission troponin-T ≥0.01 ng/mL. Serial troponin-T values were available in 732 (78%) patients. Elevated admission troponin-T was associated with older age, higher baseline comorbidity, and severity of illness, whereas significant delta troponin-T was associated with higher severity of illness. Admission log 10 troponin-T was associated with unadjusted in-hospital (odds ratio 1.6; P =0.003) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio 1.3; P =0.04), but did not correlate with length of stay. Elevated delta troponin-T and log 10 delta troponin-T were not significantly associated with any of the primary or secondary outcomes. Admission log 10 troponin-T remained an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.4; P =0.04) and 1-year survival (hazard ratio 1.3; P =0.008). In patients with sepsis and septic shock, elevated admission troponin-T was associated with higher short- and long-term mortality. Routine serial troponin-T testing did not add incremental prognostic value in these patients. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Prediction of Hospitalization due to Adverse Drug Reactions in Elderly Community-Dwelling Patients (The PADR-EC Score)

PubMed Central

Parameswaran Nair, Nibu; Chalmers, Leanne; Connolly, Michael; Bereznicki, Bonnie J.; Peterson, Gregory M.; Curtain, Colin; Castelino, Ronald L.; Bereznicki, Luke R.

2016-01-01

Background Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the major cause of medication-related hospital admissions in older patients living in the community. This study aimed to develop and validate a score to predict ADR-related hospitalization in people aged ≥65 years. Methods ADR-related hospitalization and its risk factors were determined using a prospective, cross-sectional study in patients aged ≥65 years admitted to two hospitals. A predictive model was developed in the derivation cohort (n = 768) and the model was applied in the validation cohort (n = 240). ADR-related hospital admission was determined through expert consensus from comprehensive reviews of medical records and patient interviews. The causality and preventability of the ADR were assessed based on the Naranjo algorithm and modified Schumock and Thornton criteria, respectively. Results In the derivation sample (mean [±SD] age, 80.1±7.7 years), 115 (15%) patients were admitted due to a definite or probable ADR; 92.2% of these admissions were deemed preventable. The number of antihypertensives was the strongest predictor of an ADR followed by presence of dementia, renal failure, drug changes in the preceding 3 months and use of anticholinergic medications; these variables were used to derive the ADR prediction score. The predictive ability of the score, assessed from calculation of the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, was 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65–0.75). In the validation sample (mean [±SD] age, 79.6±7.6 years), 30 (12.5%) patients’ admissions were related to definite or probable ADRs; 80% of these admissions were deemed preventable. The area under the ROC curve in this sample was 0.67 (95% CI 0.56–0.78). Conclusions This study proposes a practical and simple tool to identify elderly patients who are at an increased risk of preventable ADR-related hospital admission. Further refinement and testing of this tool is necessary to implement the score in

Validation of SAPS3 admission score and its customization for use in Korean intensive care unit patients: a prospective multicentre study.

PubMed

Lim, So Yeon; Koh, Shin Ok; Jeon, Kyeongman; Na, Sungwon; Lim, Chae-Man; Choi, Won-Il; Lee, Young-Joo; Kim, Seok Chan; Chon, Gyu Rak; Kim, Je Hyeong; Kim, Jae Yeol; Lim, Jaemin; Rhee, Chin Kook; Park, Sunghoon; Kim, Ho Cheol; Lee, Jin Hwa; Lee, Ji Hyun; Park, Jisook; Koh, Younsuck; Suh, Gee Young

2013-08-01

To externally validate the simplified acute physiology score 3 (SAPS3) and to customize it for use in Korean intensive care unit (ICU) patients. This is a prospective multicentre cohort study involving 22 ICUs from 15 centres throughout Korea. The study population comprised patients who were consecutively admitted to participating ICUs from 1 July 2010 to 31 January 2011. A total of 4617 patients were enrolled. ICU mortality was 14.3%, and hospital mortality was 20.6%. The patients were randomly assigned into one of two cohorts: a development (n = 2309) or validation (n = 2308) cohort. In the development cohort, the general SAPS3 had good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.829), but poor calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test H = 123.06, P < 0.001, C = 118.45, P < 0.001). The Australasia SAPS3 did not improve calibration (H = 73.53, P < 0.001, C = 70.52, P < 0.001). Customization was achieved by altering the logit of the original SAPS3 equation. The new equation for Korean ICU patients was validated in the validation cohort, and demonstrated both good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.835) and good calibration (H = 4.61, P = 0.799, C = 5.67, P = 0.684). General and regional Australasia SAPS3 admission scores showed poor calibration for use in Korean ICU patients, but the prognostic power of the SAPS3 was significantly improved by customization. Prediction models should be customized before being used to predict mortality in different regions of the world. © 2013 The Authors. Respirology © 2013 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Measuring What Matters: Robert Sternberg's Enlightened Approach to Admissions Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Catherine O'Neill

2011-01-01

Psychologist Robert J. Sternberg's conviction that American standardized testing does not accurately reflect a child's intelligence or potential is far from theoretical. As an elementary school student in the 1950s, he scored poorly on the ubiquitous IQ test of the time, freezing up when the school psychologist entered the room. Thankfully for…

The Black-White Test Score Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jencks, Christopher, Ed.; Phillips, Meredith, Ed.

The 15 chapters of this book address issues related to the continuing test score gap between black and white students. The editors argue against traditional explanations which emphasize differences in economic resources and demographic factors, and they urge that more emphasis be put on psychological and cultural factors. The book suggests studies…

Test Takers and the Validity of Score Interpretations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopriva, Rebecca J.; Thurlow, Martha L.; Perie, Marianne; Lazarus, Sheryl S.; Clark, Amy

2016-01-01

This article argues that test takers are as integral to determining validity of test scores as defining target content and conditioning inferences on test use. A principled sustained attention to how students interact with assessment opportunities is essential, as is a principled sustained evaluation of evidence confirming the validity or calling…

21 CFR 866.6050 - Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system... immunological Test Systems § 866.6050 Ovarian adnexal mass assessment score test system. (a) Identification. An ovarian/adnexal mass assessment test system is a device that measures one or more proteins in serum or...

ANOVA Analysis of Student Daily Test Scores in Multi-Day Test Periods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouritsen, Matthew L.; Davis, Jefferson T.; Jones, Steven C.

2016-01-01

Instructors are often concerned when giving multiple-day tests because students taking the test later in the exam period may have an advantage over students taking the test early in the exam period due to information leakage. However, exam scores seemed to decline as students took the same test later in a multi-day exam period (Mouritsen and…

Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data

PubMed Central

Gauer, Jacqueline L.; Wolff, Josephine M.; Jackson, J. Brooks

2016-01-01

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the associations and predictive values of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) component and composite scores prior to 2015 with U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, with a focus on whether students scoring low on the MCAT were particularly likely to continue to score low on the USMLE exams. Method Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011–2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School (N=1,065). Results The multiple linear regression analyses were both significant (p<0.001). The three MCAT component scores together explained 17.7% of the variance in Step 1 scores (p<0.001) and 12.0% of the variance in Step 2 CK scores (p<0.001). In the chi-square analyses, significant, albeit weak associations were observed between almost all MCAT component scores and USMLE scores (Cramer's V ranged from 0.05 to 0.24). Discussion Each of the MCAT component scores was significantly associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, although the effect size was small. Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate. These results indicate that MCAT scores are predictive of student performance on the USMLE exams, but, given the small effect sizes, should be considered as part of the holistic view of the student. PMID:27702431

Scoring Yes-No Vocabulary Tests: Reaction Time vs. Nonword Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellicer-Sanchez, Ana; Schmitt, Norbert

2012-01-01

Despite a number of research studies investigating the Yes-No vocabulary test format, one main question remains unanswered: What is the best scoring procedure to adjust for testee overestimation of vocabulary knowledge? Different scoring methodologies have been proposed based on the inclusion and selection of nonwords in the test. However, there…

Increased correlation coefficient between the written test score and tutors' performance test scores after training of tutors for assessment of medical students during problem-based learning course in Malaysia.

PubMed

Jaiprakash, Heethal; Min, Aung Ko Ko; Ghosh, Sarmishtha

2016-03-01

This paper is aimed at finding if there was a change of correlation between the written test score and tutors' performance test scores in the assessment of medical students during a problem-based learning (PBL) course in Malaysia. This is a cross-sectional observational study, conducted among 264 medical students in two groups from November 2010 to November 2012. The first group's tutors did not receive tutor training; while the second group's tutors were trained in the PBL process. Each group was divided into high, middle and low achievers based on their end-of-semester exam scores. PBL scores were taken which included written test scores and tutors' performance test scores. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between the two kinds of scores in each group. The correlation coefficient between the written scores and tutors' scores in group 1 was 0.099 (p<0.001) and for group 2 was 0.305 (p<0.001). The higher correlation coefficient in the group where tutors received the PBL training reinforces the importance of tutor training before their participation in the PBL course.

