Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this replication study was to determine the degree to which teachers and administrators in selected low-achieving Title I elementary schools: 1. Report that they teach the following test-taking skills to prepare their students to take the CST: establishing an appropriate student attitude toward testing, familiarity with the test content, following directions, progressing through the test, attacking difficult items/guessing, and tricks to "win more than you lose" (Cox et al., n.d.) 2. Perceive which skills are useful in raising student test scores 3. Report the use of other testing practices and procedures to prepare students to take the CST exam. Methodology: This descriptive and ex post facto research study included principals and teachers in Title I elementary schools located in Contra Costa County. Findings: Administrators reported a much higher use in all of the test-taking strategies compared to teachers. Principals perceive teachers to be implementing test-taking strategies in the classroom more than teachers are actually implementing the test-taking strategies. The findings further indicate that both groups do attribute student success to test-taking skills and that teaching test-taking skills to students is very important. Conclusion: It is clear that schools that do not have a well-established test-taking program have not been successful in achieving an API score of 800 or better, as demonstrated by the schools that were included in this study. Test-taking strategies do make a difference as long as they are taught yearlong and in a systematic way but should not be used as the only means to raise test scores. As test scores continue to be used as an evaluation tool for teachers and principals, districts and schools need to review and purchase programs that will help increase their test scores by teaching students how to effectively use test-taking strategies in any testing environment. Recommendations: This study should be replicated to measure the perception of test-taking strategies of teachers and administrators in Non-Title I elementary schools that are high achieving. It should also be replicated to measure the perception of test-taking strategies of teachers and administrators in low-achieving Title I and non-Title I high-achieving middle schools as well as Title I low-achieving high schools.