An analysis of computational ability as measured by scores on Stanford Achievement Tests in comparison to the scores on the mathematics section on the Tennessee Proficiency Examination 1979

The principal purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Stanford Achievement Computational Subtest mean scores and a pass or fail score on the l979 Tennessee Eighth Grade Proficiency Test.

Data were gathered on thirty-five ninth grade pupils who had SAT scores for grades two through six and eight, and had taken the 1979 Tennessee Eighth Grade Proficiency Test. The pupils were selected from Oliver Springs High School. The population included 19 males and 16 females.

Means, standard deviations, t-Tests and ANovAs were derived from the results of the computer analysis. The t-Tests were performed on the mean SAT scores by grade level when the population was categorized by a pass or fail score on the state proficiency test and by sex. t-Tests were also performed on the mean SAT scores for each group for consecutive grade levels. The ANOvA analysis was performed on the consecutive SAT means by grade level and for each group.

The confidence level was set at the .05 level for the t-values and for the ANovA F values. All t-values for the pass versus fail groups by grade level were significant at the .05 level with one exception. The t-value for the females pass versus females fail at grade two showed no significant differences in the means. The ANOvA analysis showed significant mean difference for all groups in the study.

It can be said, based on the data, that there was a significant relationship between computational ability as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test and a pass or fail score on the 1979 Tennessee Eighth Grade Proficiency Test.