The Effect of Pretest Exercise on Baseline Computerized Neurocognitive Test Scores.

PubMed

Pawlukiewicz, Alec; Yengo-Kahn, Aaron M; Solomon, Gary

2017-10-01

Baseline neurocognitive assessment plays a critical role in return-to-play decision making following sport-related concussions. Prior studies have assessed the effect of a variety of modifying factors on neurocognitive baseline test scores. However, relatively little investigation has been conducted regarding the effect of pretest exercise on baseline testing. The aim of our investigation was to determine the effect of pretest exercise on baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) scores in adolescent and young adult athletes. We hypothesized that athletes undergoing self-reported strenuous exercise within 3 hours of baseline testing would perform more poorly on neurocognitive metrics and would report a greater number of symptoms than those who had not completed such exercise. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. The ImPACT records of 18,245 adolescent and young adult athletes were retrospectively analyzed. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, participants were dichotomized into groups based on a positive (n = 664) or negative (n = 6609) self-reported history of strenuous exercise within 3 hours of the baseline test. Participants with a positive history of exercise were then randomly matched, based on age, sex, education level, concussion history, and hours of sleep prior to testing, on a 1:2 basis with individuals who had reported no pretest exercise. The baseline ImPACT composite scores of the 2 groups were then compared. Significant differences were observed for the ImPACT composite scores of verbal memory, visual memory, reaction time, and impulse control as well as for the total symptom score. No significant between-group difference was detected for the visual motor composite score. Furthermore, pretest exercise was associated with a significant increase in the overall frequency of invalid test results. Our results suggest a statistically significant difference in ImPACT composite scores between

A Review of Scoring Algorithms for Ability and Aptitude Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chevalier, Shirley A.

In conventional practice, most educators and educational researchers score cognitive tests using a dichotomous right-wrong scoring system. Although simple and straightforward, this method does not take into consideration other factors, such as partial knowledge or guessing tendencies and abilities. This paper discusses alternative scoring models:…

Association Between Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scores and Measures of Functional Mobility in Lower Extremity Amputees After Inpatient Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Frengopoulos, Courtney; Burley, Joshua; Viana, Ricardo; Payne, Michael W; Hunter, Susan W

2017-03-01

To determine whether scores on a cognitive measure are associated with walking endurance and functional mobility of individuals with transfemoral or transtibial amputations at discharge from inpatient prosthetic rehabilitation. Retrospective cohort study. Rehabilitation hospital. Consecutive admissions (N=176; mean age ± SD, 64.27±13.23y) with transfemoral or transtibial amputation that had data at admission and discharge from an inpatient prosthetic rehabilitation program. Not applicable. Cognitive status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The L Test and the 2-minute walk test (2MWT) were used to estimate functional mobility and walking endurance. The mean ± SD MoCA score was 24.05±4.09 (range, 6-30), and 56.3% of patients had scores <26. MoCA scores had a small positive correlation with the 2MWT (r=.29, P<.01), and a small negative correlation to the L Test (r=-.24, P<.01). In multivariable linear regression, compared with people with the highest MoCA score quartile, there was no difference on the 2MWT, but people in the lowest 2 quartiles took longer to complete the L Test. Cognitive impairment was very prevalent. The association between MoCA and functional mobility was statistically significant. These results highlight the potential for differences on complex motor tasks for individuals with cognitive impairment but does not indicate a need to exclude them from rehabilitation on the basis of cognitive impairment alone. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Score tests for independence in semiparametric competing risks models.

PubMed

Saïd, Mériem; Ghazzali, Nadia; Rivest, Louis-Paul

2009-12-01

A popular model for competing risks postulates the existence of a latent unobserved failure time for each risk. Assuming that these underlying failure times are independent is attractive since it allows standard statistical tools for right-censored lifetime data to be used in the analysis. This paper proposes simple independence score tests for the validity of this assumption when the individual risks are modeled using semiparametric proportional hazards regressions. It assumes that covariates are available, making the model identifiable. The score tests are derived for alternatives that specify that copulas are responsible for a possible dependency between the competing risks. The test statistics are constructed by adding to the partial likelihoods for the individual risks an explanatory variable for the dependency between the risks. A variance estimator is derived by writing the score function and the Fisher information matrix for the marginal models as stochastic integrals. Pitman efficiencies are used to compare test statistics. A simulation study and a numerical example illustrate the methodology proposed in this paper.

Does emotional intelligence influence success during medical school admissions and program matriculation?: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Purpose It aimed at determining whether emotional intelligence is a predictor for success in a medical school program and whether the emotional intelligence construct correlated with other markers for admission into medical school. Methods Three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC) were searched up to and including July 2016, using relevant terms. Studies written in English were selected if they included emotional intelligence as a predictor for success in medical school, markers of success such as examination scores and grade point average and association with success defined through traditional medical school admission criteria and failures, and details about the sample. Data extraction included the study authors and year, population description, emotional intelligence I tool, outcome variables, and results. Associations between emotional intelligence scores and reported data were extracted and recorded. Results Six manuscripts were included. Overall, study quality was high. Four of the manuscripts examined emotional intelligence as a predictor for success while in medical school. Three of these four studies supported a weak positive relationship between emotional intelligence scores and success during matriculation. Two of manuscripts examined the relationship of emotional intelligence to medical school admissions. There were no significant relevant correlations between emotional intelligence and medical school admission selection. Conclusion Emotional intelligence was correlated with some, but not all, measures of success during medical school matriculation and none of the measures associated with medical school admissions. Variability in success measures across studies likely explains the variable findings. PMID:27838916

Does emotional intelligence influence success during medical school admissions and program matriculation?: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cook, Christian Jaeger; Cook, Chad E; Hilton, Tiffany N

2016-01-01

It aimed at determining whether emotional intelligence is a predictor for success in a medical school program and whether the emotional intelligence construct correlated with other markers for admission into medical school. Three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC) were searched up to and including July 2016, using relevant terms. Studies written in English were selected if they included emotional intelligence as a predictor for success in medical school, markers of success such as examination scores and grade point average and association with success defined through traditional medical school admission criteria and failures, and details about the sample. Data extraction included the study authors and year, population description, emotional intelligence I tool, outcome variables, and results. Associations between emotional intelligence scores and reported data were extracted and recorded. Six manuscripts were included. Overall, study quality was high. Four of the manuscripts examined emotional intelligence as a predictor for success while in medical school. Three of these four studies supported a weak positive relationship between emotional intelligence scores and success during matriculation. Two of manuscripts examined the relationship of emotional intelligence to medical school admissions. There were no significant relevant correlations between emotional intelligence and medical school admission selection. Emotional intelligence was correlated with some, but not all, measures of success during medical school matriculation and none of the measures associated with medical school admissions. Variability in success measures across studies likely explains the variable findings.

Time to inpatient rehabilitation hospital admission and functional outcomes of stroke patients.

PubMed

Wang, Hua; Camicia, Michelle; Terdiman, Joe; Hung, Yun-Yi; Sandel, M Elizabeth

2011-04-01

To study the association of time to inpatient rehabilitation hospital (IRH) admission and functional outcomes of patients who have had a stroke. A retrospective cohort study. A regional IRH. Moderately (n = 614) and severely (n = 1294) impaired patients who had a stroke who were admitted to the facility between 2002 and 2006. Not applicable. Change in total, motor, and cognitive Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores between IRH admission and discharge. After controlling for patient demographics and initial medical conditions and functional status, shorter periods from stroke onset to IRH admission were significantly associated with greater functional gains for these patients during IRH hospitalization. Moderately impaired patients achieved a greater total FIM gain when admitted to an IRH within 21 days of stroke. Severely impaired patients showed a gradient relationship between time to IRH admission and total FIM gain, with significantly different functional gain if admitted to an IRH within 30 and 60 days after stroke diagnosis. Results of multiple regression analysis also showed that age, race/ethnicity, side of stroke, history of a previous stroke, functional measures at IRH admission, IRH length of stay, and selected medications were associated with total, motor, and cognitive FIM score changes. In addition, certain factors such as older age, diagnosis of a hemorrhagic stroke or a previous history of stroke, and initial functional status were associated with longer periods between diagnosis and admission to an IRH after the stroke occurred. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that earlier transfer to an IRH may lead to better functional improvement after stroke. However, certain factors such as age, race/ethnicity, initial medical conditions and functional status, and length of stay at an IRH contributed to functional gain. Factors affecting the time to IRH admission also were addressed. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Physical Medicine

Right tail increasing dependence between scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, M.; García, Jesús E.; González-López, V. A.; Romano, N.

