Test Prep Courses May Not Affect Scores, Study Says

The study was conducted by Derek Briggs, a doctoral student in education at the University of California-Berkeley.

Briggs said the purpose of his research was to determine whether SAT coaching was effective. "I was interested in the effect the commercial preparation programs have on the actual scores," he said. "I don't work for any testing or coaching company, and I do not have the intention to lie."

Briggs found that coaching improves scores by only about 20 points on the SAT, paling in comparison to the 150 to 200 point increase advertised by many test preparation companies.

In the math section of the SAT, coaching improved students' scores by 14 percent, and on the verbal section scores increased by 5 percent.

Similar results were found for the students who took preparation courses for the ACT.

Briggs based his study on data taken from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, which began in 1998. The survey tracks a nationally representative sample of students from the eighth grade through high school and beyond.

Briggs said his research took into account not only students who attended preparation courses and took the test but also students who went to the classes but decided not to take the SAT.

"If test preparation companies or private tutors advertise only the average score gains of the students who make use of their services, the 'effect' of this preparation is misleading," Briggs stated in an article detailing his results.

But coaching company representatives and critics of standardized tests have attacked the study's methodology and criticized its results.

"The major flaw of the study is that it is too broad," said Cristina Perez, an advocate in the university testing reform division of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

Perez added that it would be beneficial to examine different levels of coaching. She also suggested the formation of an independent committee to further study the results of coaching programs on test scores.

Seppy Basili, vice president at Kaplan Inc., a test preparation company, echoed Perez.

"The results do not surprise me because of the methodology (Briggs) used," he said. "The author did not make any distinctions in the kinds of preparation."

Basili explained that the results of preparation programs could vary depending on the amount of time students commit to preparing for the test.

He said students who spend 36 hours a week are more likely to show improvement than those who spend only 16 hours. "Those preparing for the SAT 36 hours a week improve their scores by 120 points," he said.

Basili also stressed the importance of standardized tests as a factor in college admissions.

"The SAT is only one of many factors that influence on the decision to accept a student to a university, and I don't think the role of the test in the admission process is too much emphasized," he said. "The rapid growth of our company is the most obvious sign of the public recognition of our methods and results."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.