2014 Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam

Transcription

1 2014 Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam hiset.ets.org

2 Table of Contents About HiSET About ETS...1 About ITP...1 Test Content...1 Overview The HiSET Tests...2 Table 1. of Test Items and Time Limits...2 Scoring the HiSET Tests...2 Explanation of the Scaled Scores...3 Samples Reported...3 Table 1a. HiSET Policies...4 HiSET Annual Report The Standard Setting Table 2a. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests, Pre-Standard Setting...5 Table 2b. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests, Post-Standard Setting...6 Table 2c. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests in Spanish, Pre-Standard Setting...7 Table 2d. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests in Spanish, Post-Standard Setting...8 Table 3a. of Examinees and of Batteries Completed in Table 3b. of Examinees in Spanish and of Batteries Completed in Spanish in Table 4a. Batteries Completed and Passed in Table 4b. Batteries Completed in Spanish and Passed in Spanish in Table 5. Means, Standard Deviations, and Percentage of Examinees by Age Group, by s, and Total Table 6. Percentage of Examinees by Gender, by s, and Total Table 7. Completers with Reported Hispanic Background Table 8. Completers with Reported Race by s and Total Table 9. Completers with Reported Preferred Testing Language (English or Spanish) by s and Total Table 10. Completers with Reported Education Level by s and Total Table 11. Completers with Reported Mother s Education Level by s and Total Table 12. Completers with Reported Father s Education Level by s and Total... 20

3 Table 13. Completers with Reported Employment Status by s and Total Table 14. Completers with Reported Reasons for Taking the Test by s and Total Table 15. Completers with Reported Ways of Preparing for the Test by s and Total Table 16a. Reading Alternate Formats Administered Table 16b. Writing Alternate Formats Administered Table 16c. Math Alternate Formats Administered Table 16d. Science Alternate Formats Administered Table 16e. Social Studies Alternate Formats Administered Table 17a. Pre-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Individual Tests Table 17b. Post-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Individual Tests Table 18a. Pre-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Examinees Completing all Five Tests (The Full Battery) Table 18b. Post-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Examinees Completing all Five Tests (The Full Battery) Table 19a. Pre-Standard Setting Passers with Reported Reason for Testing Table 19b. Post-Standard Setting Passers with Reported Reason for Testing Table 20a. Summary Statistics for Pre-Standard Setting Passers Table 20b. Summary Statistics for Post-Standard Setting Passers Table 21a. Pre-Standard Setting Rates by Age Table 21b. Post-Standard Setting Rates by Age Table 22a. Rates by Gender, Pre-Standard Setting Table 22b. Rates by Gender, Post-Standard Setting Table 23a. Rates by Reported Hispanic Background, Pre-Standard Setting Table 23b. Rates by Reported Hispanic Background, Post-Standard Setting Table 24a. Rates by Reported Race, Pre-Standard Setting Table 24b. Rates by Reported Race, Post-Standard Setting Definitions of Key Terms 2014 Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam

4 Introduction About HiSET Educational Testing Service (ETS ) and Iowa Testing Programs (ITP) co-developed the HiSET Program. The HiSET is an essential part of ETS s mission to provide innovative and meaningful measurement solutions that improve teaching and learning, expand educational opportunities, and inform educational policy. Some individuals who seek a high school credential may lack the opportunity to experience a traditionally structured high school teaching and learning environment. The HiSET Program seeks to help these individuals identify, acquire, and demonstrate the knowledge and skills that they will need to succeed in postsecondary education and in the workplace. About ETS Founded as a non-profit in 1947, ETS advances quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions, and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification; English language learning; and elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education as well as by conducting education research, analysis, and policy studies. ETS develops, administers, and scores more than 50 million tests annually including the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP ) exams, the GRE General and Subject Tests, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and the TOEFL and TOEIC tests in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. About ITP ITP is a non-profit research, development, and outreach unit in the College of Education at the University of Iowa. ITP s mission is to pursue: research that improves the practice of educational measurement design and development of assessments for a variety of purposes and audiences including educators; federal, state, and local governments; and academic institutions outreach that delivers assessment results and supports the use of assessment information by local, state, national, and international audiences Test Content The HiSET measures knowledge and skills in five subject areas: Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. 1