2017-07-01

In this paper we investigate the behavior of the conditional probability Prob(U > u|V > v) of two records coming from students of an undergraduate course, where U is the score of calculus I, scaled in [0, 1] and V is the score of physics scaled in [0, 1], the physics subject is part of the admission test of the university. For purposes of comparison, we consider two different undergraduate courses, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, during nine years, from 2003 to 2011. Through a Bayesian perspective we estimate Prob(U > u|V > v) year by year and course by course. We conclude that U is right tail increasing in V, in both courses and for all the years. Moreover, over these nine years, we observe different ranges of variability for the estimated probabilities of electrical engineering when compared to the estimated probabilities of mechanical engineering.

Development and outcomes of an online-onsite hybrid dental admissions enhancement pilot program.

PubMed

Hanson, Carrie L; Van Ness, Chris; Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C; Crain, Geralyn

2014-10-01

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry has piloted two years of an Admissions Enhancement Program (AEP) with students from underrepresented minority groups and/or economically disadvantaged areas of Missouri interested in applying to dental school. The AEP utilizes an innovative online-onsite hybrid format to elevate students' foundational knowledge in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and quantitative reasoning. The online component includes interaction with UMKC instructors using tablet technology and Wimba virtual classroom sessions. The onsite component engages students in academic and professional development, enrichment activities targeting skills training, experience in dental labs and clinics, and mentoring in preparing the dental school application, essay writing, and interviewing. Results to date indicate overall program satisfaction among AEP participants and a dental school acceptance rate of 73.7 percent (14/19 students). Participants reported the mock interviews and essay-writing portions contributed to their becoming competitive candidates for the admission process, and the online material enhanced their preparation for the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Pre- and post-AEP data show participant DAT Academic Average scores increased by two points. The school will continue to monitor program participants in subsequent years.

Minority Student Academic Performance under the Uniform Admission Law: Evidence from the University of Texas at Austin.

PubMed

Niu, Sunny X; Tienda, Marta

2010-03-01

UT-Austin administrative data between 1990 and 2003 are used to evaluate claims that students granted automatic admission based on top 10% class rank underperform academically relative to lower ranked students who graduate from highly competitive high schools. Compared with white students ranked at or below the third decile, top 10% black and Hispanic enrollees arrive with lower average standardized test scores, yet consistently performed as well or better in grades, first year persistence, and four-year graduation likelihood. A similar story obtains for top 10% graduates from Longhorn high schools verses lower-ranked students who graduated from highly competitive feeder high schools. Multivariate results reveal that high school attended rather than test scores is largely responsible for racial differences in college performance.

Renal function on admission modifies prognostic impact of diuretics in acute heart failure: a propensity score matched and interaction analysis.

PubMed

Matsue, Yuya; Shiraishi, Atsushi; Kagiyama, Nobuyuki; Yoshida, Kazuki; Kume, Teruyoshi; Okura, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Makoto; Matsumura, Akihiko; Yoshida, Kiyoshi; Hashimoto, Yuji

2016-12-01

Although intravenous diuretics have been mainstay drugs in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), they have been suggested to have some deleterious effects on prognosis. We postulated that renal function may modify their deleterious effects in AHF patients. The study population consisted of 1094 AHF patients from three hospitals. Renal dysfunction (RD) was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 on admission, and the cohort was divided into a high-dose furosemide (≥100 mg/48 h) and low-dose furosemide group according to the amount of intravenous furosemide used within 48 h from admission. In the whole cohort, in-hospital mortality rate was higher in the high-dose furosemide group than the low-dose furosemide group (12.5 vs. 6.6 %, respectively, P = 0.001). However, this difference in the in-hospital mortality rates was significant only in the RD subgroup (15.6 vs. 7.0 %, respectively, P < 0.001), and not in the non-RD subgroup (2.5 vs. 5.9 %, respectively, P = 0.384). Propensity score-matched analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of high-dose furosemide on prognosis. After propensity score matching, high-dose furosemide was not associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 1.25, 95 % CI 0.73-2.16, P = 0.408). However, there was a qualitative difference in OR for in-hospital mortality between AHF with RD (OR 1.77, 95 % CI 0.96-3.28, P = 0.068) and without RD (OR 0.23, 95 % CI 0.05-1.10, P = 0.064), and there was a significant interaction between eGFR and prognostic impact of high-dose furosemide (P for OR interaction = 0.013). An inverse relationship was observed between eGFR and OR for in-hospital death in the group treated with high-dose furosemide (decreasing OR with better eGFR). The deleterious effect of diuretics was significantly modified with renal function in AHF. This association may be one reason for poorer prognosis of AHF patients complicated with renal impairment.

High ABCD2 Scores and In-Hospital Interventions following Transient Ischemic Attack

PubMed Central

Cutting, Shawna; Regan, Elizabeth; Lee, Vivien H.; Prabhakaran, Shyam

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose Following transient ischemic attack (TIA), there is increased risk for ischemic stroke. The American Heart Association recommends admission of patients with ABCD2 scores ≥3 for observation, rapid performance of diagnostic tests, and potential acute intervention. We aimed to determine if there is a relationship between ABCD2 scores, in-hospital ischemic events, and in-hospital treatments after TIA admission. Methods We reviewed consecutive patients admitted between 2006 and 2011 following a TIA, defined as transient focal neurological symptoms attributed to a specific vascular distribution and lasting <24 h. Three interventions were prespecified: anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, carotid or intracranial revascularization, and intravenous or intra-arterial reperfusion therapies. We compared rates of in-hospital recurrent TIA or ischemic stroke and the receipt of interventions among patients with low (<3) versus high (≥3) ABCD2 scores. Results Of 249 patients, 11 patients (4.4%) had recurrent TIAs or strokes during their stay (8 TIAs, 3 strokes). All 11 had ABCD2 scores ≥3, and no neurological events occurred in patients with lower scores (5.1 vs. 0%; p = 0.37). Twelve patients (4.8%) underwent revascularization for large artery stenosis, 16 (6.4%) were started on anticoagulants, and no patient received intravenous or intra-arterial reperfusion therapy. The ABCD2 score was not associated with anticoagulation (p = 0.59) or revascularization (p = 0.20). Conclusions Higher ABCD2 scores may predict early ischemic events after TIA but do not predict the need for intervention. Outpatient evaluation for those with scores <3 would potentially have delayed revascularization or anticoagulant treatment in nearly one-fifth of ‘low-risk’ patients. PMID:27721312

Diagnostic accuracy of the Kampala Trauma Score using estimated Abbreviated Injury Scale scores and physician opinion.

PubMed

Gardner, Andrew; Forson, Paa Kobina; Oduro, George; Stewart, Barclay; Dike, Nkechi; Glover, Paul; Maio, Ronald F

2017-01-01

The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) has been proposed as a triage tool for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to examine the diagnostic accuracy of KTS in predicting emergency department outcomes using timely injury estimation with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score and physician opinion to calculate KTS scores. This was a diagnostic accuracy study of KTS among injured patients presenting to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital A&E, Ghana. South African Triage Scale (SATS); KTS component variables, including AIS scores and physician opinion for serious injury quantification; and ED disposition were collected. Agreement between estimated AIS score and physician opinion were analyzed with normal, linear weighted, and maximum kappa. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of KTS-AIS and KTS-physician opinion was performed to evaluate each measure's ability to predict A&E mortality and need for hospital admission to the ward or theatre. A total of 1053 patients were sampled. There was moderate agreement between AIS criteria and physician opinion by normal (κ=0.41), weighted (κ lin =0.47), and maximum (κ max =0.53) kappa. A&E mortality ROC area for KTS-AIS was 0.93, KTS-physician opinion 0.89, and SATS 0.88 with overlapping 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Hospital admission ROC area for KTS-AIS was 0.73, KTS-physician opinion 0.79, and SATS 0.71 with statistical similarity. When evaluating only patients with serious injuries, KTS-AIS (ROC 0.88) and KTS-physician opinion (ROC 0.88) performed similarly to SATS (ROC 0.78) in predicting A&E mortality. The ROC area for KTS-AIS (ROC 0.71; 95%CI 0.66-0.75) and KTS-physician opinion (ROC 0.74; 95%CI 0.69-0.79) was significantly greater than SATS (ROC 0.57; 0.53-0.60) with regard to need for admission. KTS predicted mortality and need for admission from the ED well when early estimation of the number of serious injuries was used, regardless of method (i.e. AIS criteria or physician opinion

Diagnostic accuracy of the Kampala Trauma Score using estimated Abbreviated Injury Scale scores and physician opinion

PubMed Central

Gardner, Andrew; Forson, Paa Kobina; Oduro, George; Stewart, Barclay; Dike, Nkechi; Glover, Paul; Maio, Ronald F.

