Improving the test-taking skills of learning-disabled students

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Learning disabilities present significant challenges in academic achievement.
• Standardized testing is a common method for assessing student progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of specific test-taking skills training on the academic performance of learning-disabled students.
• To determine if targeted instruction can improve scores on the Stanford Achievement Test.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study involving 16 second- and third-grade students with learning disabilities.
• Participants were matched on prior achievement and grade level, then assigned to experimental (training) or control groups.
• The experimental group received eight 20-minute training sessions focused on Stanford Achievement Test-specific strategies.

Main Results:

• Students who received test-taking skills training achieved significantly higher scores on one subtest of a shortened Stanford Achievement Test version.
• No significant differences were observed on other subtests or overall scores in this specific analysis.

Conclusions:

• Targeted training in test-taking strategies can be an effective intervention for improving specific aspects of academic assessment performance in learning-disabled students.
• Further research is warranted to explore the generalizability of these findings across different subtests and standardized assessments.