5 Introduction Overview The HiSET Program became operational in January This report provides volume and test performance information for examinees who took the HiSET between January 1, 2014 and December 31, The intent of this report is to help HiSET examinees, score users, and policy makers understand HiSET scores and to encourage appropriate score interpretation and use. The HiSET Tests HiSET examinees test in five content areas: Reading (Language Arts Reading), Writing (Language Arts Writing), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The Test at a Glance documents which are available for download on the HiSET Web site provide descriptions of the specifications behind current HiSET forms. Each subject-area test produces a score on a 1 20 reporting scale. We used standard setting studies (Tannenbaum & Reese, 2014) to recommend the minimum test scores (i.e., cut scores) needed for examinees to be considered qualified enough to earn a high school equivalency certificate. The tests consist of multiple-choice items, except for a direct writing task associated with the Writing test. Table 1 displays the number of items and time limits associated with each test. Table 1. of Test Items and Time Limits Content Area of Items of Minutes Language Arts Reading Language Arts Writing (Parts I + II) 50 + essay Mathematics Science Social Studies Scoring the HiSET Tests With the exception of the essay portion of the Writing test, HiSET item responses receive a score of either correct or incorrect; and the sum of the correct responses becomes the raw score. There is no penalty for incorrectly guessing an answer. Raw scores on the Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies tests are converted directly to scores on the 1 20 reporting scale. In Writing, the scaled score from the multiplechoice section is combined with the scaled score on the essay to produce the 1 20 reporting scale. We based the ratings of the essay scores in the Writing test on a 6-point rating scale that ranges from little or no skill to proficient skill Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 2

6 Introduction Explanation of the Scaled Scores Each of the five tests in the HiSET battery is scored on a scale of In order to pass, an examinee must do all three of the following: achieve a score of at least 8 on each of the five individual tests score at least 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the Writing test have a total combined score on all five tests of at least 45 1 Samples Reported The samples in this report sometimes refer to examinees who have taken individual tests; and sometimes the samples refer to examinees who have taken the full battery of tests. Tables which include test-specific information are based on the sample of examinees that have attempted the specific test. These tables are broken into two types of samples: 1) a sample of examinees which details their first attempt to pass a specific test, and 2) a sample of examinees which encompasses all of their attempts to pass a specific test. The latter of the two includes multiple attempts by some examinees. Tables which include these samples are Tables 2, 3, 16, and 17. Tables which include information about the battery consist of only examinees that have completed all five individual HiSET tests however, completers have not necessarily passed the battery or any individual test. Instead, a completer refers to an examinee with a complete battery. This sample is broken into two subsamples for each individual test: 1) a subsample of first attempts, and 2) a subsample of best attempts (i.e., highest scores). Tables which include these samples are Tables 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 18. In 2014, there were 37,871 completers. For the purposes of assigning examinees to a state, a completer is considered completed only in the state in which he or she first tested. Tables based on passers include those completers who have passed the HiSET battery on a first attempt. These samples occur in Tables 4, 19, and 20. For certain questions, examinees had the option to expressly indicate that they did not wish to provide a response, or to simply refrain from responding at all. Response rates reported include those who expressly indicated that they did not wish to respond. The percentages for express responses reported in the tables, including those who expressly chose not to respond, sum to 100 percent. 1 A state or territory that awards a high school credential based on performance on HiSET examinations might have score requirements that differ slightly from these general ones (see 3

