A Comparative Study of the California Achievement Test (Forms C and D) and the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test with Secondary LH Students

Abstract

Teachers are always looking for effective achievement tests for use with mildly handicapped students at the secondary level. One popular measure is the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test, an individually administered measure which is not time efficient. This study compared the KeyMath with a group-administered test, the California Achievement Test (Forms C and D), to determine each measure's effectiveness in assessing students' math performance on the secondary level. The tests yielded similar scores which were stable across both tests and their subtests, with a mean performance at approximately the fifth-grade level. A qualitative analysis, comparing the tests in the areas of content, quality, time efficiency and relevance for instruction, found the California Achievement Test to be the superior, more efficient measure for accessing secondary LH students' achievement levels in math.

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