2016-01-01

Background The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) has been proposed as a triage tool for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to examine the diagnostic accuracy of KTS in predicting emergency department outcomes using timely injury estimation with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score and physician opinion to calculate KTS scores. Methods This was a diagnostic accuracy study of KTS among injured patients presenting to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital A&E, Ghana. South African Triage Scale (SATS); KTS component variables, including AIS scores and physician opinion for serious injury quantification; and ED disposition were collected. Agreement between estimated AIS score and physician opinion were analyzed with normal, linear weighted, and maximum kappa. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of KTS-AIS and KTS-physician opinion was performed to evaluate each measure’s ability to predict A&E mortality and need for hospital admission to the ward or theatre. Results A total of 1,053 patients were sampled. There was moderate agreement between AIS criteria and physician opinion by normal (κ=0.41), weighted (κlin=0.47), and maximum (κmax=0.53) kappa. A&E mortality ROC area for KTS-AIS was 0.93, KTS-physician opinion 0.89, and SATS 0.88 with overlapping 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Hospital admission ROC area for KTS-AIS was 0.73, KTS-physician opinion 0.79, and SATS 0.71 with statistical similarity. When evaluating only patients with serious injuries, KTS-AIS (ROC 0.88) and KTS-physician opinion (ROC 0.88) performed similarly to SATS (ROC 0.78) in predicting A&E mortality. The ROC area for KTS-AIS (ROC 0.71; 95%CI 0.66–0.75) and KTS-physician opinion (ROC 0.74; 95%CI 0.69–0.79) was significantly greater than SATS (ROC 0.57; 0.53–0.60) with regard to need for admission. Conclusions KTS predicted mortality and need for admission from the ED well when early estimation of the number of serious injuries was used, regardless of method

Relationships of Declining Test Scores and Grade Inflation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellott, Fred K.

The relationship between declining scores on national standardized tests and grade inflation is explored. Grade inflation refers to the indicated measure of evaluation of student performance having higher placement than is usual based on the performances. Data for this study were taken from the American College Testing (ACT) Program Class Profile…

ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2016

2016-01-01

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…

Selection Methods for Undergraduate Admissions in Australia. Does the Australian Predominate Entry Scheme the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) Have a Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blyth, Kathryn

2014-01-01

This article considers the Australian entry score system, the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), and its usage as a selection mechanism for undergraduate places in Australian higher education institutions and asks whether its role as the main selection criterion will continue with the introduction of demand driven funding in 2012.…

D.C. Student Test Scores Show Uneven Progress. Data Snapshot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuPre, Mary

2011-01-01

Over the past five years, both DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools (PCS) have seen significant growth in secondary reading and math scores on the state test known as the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS). However, scores have not improved as much at the elementary level. Reading and math scores for DCPS…

Reliability of Total Test Scores When Considered as Ordinal Measurements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biswas, Ajoy Kumar

2006-01-01

This article studies the ordinal reliability of (total) test scores. This study is based on a classical-type linear model of observed score (X), true score (T), and random error (E). Based on the idea of Kendall's tau-a coefficient, a measure of ordinal reliability for small-examinee populations is developed. This measure is extended to large…

Correlation of Simulation Examination to Written Test Scores for Advanced Cardiac Life Support Testing: Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Strom, Suzanne L; Anderson, Craig L; Yang, Luanna; Canales, Cecilia; Amin, Alpesh; Lotfipour, Shahram; McCoy, C Eric; Osborn, Megan Boysen; Langdorf, Mark I

2015-11-01

Traditional Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses are evaluated using written multiple-choice tests. High-fidelity simulation is a widely used adjunct to didactic content, and has been used in many specialties as a training resource as well as an evaluative tool. There are no data to our knowledge that compare simulation examination scores with written test scores for ACLS courses. To compare and correlate a novel high-fidelity simulation-based evaluation with traditional written testing for senior medical students in an ACLS course. We performed a prospective cohort study to determine the correlation between simulation-based evaluation and traditional written testing in a medical school simulation center. Students were tested on a standard acute coronary syndrome/ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest scenario. Our primary outcome measure was correlation of exam results for 19 volunteer fourth-year medical students after a 32-hour ACLS-based Resuscitation Boot Camp course. Our secondary outcome was comparison of simulation-based vs. written outcome scores. The composite average score on the written evaluation was substantially higher (93.6%) than the simulation performance score (81.3%, absolute difference 12.3%, 95% CI [10.6-14.0%], p<0.00005). We found a statistically significant moderate correlation between simulation scenario test performance and traditional written testing (Pearson r=0.48, p=0.04), validating the new evaluation method. Simulation-based ACLS evaluation methods correlate with traditional written testing and demonstrate resuscitation knowledge and skills. Simulation may be a more discriminating and challenging testing method, as students scored higher on written evaluation methods compared to simulation.

Improvement in GOS and GOSE scores 6 and 12 months after severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Corral, Luisa; Ventura, José Luis; Herrero, José Ignacio; Monfort, Jose Luis; Juncadella, Montserrat; Gabarrós, Andreu; Bartolomé, Carlos; Javierre, Casimiro F; García-Huete, Lucía

2007-11-01

To assess improvements in Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and GOS extended (GOSE) scores between 6 months and 1 year following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). One studied 214 adult patients with severe TBI with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <9 admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). GOS scores were obtained 6 and 12 months after injury in 195 subjects. Patients were predominantly male (84%) and median age was 35 years. Outcome (GOS and GOSE at 6 months and 1 year) was better in the high GCS score at admission (6-8) group than in the low score group (3-5). The improvement in GOS scores between 6 months and 1 year was greater in the high GCS score at admission group than in the low score group. At 6 months, 75 patients had died and 120 survived. None died between the 6-12-month assessments; at 12 months, 36% had improved GOS score. GOS scores improved between 6-12 months after severe TBI in 36% of survivors and it is concluded that the expectancy of improvement is incomplete at 6 months. This improvement was greater in patients with better GCS scores (6-8) at admission than in those with worse GCS scores (3-5).

The BRICS (Bronchiectasis Radiologically Indexed CT Score): A Multicenter Study Score for Use in Idiopathic and Postinfective Bronchiectasis.

PubMed

Bedi, Pallavi; Chalmers, James D; Goeminne, Pieter C; Mai, Cindy; Saravanamuthu, Pira; Velu, Prasad Palani; Cartlidge, Manjit K; Loebinger, Michael R; Jacob, Joe; Kamal, Faisal; Schembri, Nicola; Aliberti, Stefano; Hill, Uta; Harrison, Mike; Johnson, Christopher; Screaton, Nicholas; Haworth, Charles; Polverino, Eva; Rosales, Edmundo; Torres, Antoni; Benegas, Michael N; Rossi, Adriano G; Patel, Dilip; Hill, Adam T

2018-05-01

The goal of this study was to develop a simplified radiological score that could assess clinical disease severity in bronchiectasis. The Bronchiectasis Radiologically Indexed CT Score (BRICS) was devised based on a multivariable analysis of the Bhalla score and its ability in predicting clinical parameters of severity. The score was then externally validated in six centers in 302 patients. A total of 184 high-resolution CT scans were scored for the validation cohort. In a multiple logistic regression model, disease severity markers significantly associated with the Bhalla score were percent predicted FEV 1 , sputum purulence, and exacerbations requiring hospital admission. Components of the Bhalla score that were significantly associated with the disease severity markers were bronchial dilatation and number of bronchopulmonary segments with emphysema. The BRICS was developed with these two parameters. The receiver operating-characteristic curve values for BRICS in the derivation cohort were 0.79 for percent predicted FEV 1 , 0.71 for sputum purulence, and 0.75 for hospital admissions per year; these values were 0.81, 0.70, and 0.70, respectively, in the validation cohort. Sputum free neutrophil elastase activity was significantly elevated in the group with emphysema on CT imaging. A simplified CT scoring system can be used as an adjunct to clinical parameters to predict disease severity in patients with idiopathic and postinfective bronchiectasis. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Between-District Test Score Variation, 2009-2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahle, Erin; Reardon, Sean

2016-01-01

Describing the variation in test scores between and within school districts is critical for: (1) for policy-related and descriptive work that investigates the sorting of students among districts and the differential effectiveness of those districts; and (2) for methodological work planning future experiments or interventions. Intraclass…

Acute admissions to medical departments in Denmark: diagnoses and patient characteristics.