7 Overview Table 1a. HiSET Policies Minimum Age for Testing Testing Fee Requirement Prior to Testing Requirement to earn Credential (diploma) Requirements to Retest Title of High School Credential HiSET Adoption Date Residency Requirements without exceptions/ waivers, additional documentation with exceptions/ waivers, additional documentation Test Center Fee Instruction Required OPT OPT Score Required Minimum Score of Days after 1st attempt to retest Retest Policy California High School Equivalency Test (HSET) Aug-14 Yes 2 months before 18th birthday 17 Varies by test center $20 Full Battery new test takers $20 Subtest for new test takers No No 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None May take each subtest three times during a calendar year. Iowa High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) Program Jan-14 No None None Yes Yes Pass the test (no score provided) 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests 3 months May take each subtest three times during a calendar year. Louisiana High School Equivalency (HSE) Jan-14 No $30 Full Battery $6 Subtest $10 Annual Yes (16-18 years of age) No (19 + years of age) Yes (16-18 years of age) No (19 + years of age) Score of 8 or higher on each subtest and total score of on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests 30 days May test on three different forms of the test during any one calendar year. Age 19 and older, additional instruction is not required prior to retesting. Maine Maine Adult High School Diploma Jan-14 No None None No Yes 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None None Massachusetts High School Equivalency (HSE) Apr-14 Yes $44 Full Battery $9 Subtest $5 Full Battery one time $5 Subtest one time No No 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None May take each subtest three times during a calendar year Missouri High School Equivalency (HSE) Jan-14 Yes $35 Full Battery $15 Subset $10 Annual No No 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None None Montana Montana High School Equivalency Diploma Jan-14 Yes $15 Full Battery $2 Subtest None No No 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None None Nevada High School Equivalency (HSE) Jan-14 Yes $15 Full Battery $5 Subtest None No No 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests After official scores have been received. Complete a full HiSET exam battery before retesting. May test three times during any one calendar year New Hampshire New Hampshire High School Equivalency (NHHSE) Jan-14 Yes $35 Full Battery $15 Subset 10 No Under age 18 only 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None None New Jersey High School Equivalency Test (HSE) Apr-14 Yes $40 Full Battery $10 Subtest None No No 9 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test Have a total combined score on all five subtests of at least 45 None May take each subtest three times during a calendar year Tennessee Tennessee High School Equivalency (HSE) Jan-14 No $25 Full Battery $15 Subtest $0 Full Battery $5 Subtest No Yes 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests After official scores have been received. May take each subtest three times during a calendar year Wyoming High School Equivalency Certification Program Jan-14 No Set and collected locally None No Under age 18 only 8 on each of the five individual subtests 2 out of 6 on the essay portion of the writing test 45 combined score all five subtests None ETS retest policies 2014 Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 4

8 The Standard Setting Standard-setting studies (Tannenbaum & Reese, 2014) were conducted to recommend minimum test scores (cut scores) needed to be considered qualified-enough to earn a high school equivalency certificate. These recommendations were shared with the HiSET Governing Board along with other data to inform decisions about where to set the operational cut scores; these other sources of data included the correspondence between HiSET scores and scores on the GED and the ACT, and previous passing rates on the HiSET test. Based on a thoughtful and inclusive review and discussion, the recommended cut scores were lowered. Adjustments to recommended cut scores often occur to better align cut scores with their intended use (Geisinger & McCormick, 2010). This practice is consistent with the understanding that the process of setting standards is similar to forming a policy, where the goal is to establish a reasonable and appropriate decisionrule (Cizek & Bunch, 2007; Kane, 2001; Kane & Tannenbaum, 2013). Table 2a. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests, Pre-Standard Setting Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies % % % % % IA First Attempt IA All Attempts 1, LA First Attempt 4, , , , , LA All Attempts 4, , , , , MA First Attempt 1, , , , , MA All Attempts 1, , , , , ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt 5, , , , , MO All Attempts 5, , , , , MT First Attempt 1, , , , MT All Attempts 1, , , , , NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt 1, , , , , NV All Attempts 1, , , , , TN First Attempt 2, , , , , TN All Attempts 2, , , , , WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt 19, , , , , Total All Attempts 19, , , , , NOTE: California is not included in the pre-standard setting tables, because HiSET testing did not begin in California until after the standard setting had occurred. Cizek, G. J., & Bunch, M.B. (2007). Standard setting: A guide to establishing and evaluating performance standards on tests. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Geisinger, K. F., & McCormick, C.A. (2010). Adopting cut scores: Post-standard-setting panel considerations for decision makers. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 29, Kane, M. T. (2001). So much remains the same: Conception and status of validation in setting standards. In G. J. Cizek (Ed.), Setting performance standards: Concepts, methods, and perspectives (pp ). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Kane, M.T., & Tannenbaum, R.J. (2013). The role of construct maps in standard setting. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research & Perspectives, 11, Tannenbaum, R.J., & Reese, C.M. (2014). Recommending Scores for the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET ) (RM 14-06). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. 5

