The Comparative Predictive Validities of High School Rank, the Ammons Quick Test, and Two Scholastic Aptitude Test Measures for a Sample of Black Female College Students

Abstract

In the prediction of college grade-point averages (GPA) for minority college students, researchers often have reported relatively low predictive validity for both the Mathematics and Verbal sections of the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT-M and SAT-V) in comparison with that obtained for high school class rank (HSR). This circumstance has suggested the need for alternative predictors to replace SAT-V and SAT-M as admissions indicators, particularly in the instance of minority college applicants. One such potential replacement was thought to be the Ammons Quick Test (AQT), which requires ony a short time to administer (10 to 12 minutes). By means of a multiple regression analysis with data from a sample of 63 specially admitted Black female undergraduates, the relationship between the optimally weighted composite of predictors (SAT-V, SAT-M, HSR and AQT) and the criterion (GPA) was evaluated. The HSR, SAT-V, SAT-M, and AQT afforded predictive validity coefficients of .52 (p < .001), .28 (p < .05), .22 (p > 05) and .19 (p > .05), respectively. In the stepwise procedure, there was an R2 of .36. HSR contributed .27 to the variance in the criterion measure, SAT-V added .08, AQT yielded only an additional .006, and SAT-M contributed virtually zero. The AQT did not appear to be a valid predictor. It can be anticipated that the large number of predictors relative to the smallness of the sample probably led to an inflated estimate of the contribution of each predictor variable to the variance in the criterion measure, although the relative importance of each predictor in all likelihood was approximated fairly accurately.