PubMed

Vest-Hansen, Betina; Riis, Anders Hammerich; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; Christiansen, Christian Fynbo

2014-09-01

Despite extensive research on individual diseases, population-based knowledge about reasons for acute medical admissions remains limited. Our aim was to examine primary diagnoses, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, age, and gender among patients admitted acutely to medical departments in Denmark. In this population-based observational study, 264,265 acute medical patients admitted during 2010 were identified in the Danish National Registry of Patients (DNRP), covering all hospitals in Denmark. Reasons for acute admissions were assessed by primary diagnoses, grouped according to the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition. Additionally, the CCI score, age and gender were presented according to each diagnostic group. Two-thirds of the patients had one of the four following reasons for admission: cardiovascular diseases (19.3%), non-specific Z-diagnoses ("Factors influencing health status and contact with health services") (16.9%), infectious diseases (15.5%), and non-specific R-diagnoses ("Symptoms and abnormal findings, not elsewhere classified") (11.8%). In total, 45% of the patients had a CCI score of one or more and there was a considerable overlap between the patients' chronic diseases and the reason for admission. The median age of the study population was 64 years (IQR 47-77 years), ranging from 46 years (IQR 27-66) for injury and poisoning to 74 years (IQR 60-83) for hematological diseases. Gender representation varied considerably within the diagnostic groups, for example with male predominance in mental disorders (59.0%) and female predominance in diseases of the musculoskeletal system (57.8%). Our study identifies that acute medical patients often present with non-specific symptoms or complications related to their chronic diseases. Copyright © 2014 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

School and Individual Factors That Contribute to the Achievement Gap in College Admissions Tests in Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez Mejias, Paulina

2012-01-01

In Chile, reports and research papers have shown that there is an achievement gap in college admissions tests mostly associated to students' gender, socioeconomic status and type of school attended. This gap represents a barrier for low-income and female students to access higher education, as well as for graduates of public schools. Prior studies…

[Influence of postcode on paediatric admissions in Seville].

PubMed

Tornero Patricio, Sebastián; Charris-Castro, Liliana; Granero Asencio, Mercedes; Daponte Codina, Antonio

2017-12-01

The postcode (where the home is situated) is an indicator of socioeconomic status and is associated with morbidity, mortality, and the use of health services. The aim of this study was to analyse its effects on paediatric admissions and to determine the rates of the most common causes of paediatric admissions in Seville. An observational cross-sectional study with two analysis units: under 15 year-old "admissions" in public hospitals in Seville (n=2,660) and "city districts" of Seville (n=11). The independent variable analysed was whether the postcode of the admitted patients was within a Regional Government designated "area with social transformation needs". The analysis of the admissions was performed using X 2 -test, Fisher test and Student-t test, with the description of rates using the calculation of crude and specific rates, and by rate ratio. Children living in districts with a lower socioeconomic status were on average 7 months younger (P<.001), and they were significantly more likely to be admitted via the emergency department (P<.001). There was no statistical difference detected in either the length of hospital stay or mortality. The crude admission rate ratio was higher in districts with a lower socioeconomic status (1.8), with a higher specific rate ratio detected in admissions due to asthma, respiratory infections, inguinal hernia, and epilepsy/convulsions. Paediatric hospital admission rates of the main diagnoses were higher in districts with a lower socioeconomic status. Children living in these districts were more likely to be admitted younger and via the emergency department. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Admissions Process for Effective and Fair Graduate Admission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmermann, Judith; von Davier, Alina; Heinimann, Hans Rudolf

2017-01-01

Purpose: Graduate admission has become a critical process for quality assurance in tertiary education. Hitherto, most research has investigated the validity of admissions instruments. However, surprisingly little work has been conducted on the overall organization of admission, which often remains "informal, ad hoc, and lacking in…

Outcome scoring systems for short-term prognosis in critically ill cirrhotic patients.

PubMed

Tu, Kun-Hua; Jenq, Chang-Chyi; Tsai, Ming-Hung; Hsu, Hsiang-Hao; Chang, Ming-Yang; Tian, Ya-Chung; Hung, Cheng-Chieh; Fang, Ji-Tseng; Yang, Chih-Wei; Chen, Yung-Chang

2011-11-01

Cirrhotic patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have high mortality rates. This study evaluated specific predictors and scoring systems for hospital and 6-month mortality in critically ill cirrhotic patients. This investigation is a prospective clinical study performed in a 10-bed specialized hepatogastroenterology ICU in a tertiary care university hospital in Taiwan. Two hundred two consecutive cirrhotic patients admitted to the ICU during a 2-year period were enrolled in this study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables recorded on the first day of ICU admission and scoring systems applied were prospectively recorded for post hoc analysis for predicting survival. The overall hospital mortality was 59.9%, and the 6-month mortality rate was 70.8%. The main causes of cirrhosis were hepatitis B (29%), hepatitis C (22%), and alcoholism (20%). The major cause of ICU admission was upper gastrointestinal bleeding (36%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) score at the 48th hour of ICU admission and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) as well as the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores on the first day of ICU admission were independent risk factors for hospital mortality. The SOFA score had the best discriminatory power (0.872 ± 0.036), whereas the AKIN had the best Youden index (0.57) and the highest correctness of prediction (79%). Cumulative survival rates at the 6-month follow-up after hospital discharge differed significantly (P < 0.05) for AKIN stage 0 vs. stages 1, 2, and 3, and for AKIN stage 1 vs. stage 3. The AKIN, SOFA, and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores showed well discriminative power in predicting hospital mortality in this group of patients. The AKIN scoring system proved to be a reproducible evaluation tool with excellent prognostic abilities for these patients.

Comparability of IQ Scores on Five Widely Used Intelligence Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hieronymus, A. N.; Stroud, James B.

1969-01-01

Attempts to fill research gap on testing by obtaining comparisons of deviation scores, at grade levels four, seven, and ten, from the California Test of Mental Maturity, Henmon-Nelson Tests, and Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence tests. Results tabulated. (CJ)

qSOFA, SIRS and NEWS for predicting inhospital mortality and ICU admission in emergency admissions treated as sepsis.

PubMed

Goulden, Robert; Hoyle, Marie-Claire; Monis, Jessie; Railton, Darran; Riley, Victoria; Martin, Paul; Martina, Reynaldo; Nsutebu, Emmanuel

2018-06-01

The third international consensus definition for sepsis recommended use of a new prognostic tool, the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), based on its ability to predict inhospital mortality and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients with suspected infection. While several studies have compared the prognostic accuracy of qSOFA to the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria in suspected sepsis, few have compared qSOFA and SIRS to the widely used National Early Warning Score (NEWS). This was a retrospective cohort study carried out in a UK tertiary centre. The study population comprised emergency admissions in whom sepsis was suspected and treated. The accuracy for predicting inhospital mortality and ICU admission was calculated and compared for qSOFA, SIRS and NEWS. Among 1818 patients, 53 were admitted to ICU (3%) and 265 died in hospital (15%). For predicting inhospital mortality, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for NEWS (0.65, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.68) was similar to qSOFA (0.62, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.66) (test for difference, P=0.18) and superior to SIRS (P<0.001), which was not predictive. The sensitivity of NEWS≥5 (74%, 95% CI 68% to 79%) was similar to SIRS≥2 (80%, 95% CI 74% to 84%) and higher than qSOFA≥2 (37%, 95% CI 31% to 43%). The specificity of NEWS≥5 (43%, 95% CI 41% to 46%) was higher than SIRS≥2 (21%, 95% CI 19% to 23%) and lower than qSOFA≥2 (79%, 95% CI 77% to 81%). The negative predictive value was 88% (86%-90%) for qSOFA, 86% (82%-89%) for SIRS and 91% (88%-93%) for NEWS. Results were similar for the secondary outcome of ICU admission. NEWS has equivalent or superior value for most test characteristics relative to SIRS and qSOFA, calling into question the rationale of adopting qSOFA in institutions where NEWS is already in use. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No

Nationwide Chains May Shake Up Admissions-Counseling Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gose, Ben

1999-01-01

For-profit college-admissions counseling and college-preparation companies are expanding, and existing test-preparation centers are planning to begin offering admissions-counseling services. One company envisions a national chain. Some educators welcome the trend, while others feel the commercial enterprises may take an inappropriate approach to…

Involuntary admission may support treatment outcome and motivation in patients receiving assertive community treatment.

PubMed

Kortrijk, Hans Erik; Staring, A B P; van Baars, A W B; Mulder, C L

2010-02-01

Patients with severe mental illness who are treated in assertive community treatment (ACT) teams are sometimes involuntarily admitted when they are dangerous to themselves or others, and are not motivated for treatment. However, the consequences of involuntary admission in terms of psychosocial outcome and treatment motivation are largely unknown. We hypothesized that involuntary admission would improve psychosocial outcome and not adversely affect their treatment motivation. In the context of routine 6-monthly outcome monitoring in the period January 2003-March 2008, we used the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and a motivation-for-treatment scale to assess 260 severely mentally ill patients at risk for involuntary admission. Mixed models with repeated measures were used for data analyses. During the observation period, 77 patients (30%) were involuntarily admitted. Relative to patients who were not involuntarily admitted, these patients improved significantly in HoNOS total scores (F = 17,815, df = 1, p < 0.001) and in motivation for treatment (F = 28.139, df = 1, p < 0.001). Patients who were not involuntarily admitted had better HoNOS and motivation scores at baseline, but did not improve. Involuntary admission in the context of ACT was associated with improvements in psychosocial outcome and motivation for treatment. There are no indications that involuntary admission leads to deterioration in psychosocial outcome or worsening of motivation for treatment.