9 Table 2b. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests, Post-Standard Setting Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Rate Rate Rate Rate Rate CA First Attempt 2, , , , , CA All Attempts 2, , , , , IA First Attempt 1, , , , , IA All Attempts 1, , , , , LA First Attempt 3, , , , , LA All Attempts 3, , , , , MA First Attempt 3, , , , , MA All Attempts 3, , , , , ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt 4, , , , , MO All Attempts 4, , , , , MT First Attempt MT All Attempts , NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt 1, , , , , NV All Attempts 1, , , , , TN First Attempt 3, , , , , TN All Attempts 3, , , , , WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt 22, , , , , Total All Attempts 23, , , , , Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 6

10 Table 2c. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests in Spanish, Pre-Standard Setting Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Rate Rate Rate Rate Rate IA First Attempt IA All Attempts LA First Attempt LA All Attempts MA First Attempt MA All Attempts ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt MO All Attempts MT First Attempt MT All Attempts NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt NV All Attempts TN First Attempt TN All Attempts WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt Total All Attempts

11 Table 2d. Examinees Who Took and Passed Individual Tests in Spanish, Post-Standard Setting Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Rate Rate Rate Rate Rate CA First Attempt CA All Attempts IA First Attempt IA All Attempts LA First Attempt LA All Attempts MA First Attempt MA All Attempts ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt MO All Attempts MT First Attempt MT All Attempts NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt NV All Attempts TN First Attempt TN All Attempts WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt 1, Total All Attempts 1, , , , , Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 8

12 Table 3a. of Examinees and of Batteries Completed in 2014 Completed Completion CA 2,456 1, IA 2,544 1, LA 7,755 7, MA 5,378 4, ME 2,256 1, MO 10,048 9, MT 2,234 1, NH 1, NJ NV 2,544 2, TN 6,332 6, WY 1, Total 44,623 37, Out of the 44,623 examinees who tested, a total of 37,871 examinees had completed the full battery in The total completion rate was 84.9 percent. 9

13 Table 3b. of Examinees in Spanish and of Batteries Completed in Spanish in 2014 Completed Completion CA IA LA MA ME MO MT NH NJ NV TN WY Total 1,812 1, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 10

14 Table 4a. Batteries Completed and Passed in 2014 Pre-Standard Setting Post-Standard Setting Sample Completed Passed Rate Completed Passed Rate CA First Attempt N/A N/A N/A 1, CA Best Attempt N/A N/A N/A 1,803 1, IA First Attempt IA Best Attempt LA First Attempt 3,916 2, ,204 1, LA Best Attempt 3,896 3, ,224 2, MA First Attempt 1,764 1, ,602 1, MA Best Attempt 1,745 1, ,621 1, ME First Attempt ME Best Attempt MO First Attempt 5,104 4, ,284 3, MO Best Attempt 5,098 4, ,290 3, MT First Attempt MT Best Attempt NH First Attempt NH Best Attempt NJ First Attempt NJ Best Attempt NV First Attempt 1, , NV Best Attempt 1,297 1, , TN First Attempt 2,678 2, ,332 2, TN Best Attempt 2,665 2, ,345 2, WY First Attempt WY Best Attempt Total First Attempt 18,320 14, ,551 12, Total Best Attempt 18,252 16, ,619 14,