Case mix, outcome and activity for obstetric admissions to adult, general critical care units: a secondary analysis of the ICNARC Case Mix Programme Database

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Introduction Risk prediction scores usually overestimate mortality in obstetric populations because mortality rates in this group are considerably lower than in others. Studies examining this effect were generally small and did not distinguish between obstetric and nonobstetric pathologies. We evaluated the performance of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II model in obstetric admissions to critical care units contributing to the ICNARC Case Mix Programme. Methods All obstetric admissions were extracted from the ICNARC Case Mix Programme Database of 219,468 admissions to UK critical care units from 1995 to 2003 inclusive. Cases were divided into direct obstetric pathologies and indirect or coincidental pathologies, and compared with a control cohort of all women aged 16–50 years not included in the obstetric categories. The predictive ability of APACHE II was evaluated in the three groups. A prognostic model was developed for direct obstetric admissions to predict the risk for hospital mortality. A log-linear model was developed to predict the length of stay in the critical care unit. Results A total of 1452 direct obstetric admissions were identified, the most common pathologies being haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. There were 278 admissions identified as indirect or coincidental and 22,938 in the nonpregnant control cohort. Hospital mortality rates were 2.2%, 6.0% and 19.6% for the direct obstetric group, the indirect or coincidental group, and the control cohort, respectively. Cox regression calibration analysis showed a reasonable fit of the APACHE II model for the nonpregnant control cohort (slope = 1.1, intercept = -0.1). However, the APACHE II model vastly overestimated mortality for obstetric admissions (mortality ratio = 0.25). Risk prediction modelling demonstrated that the Glasgow Coma Scale score was the best discriminator between survival and death in obstetric admissions. Conclusion This study confirms

Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities Test Scores: A UK National Picture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Steve; Deary, Ian J.; Smith, Pauline

2006-01-01

Background and aims: There is uncertainty about the extent or even existence of sex differences in the mean and variability of reasoning test scores ( Jensen, 1998; Lynn, 1994, ; Mackintosh, 1996). This paper analyses the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) scores of a large and representative sample of UK pupils to determine the extent of any sex…

Bioclinical Test to Predict Nephropathia Epidemica Severity at Hospital Admission.

PubMed

Hentzien, Maxime; Mestrallet, Stéphanie; Halin, Pascale; Pannet, Laure-Anne; Lebrun, Delphine; Dramé, Moustapha; Bani-Sadr, Firouzé; Galempoix, Jean-Marc; Strady, Christophe; Reynes, Jean-Marc; Penalba, Christian; Servettaz, Amélie

2018-06-01

We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with serologically proven nephropathia epidemica (NE) living in Ardennes Department, France, during 2000-2014 to develop a bioclinical test predictive of severe disease. Among 205 patients, 45 (22.0%) had severe NE. We found the following factors predictive of severe NE: nephrotoxic drug exposure (p = 0.005, point value 10); visual disorders (p = 0.02, point value 8); microscopic or macroscopic hematuria (p = 0.04, point value 7); leukocyte count >10 × 10 9 cells/L (p = 0.01, point value 9); and thrombocytopenia <90 × 10 9 /L (p = 0.003, point value 11). When point values for each factor were summed, we found a score of <10 identified low-risk patients (3.3% had severe disease), and a score >20 identified high-risk patients (45.3% had severe disease). If validated in future studies, this test could be used to stratify patients by severity in research studies and in clinical practice.

Associations Between the Big Five Personality Traits and a Medical School Admission Interview.

PubMed

Lourinho, Isabel; Moreira, André; Mota-Cardoso, Rui; Severo, Milton; Ferreira, Maria Amélia

2016-12-30

Personality has became popular in medical student's selection. However, few research exists about the association between the big five personality traits and the existent medical school selection tools. Our aim was to study which personality traits were selected by a medical school admission interview. One hundred ninety four graduate applicants that had applied to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto through the graduate entry approach, after ranked on previous achievement, were interviewed between the academic years of 2011 and 2013. From these, 181 (93.3%) answered to the NEO Five-Factor Inventory that assesses high order personality traits of openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Admission interview corresponded to the second phase of the seriation process. Every applicant was interviewed and scored by three interviewers on seven dimensions asesssed by Lickert scale (1-10). Interview score was the sum of the dimensions. Linear mixed effects model and respective regression coefficients were used to estimate the association between personality traits from each interviewer's score. Final models were adjusted for gender, interviewers and previous achievement. Openness to experience (Beta = 0.18: CI 95%: 0.05; 0.30) had the strongest association with interview score followed by the interaction effect between the extraversion and conscientiousness traits (Beta = 0.14; CI 95%: 0.02; 0.25). Also, applicants scored higher when their gender was opposite to the interviewers. Previous achievement and interview score had no association. Our admission interview selected different personality traits when compared to other selection tools. Medical schools should be aware of the implications of the adopted selection tools on the admitted medical student's personality because it can help providing beneficial interventions.

Performance on physical function tests and the risk of fractures and admissions: Findings from a national health screening of 557,648 community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Chun, So Hyun; Cho, Belong; Yang, Hyung-Kook; Ahn, Eunmi; Han, Min Kyu; Oh, Bumjo; Shin, Dong Wook; Son, Ki Young

Falls and fractures in older adults are often preventable, yet remain major health concerns as comprehensive physical function assessment may not be readily available. This study investigated whether simple timed up and go test (TUG) and unipedal stance test (UST) are effective in identifying people with an increased risk of fractures, femoral fractures, or admissions due to femoral fractures. Community-dwelling Korean older adults aged 66 years participated in the Korean National Screening Program for the Transitional Ages (n=557,648) between 2007 and 2010. Overall fractures, femoral fractures, and admissions due to femoral fracture during this period were outcome measures. The outcome measures were overall fractures, femoral fractures, and admissions due to femoral fracture after the health screening. The associations between inferior physical function test results and outcome measures were evaluated. A total of 523,502 subjects were followed-up for a mean period of 1.42 years, which resulted in 12,965 subjects with any fractures. Fracture data were retrieved from medical claims record. Subjects who performed poorly on one or both of the two physical function tests experienced higher number of overall fractures (aHR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.16-1.26), femoral fractures (aHR 1.80, 95% CI: 1.59-2.17), and admissions due to femoral fractures (aHR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.55-2.22) as compared to subjects with normal results on both tests. Combining TUG and UST was not superior to performing UST alone in predicting the increased risk of overall fractures (p=0.347), femoral fractures (p=0.402) or admissions due to femoral fractures (p=0.774). Poor performance on physical performance tests is associated with a higher risk of overall fractures, femoral fractures and admissions due to femoral fractures. The TUG and UST can be used to identify community-dwelling older individuals who are more vulnerable to fractures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teacher Use of Achievement Test Score Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Steven C.

2012-01-01

The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has invested time and money developing standardized achievement test score reports designed to give teachers data about each of their students' levels of mastery of particular concepts in order to differentiate their instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which eighth-grade…

Generalization of the Lord-Wingersky Algorithm to Computing the Distribution of Summed Test Scores Based on Real-Number Item Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Seonghoon

2013-01-01

With known item response theory (IRT) item parameters, Lord and Wingersky provided a recursive algorithm for computing the conditional frequency distribution of number-correct test scores, given proficiency. This article presents a generalized algorithm for computing the conditional distribution of summed test scores involving real-number item…

Relationship between admission data and pharmacy student involvement in extracurricular activities.

PubMed

Kiersma, Mary E; Plake, Kimberly S; Mason, Holly L

2011-10-10

To assess pharmacy student involvement in leadership and service roles and to evaluate the association between admissions data and student involvement. Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students were invited to complete a 56-item online survey instrument containing questions regarding leadership and service involvement, work experiences, perceived contribution of involvement to skill development, and perceived importance of involvement. Responses were linked to admissions data to identify possible associations. Five hundred fourteen (82.4%) pharmacy students completed the survey instrument. Students with higher admissions application and interview scores were more likely to be involved in organizations and hold leadership roles, while students with higher admissions grade point averages were less likely to be involved in organizations and leadership roles. Assessing students' involvement in leadership and service roles can assist in the evaluation of students' leadership skills and lead to modification of curricular and co-curricular activities to provide development opportunities. Student involvement in extracurricular activities may encourage future involvement in and commitment to the pharmacy profession.

A New Era in Admissions. Focus 7, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westoff, Leslie Aldridge

1980-01-01

In this issue on admissions in colleges and universities, the history of the admissions process and trends are outlined, and the current situation of declining enrollments reviewed. The place of testing is discussed briefly, and other factors in selection listed: student background (educational, extracurricular, and ethnic), and student…

[Evaluation of hospital admissions: admission guidelines implementation in a pediatric emergency department].

PubMed

Katz, Manuel; Warshawsky, Sheila S; Rosen, Shirley; Barak, Nurit; Press, Joseph

2004-10-01

To develop and implement locally tailored pediatric admission guidelines for use in a pediatric emergency department and evaluate the appropriateness of admissions based on these guidelines. Our Study was based on the development of admission guidelines by senior physicians, using the Delphi Consensus Process, for use in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) at Soroka University Medical Center (Soroka). We evaluated the appropriateness of admissions to the pediatric departments of Soroka on 33 randomly selected days in 1999 and 2000 prior to guideline implementation and 30 randomly selected days in 2001, after guideline implementation. A total of 1037 files were evaluated. A rate of 12.4% inappropriate admissions to the pediatric departments was found based on locally tailored admission guidelines. There was no change in the rate of inappropriate admissions after implementation of admission guidelines in PED. Inappropriate admissions were associated with age above 3 years, hospital stay of two days or less and the season. The main reasons for evaluating an admission as inappropriate were that the admission did not comply with the guidelines and that the case could be managed in an ambulatory setting. There were distinctive differences in the characteristics of the Bedouin and Jewish populations admitted to the pediatric departments, although no difference was found in the rate of inappropriate admissions between these populations. Patient management in Soroka PED is tailored to the conditions of this medical center and to the characteristics of the population it serves. The admission guidelines developed reflect these special conditions. Lack of change in the rate of inappropriate admissions following implementation of the guidelines indicates that the guidelines reflect the physicians' approach to patient management that existed in Soroka PED prior to guideline implementation. Hospital admission guidelines have a role in the health management system; however

Admission, Heal Thyself: A Prescription for Reclaiming College Admission as a Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jump, Jim

2004-01-01

Is college admission a business or a profession? This question is timeless because no issue (with possible exception of the perennial debate about whether admission(s) is singular or plural) sparks as much passion among admission practitioners, and it is timely because many of the controversial issues found in college admission today beg the…

Misidentifying Factors Underlying Singapore's High Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usiskin, Zalman

2012-01-01

Singapore students have scored exceedingly well on international tests in mathematics. In response, there has been a desire in the United States--both at the policy level and at the school level--to emulate Singapore. Because what can be identified most easily about Singapore's school mathematics can be gleaned from curriculum documents from the…

Wake Forest U. Joins Ranks of Test-Optional Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Eric; Supiano, Beckie

2008-01-01

Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to submit standardized test scores, the university announced last week. The move makes Wake Forest, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of the most prominent institutions with a "test optional" admissions policy. The university's decision reveals the increasing complexity of the…

Adult Learners: Relationships of Reading, MCAT, and USMLE Step 1 Test Results for Medical Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haught, Patricia A.; Walls, Richard T.

This study examined the possible relationship between scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (current forms G and H) and performance on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 examination scores. Participants were 730 medical students at a mid-Atlantic university, and for 572…

A weighted generalized score statistic for comparison of predictive values of diagnostic tests

PubMed Central

Kosinski, Andrzej S.

2013-01-01

Positive and negative predictive values are important measures of a medical diagnostic test performance. We consider testing equality of two positive or two negative predictive values within a paired design in which all patients receive two diagnostic tests. The existing statistical tests for testing equality of predictive values are either Wald tests based on the multinomial distribution or the empirical Wald and generalized score tests within the generalized estimating equations (GEE) framework. As presented in the literature, these test statistics have considerably complex formulas without clear intuitive insight. We propose their re-formulations which are mathematically equivalent but algebraically simple and intuitive. As is clearly seen with a new re-formulation we present, the generalized score statistic does not always reduce to the commonly used score statistic in the independent samples case. To alleviate this, we introduce a weighted generalized score (WGS) test statistic which incorporates empirical covariance matrix with newly proposed weights. This statistic is simple to compute, it always reduces to the score statistic in the independent samples situation, and it preserves type I error better than the other statistics as demonstrated by simulations. Thus, we believe the proposed WGS statistic is the preferred statistic for testing equality of two predictive values and for corresponding sample size computations. The new formulas of the Wald statistics may be useful for easy computation of confidence intervals for difference of predictive values. The introduced concepts have potential to lead to development of the weighted generalized score test statistic in a general GEE setting. PMID:22912343

Using Raters from India to Score a Large-Scale Speaking Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xi, Xiaoming; Mollaun, Pam

2011-01-01

We investigated the scoring of the Speaking section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM] Internet-based (TOEFL iBT[R]) test by speakers of English and one or more Indian languages. We explored the extent to which raters from India, after being trained and certified, were able to score the TOEFL examinees with mixed first languages…

Pneumococcal pneumonia - Are the new severity scores more accurate in predicting adverse outcomes?

PubMed

Ribeiro, C; Ladeira, I; Gaio, A R; Brito, M C

2013-01-01

The site-of-care decision is one of the most important factors in the management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The severity scores are validated prognostic tools for community-acquired pneumonia mortality and treatment site decision. The aim of this paper was to compare the discriminatory power of four scores - the classic PSI and CURB65 ant the most recent SCAP and SMART-COP - in predicting major adverse events: death, ICU admission, need for invasive mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support in patients admitted with pneumococcal pneumonia. A five year retrospective study of patients admitted for pneumococcal pneumonia. Patients were stratified based on admission data and assigned to low-, intermediate-, and high-risk classes for each score. Results were obtained comparing low versus non-low risk classes. We studied 142 episodes of hospitalization with 2 deaths and 10 patients needing mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support. The majority of patients were classified as low risk by all scores - we found high negative predictive values for all adverse events studied, the most negative value corresponding to the SCAP score. The more recent scores showed better accuracy for predicting ICU admission and need for ventilation or vasopressor support (mostly for the SCAP score with higher AUC values for all adverse events). The rate of all adverse outcomes increased directly with increasing risk class in all scores. The new gravity scores appear to have a higher discriminatory power in all adverse events in our study, particularly, the SCAP score. Copyright © 2012 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Leveraging Gender Differences to Boost Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costello, Bill

2008-01-01

According to the 2004 National Assessment of Educational Progress, males who have made it through 12 years of school have significantly poorer reading skills than their female peers. In every age group, boys have been scoring lower than girls annually for more than three decades on U.S. Department of Education reading tests. The longer boys are in…

Modifications of the National Early Warning Score for patients with chronic respiratory disease.

PubMed

Pedersen, N E; Rasmussen, L S; Petersen, J A; Gerds, T A; Østergaard, D; Lippert, A

2018-02-01

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) uses physiological variables to detect deterioration in hospitalized patients. However, patients with chronic respiratory disease may have abnormal variables not requiring interventions. We studied how the Capital Region of Denmark NEWS Override System (CROS), the Chronic Respiratory Early Warning Score (CREWS) and the Salford NEWS (S-NEWS) affected NEWS total scores and NEWS performance. In an observational study, we included patients with chronic respiratory disease. The frequency of use of CROS and the NEWS total score changes caused by CROS, CREWS and S-NEWS were described. NEWS, CROS, CREWS and S-NEWS were compared using 48-h mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission within 48 h as outcomes. We studied 11,266 patients during 25,978 admissions; the use of CROS lowered NEWS total scores in 40% of included patients. CROS, CREWS and S-NEWS had lower sensitivities than NEWS for 48-h mortality and ICU admission. Specificities and PPV were higher. CROS, CREWS and S-NEWS downgraded, respectively, 51.5%, 44.9% and 32.8% of the NEWS total scores from the 'mandatory doctor presence' and 'immediate doctor presence and specialist consultation' total score intervals to lower intervals. Capital Region of Denmark NEWS Override System was frequently used in patients with chronic respiratory disease. CROS, CREWS and S-NEWS reduced sensitivity for 48-h mortality and ICU admission. Using the methodology prevalent in the NEWS literature, we cannot conclude on the safety of these systems. Future prospective studies should investigate the balance between detection rate and alarm fatigue of different systems, or use controlled designs and patient-centred outcomes. © 2017 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Admission plasma glucose and diabetes mellitus in elderly admissions to hospital.