15 Table 4b. Batteries Completed in Spanish and Passed in Spanish in 2014 Pre-Standard Setting Post-Standard Setting Sample Completed Passed Rate Completed Passed Rate CA First Attempt N/A N/A N/A CA Best Attempt N/A N/A N/A IA First Attempt IA Best Attempt LA First Attempt LA Best Attempt MA First Attempt MA Best Attempt ME First Attempt N/A N/A N/A ME Best Attempt N/A N/A N/A MO First Attempt MO Best Attempt MT First Attempt N/A N/A N/A MT Best Attempt N/A N/A N/A NH First Attempt NH Best Attempt NJ First Attempt NJ Best Attempt NV First Attempt NV Best Attempt TN First Attempt TN Best Attempt WY First Attempt WY Best Attempt Total First Attempt Total Best Attempt Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 12

16 Table 5. Means, Standard Deviations, and Percentage of Examinees by Age Group, by s, and Total Age Mean Age SD 16 to to to to to to to CA 1, IA 1, LA 7, MA 4, ME 1, MO 9, MT 1, NH NJ NV 2, TN 6, WY Total 37, Examinees who reported being under age 16 were removed from the sample. The average age of the total group was 25½ years. Examinees who were 16 to 18 years old accounted for 24.7 percent of all examinees; examinees who were 19 to 24 years old accounted for 34.7 percent of all examinees; examinees who were 25 to 34 years old accounted for 24.4 percent of all examinees; and examinees who were 35 years old or older accounted for 16.2 percent of the total group. For this table, actual ages are always rounded down to the nearest whole year (e.g., 24 years and 8 months is rounded down to 24 years). 13

17 Of the 37,871 examinees who reported gender (i.e., female or male), 56.2 percent reported as male, and 43.8 percent reported as female. Table 6. Percentage of Examinees by Gender, by s, and Total Male Female CA 1, IA 1, LA 7, MA 4, ME 1, MO 9, MT 1, NH NJ NV 2, TN 6, WY Total 37, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 14

18 Of the 37,445 examinees who self-reported background, 71.3 percent self-reported as non-hispanic, 14.5 percent reported as Hispanic, and 14.2 percent indicated that they did not wish to report whether or not they were Hispanic. Table 7. Completers with Reported Hispanic Background Response Rate Non-Hispanic Hispanic Chose Not to respond CA 1, IA 1, LA 7, MA 4, ME 1, MO 9, MT 1, NH NJ NV 2, TN 5, WY Total 37,

19 Of the 37,469 examinees who self-reported race, 57.2 percent reported as White, 19.5 percent reported as African American, and 12.8 percent expressly indicated that they did not wish to provide any racial classification. Examinees who indicated being Hispanic had the option of separately reporting a racial identification indicated in this table. The underlying survey question on which this table is based did not include a Hispanic category, which may have led Hispanic examinees to choose Other or to not respond either by expressly indicating a desire not to choose a category or by not choosing any option whatsoever. Table 8. Completers with Reported Race by s and Total Response Rate American Indian Asian African American Pacific Islander White Other Chose Not to respond CA 1, IA 1, LA 7, MA 4, ME 1, MO 9, MT 1, NH NJ NV 2, TN 5, WY Total 37, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 16

20 Only 77.2 percent (29,254) of all examinees reported their preferred testing language. Of the examinees reporting, 97.6 percent preferred English, and 2.4 percent preferred Spanish. Table 9. Completers with Reported Preferred Testing Language (English or Spanish) by s and Total Response Rate English Spanish CA IA 1, LA 5, MA 3, ME MO 7, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 4, WY Total 29,