PubMed

Croxson, S C; Keir, S L; Ibbs, L

1997-05-01

Over 6 months, all admissions to three geriatric wards were studied to define an admission plasma glucose level (APG) that identified previously undiagnosed diabetes mellitus. Subjects with APG> or =7.0 mmol l(-1) had a modified oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) when well before discharge if their dose of steroid and/or thiazide was constant, and they were neither terminally ill nor dead; excluded were 1 subject on reducing steroid doses, and 9 moribund admissions without APG. If the first 2 h OGTT result was > or =11.1 mmol l(-1), a second OGTT was performed 6 weeks later to fulfil 1985 WHO criteria. Subjects with APG<7.0 mmol l(-1) did not have OGTT. Seventy had a previous diagnosis of diabetes; scrutiny of records and OGTT refuted the diagnosis in 5, who were excluded from further analysis. Diabetes was only commonly found among those with APG> or =8.0 mmol l(-1), and the proportion was small until APG> or =13 mmol l(-1), although even then only 47% (95% CI 21-73%) had diabetes. Fourteen of 28 subjects with initial OGTT results suggesting diabetes were not diabetic on retesting. Inpatient mortality was higher if APG> or =7.0 (Odds ratio 2.82; CI 1.63-4.89) or the subject had known diabetes (Odds ratio 2.43; CI 1.15-4.97) compared to APG<7; there was no age or sex difference between these three groups. We conclude that, unless overtly diabetic, diagnosis of diabetes in elderly medical admissions needs later confirmation.

Has the UK Clinical Aptitude Test improved medical student selection?

PubMed

Wright, Sarah R; Bradley, Philip M

2010-11-01

In 2006, the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) was introduced as a new medical school admissions tool. The aim of this cohort study was to determine whether the UKCAT has made any improvements to the way medical students are selected. Regression analysis was performed in order to study the ability of previous school type and gender to predict UKCAT, personal statement or interview scores in two cohorts of accepted students. The ability of admissions scores and demographic data to predict performance on knowledge and skills examinations was also studied. Previous school type was not a significant predictor of either interview or UKCAT scores amongst students who had been accepted onto the programme (n = 307). However, it was a significant predictor of personal statement score, with students from independent and grammar schools performing better than students from state-maintained schools. Previous school type, personal statements and interviews were not significant predictors of knowledge examination performance. UKCAT scores were significant predictors of knowledge examination performance for all but one examination administered in the first 2 years of medical school. Admissions data explained very little about performance on skills (objective structured clinical examinations [OSCEs]) assessments. The use of personal statements as a basis for selection results in a bias towards students from independent and grammar schools. However, no evidence was found to suggest that students accepted from these schools perform any better than students from maintained schools on Year 1 and 2 medical school examinations. Previous school type did not predict interview or UKCAT scores of accepted students. UKCAT scores are predictive of Year 1 and 2 examination performance at this medical school, whereas interview scores are not. The results of this study challenge claims made by other authors that aptitude tests do not have a place in medical school selection in the UK

Comparison of risk scoring systems for patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding: international multicentre prospective study.

PubMed

Stanley, Adrian J; Laine, Loren; Dalton, Harry R; Ngu, Jing H; Schultz, Michael; Abazi, Roseta; Zakko, Liam; Thornton, Susan; Wilkinson, Kelly; Khor, Cristopher J L; Murray, Iain A; Laursen, Stig B

2017-01-04

 To compare the predictive accuracy and clinical utility of five risk scoring systems in the assessment of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.  International multicentre prospective study.  Six large hospitals in Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania.  3012 consecutive patients presenting over 12 months with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.  Comparison of pre-endoscopy scores (admission Rockall, AIMS65, and Glasgow Blatchford) and post-endoscopy scores (full Rockall and PNED) for their ability to predict predefined clinical endpoints: a composite endpoint (transfusion, endoscopic treatment, interventional radiology, surgery, or 30 day mortality), endoscopic treatment, 30 day mortality, rebleeding, and length of hospital stay. Optimum score thresholds to identify low risk and high risk patients were determined.  The Glasgow Blatchford score was best (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) 0.86) at predicting intervention or death compared with the full Rockall score (0.70), PNED score (0.69), admission Rockall score (0.66, and AIMS65 score (0.68) (all P<0.001). A Glasgow Blatchford score of ≤1 was the optimum threshold to predict survival without intervention (sensitivity 98.6%, specificity 34.6%). The Glasgow Blatchford score was better at predicting endoscopic treatment (AUROC 0.75) than the AIMS65 (0.62) and admission Rockall scores (0.61) (both P<0.001). A Glasgow Blatchford score of ≥7 was the optimum threshold to predict endoscopic treatment (sensitivity 80%, specificity 57%). The PNED (AUROC 0.77) and AIMS65 scores (0.77) were best at predicting mortality, with both superior to admission Rockall score (0.72) and Glasgow Blatchford score (0.64; P<0.001). Score thresholds of ≥4 for PNED, ≥2 for AIMS65, ≥4 for admission Rockall, and ≥5 for full Rockall were optimal at predicting death, with sensitivities of 65.8-78.6% and specificities of 65.0-65.3%. No score was helpful at predicting rebleeding or length

Test Score Stability and the Relationship of Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version Scores to External Variables among Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, Patricia A.; Peyton, Vicki; Reynolds, Cecil R.

2007-01-01

A sample of 79 individuals participated in the present study to evaluate the test score stability (8-week test-retest interval) and construct validity of the scores of the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version, a new measure used to assess anxiety in college students, for application to graduate-level students. Results of the study…

Developing the Assessment Literacy of University Proficiency Test Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Loughlin, Kieran

2013-01-01

The rapidly increasing use of English language proficiency test scores by universities around the world to select international students has resulted in a range of admissions, marketing, academic and teaching support staff interacting with the tests in different ways. To date, there has been little research investigating the assessment literacy…

An Approach to Scoring and Equating Tests with Binary Items: Piloting With Large-Scale Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimitrov, Dimiter M.

2016-01-01

This article describes an approach to test scoring, referred to as "delta scoring" (D-scoring), for tests with dichotomously scored items. The D-scoring uses information from item response theory (IRT) calibration to facilitate computations and interpretations in the context of large-scale assessments. The D-score is computed from the…

Developing Test Score Reports that Work: The Process and Best Practices for Effective Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zenisky, April L.; Hambleton, Ronald K.

2012-01-01

Test scores matter these days. Test-takers want to understand how they performed, and test score reports, particularly those for individual examinees, are the vehicles by which most people get the bulk of this information. Historically, score reports have not always met the examinees' information or usability needs, but this is clearly changing…

An Exploratory Study of Pre-Admission Predictors of Hardiness and Retention for United States Military Academy Cadets Using Regression Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Character in Sports Index CV Cross Validation FAS Faculty Appraisal Score FFM Five-Factor Model, also known as the “Big Five” GAM... FFM ). USMA does not allow personality testing as a selection tool. However, perhaps we may discover whether pre-admission information can predict...characteristic, and personality factors as described by the Five Factor Model ( FFM ) to determine their effect on one’s academic performance at USMA (Clark

Testing Students with Special Educational Needs in Large-Scale Assessments – Psychometric Properties of Test Scores and Associations with Test Taking Behavior

PubMed Central

Pohl, Steffi; Südkamp, Anna; Hardt, Katinka; Carstensen, Claus H.; Weinert, Sabine

2016-01-01

Assessing competencies of students with special educational needs in learning (SEN-L) poses a challenge for large-scale assessments (LSAs). For students with SEN-L, the available competence tests may fail to yield test scores of high psychometric quality, which are—at the same time—measurement invariant to test scores of general education students. We investigated whether we can identify a subgroup of students with SEN-L, for which measurement invariant competence measures of adequate psychometric quality may be obtained with tests available in LSAs. We furthermore investigated whether differences in test-taking behavior may explain dissatisfying psychometric properties and measurement non-invariance of test scores within LSAs. We relied on person fit indices and mixture distribution models to identify students with SEN-L for whom test scores with satisfactory psychometric properties and measurement invariance may be obtained. We also captured differences in test-taking behavior related to guessing and missing responses. As a result we identified a subgroup of students with SEN-L for whom competence scores of adequate psychometric quality that are measurement invariant to those of general education students were obtained. Concerning test taking behavior, there was a small number of students who unsystematically picked response options. Removing these students from the sample slightly improved item fit. Furthermore, two different patterns of missing responses were identified that explain to some extent problems in the assessments of students with SEN-L. PMID:26941665

Flow and diffusion of high-stakes test scores.

PubMed

Marder, M; Bansal, D

2009-10-13

We apply visualization and modeling methods for convective and diffusive flows to public school mathematics test scores from Texas. We obtain plots that show the most likely future and past scores of students, the effects of random processes such as guessing, and the rate at which students appear in and disappear from schools. We show that student outcomes depend strongly upon economic class, and identify the grade levels where flows of different groups diverge most strongly. Changing the effectiveness of instruction in one grade naturally leads to strongly nonlinear effects on student outcomes in subsequent grades.

Simple, validated vaginal birth after cesarean delivery prediction model for use at the time of admission.

PubMed