21 69.5 percent (26,315) of all the examinees reported their education level. Of the examinees reporting, the majority (91 percent) had some high school that is, 9th through 12th grade education. Table 10. Completers with Reported Education Level by s and Total Response Rate 5 th grade 6 th grade 7 th grade 8 th grade 9 th grade 10 th grade 11 th grade 12 th grade CA 1, IA 1, LA 4, MA 3, ME MO 6, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 4, WY Total 26, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 18

22 66 percent (24,992) of all the examinees reported their mother s education level. The mothers of approximately 15.6 percent of reporting examinees had some high school education, 30.2 percent had a high school education, and more than 16.1 percent had at least some college education. Table 11. Completers with Reported Mother s Education Level by s and Total Response Rate Grade Some High School or School Less High School Some College Associates Deg Bachelors Deg Some Graduate School or Higher Do Not Know CA 1, IA 1, LA 4, MA 3, ME MO 5, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 3, WY Total 24,

23 65.9 percent (24,946) of all the examinees reported their father s education level. The fathers of approximately 13.8 percent of reporting examinees had some high school education, 30.7 percent had a high school education, and more than 10.7 percent had at least some college education. Table 12. Completers with Reported Father s Education Level by s and Total Response Rate Grade Some High School or School Less High School Some College Associates Deg Bachelors Deg Some Graduate School or Higher Do Not Know CA 1, IA 1, LA 4, MA 3, ME MO 5, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 3, WY Total 24, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 20

24 71.9 percent (27,231) of all examinees reported their employment status. Of the examinees reporting, 18.5 percent were part-time, 22.9 percent were full-time, 36.1 percent were unemployed, and 22.5 percent were not in the labor force. Table 13. Completers with Reported Employment Status by s and Total Response Rate Part-Time Full-Time Unemployed Not In Labor Force CA 1, IA 1, LA 5, MA 3, ME MO 6, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 4, WY Total 27,

25 Examinees were asked to choose the one best reason from a provided list for taking the test. The list in the table below contains: Technical School (TECH), Two-Year College (2-Yr College), Four-Year College (4-Yr College), Get a Job, Keep Current Job, Role Model (RM), Satisfaction (SAT), Public Assist, Military (MIL), Early Release, Court Order, and Other percent (25,186) of all examinees reported their reasons for taking the test. For those who provided reasons, 50 percent of the examines were taking the test to further their education, whether to enter a technical program, a two-year college, or a four-year college; 15.4 percent were taking the test to get a job; and 2 percent were taking the test to keep their current job. Table 14. Completers with Reported Reasons for Taking the Test by s and Total Response Rate TECH 2-yr 4-Yr College College Get a Job Keep Current Job RM SAT Public Assist MIL Early Release Court Order CA 1, IA 1, LA 4, MA 3, ME MO 5, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 3, WY Total 25, Other 2014 Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 22

26 An examinee could choose multiple responses for this question simultaneously percent (24,865) of all examinees reported how they prepared for the test. Of the examinees reporting, the majority attended test preparation classes and/or were tutored (66.3 percent), followed by buying a hard copy test preparation book (22.1 percent), and using an online or Internet resource (20 percent). Table 15. Completers with Reported Ways of Preparing for the Test by s and Total Response Rate Hard Copy Book ebook Computer Software Online Prep. Class Did Not Prepare CA 1, IA 1, LA 4, MA 2, ME MO 5, MT 1, NH NJ NV 1, TN 3, WY Total 24,

27 Across tests, there were slightly more paper-based tests administered overall. Very few formats to provide additional accessibility were administered. Table 16a. Reading Alternate Formats Administered Computer- Based Paper- Based Braille Large Print Cassette CA 2, , IA 2,186 1, LA 7,931 2,709 5, MA 5,399 3,614 1, ME 1, , MO 10,129 8,065 2, MT 1, , NH 1, NJ NV 2, , TN 6,569 2,013 4, WY Total 43,742 21,001 22, Table 16b. Writing Alternate Formats Administered Computer- Based Paper- Based Braille Large Print Cassette CA 2, , IA 2,029 1, LA 7,608 2,448 5, MA 4,919 3,155 1, ME 1, , MO 10,045 8,004 2, MT 1, , NH NJ NV 2, , TN 6,225 1,788 4, WY Total 41,629 19,752 21, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 24

28 Table 16c. Math Alternate Formats Administered Computer- Based Paper- Based Braille Large Print Cassette CA 2, , IA 2,115 1, LA 8,390 2,848 5, MA 5,507 3,700 1, ME 1, , MO 10,566 8,465 2, MT 2, , NH 1, NJ 1, NV 2, , TN 7,049 2,160 4, WY 1, Total 45,731 21,925 23, Table 16d. Science Alternate Formats Administered Computer- Based Paper- Based Braille Large Print Cassette CA 2, , IA 2,050 1, LA 7,868 2,718 5, MA 5,146 3,442 1, ME 1, , MO 9,992 7,924 2, MT 1, , NH 1, NJ NV 2, , TN 6,584 2,038 4, WY Total 42,803 20,527 22,

29 Table 16e. Social Studies Alternate Formats Administered Computer- Based Paper- Based Braille Large Print Cassette CA 2, , IA 2,095 1, LA 7,868 2,717 5, MA 5,226 3,512 1, ME 1, , MO 10,102 8,003 2, MT 1, , NH 1, NJ NV 2, , TN 6,632 2,064 4, WY Total 43,205 20,806 22, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 26

30 17a. Pre-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Individual Tests Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD IA First Attempt IA All Attempts 1, LA First Attempt 4, , , , , LA All Attempts 4, , , , , MA First Attempt 1, , , , , MA All Attempts 1, , , , , ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt 5, , , , , MO All Attempts 5, , , , , MT First Attempt 1, , , , MT All Attempts 1, , , , , NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt 1, , , , , NV All Attempts 1, , , , , TN First Attempt 2, , , , , TN All Attempts 2, , , , , WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt 19, , , , , Total All Attempts 19, , , , ,

31 Table 17b. Post-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Individual Tests Sample Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD CA First Attempt 2, , , , , CA All Attempts 2, , , , , IA First Attempt 1, , , , , IA All Attempts 1, , , , , LA First Attempt 3, , , , , LA All Attempts 3, , , , , MA First Attempt 3, , , , , MA All Attempts 3, , , , , ME First Attempt ME All Attempts MO First Attempt 4, , , , , MO All Attempts 4, , , , , MT First Attempt MT All Attempts , NH First Attempt NH All Attempts NJ First Attempt NJ All Attempts NV First Attempt 1, , , , , NV All Attempts 1, , , , , TN First Attempt 3, , , , , TN All Attempts 3, , , , , WY First Attempt WY All Attempts Total First Attempt 22, , , , , Total All Attempts 23, , , , , Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 28

32 The average battery scores for the states ranged from 56 to 69 before the standard setting and from 55 to 70 after the standard setting. The average score for the entire population was around 64 before standard setting and 61 after standard setting. Table 18a. Pre-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Examinees Completing all Five Tests (The Full Battery) Sample Scaled Score Mean Scaled Score SD IA First Attempt IA Best Attempt LA First Attempt 3, LA Best Attempt 3, MA First Attempt 1, MA Best Attempt 1, ME First Attempt ME Best Attempt MO First Attempt 5, MO Best Attempt 5, MT First Attempt MT Best Attempt NH First Attempt NH Best Attempt NJ First Attempt NJ Best Attempt NV First Attempt 1, NV Best Attempt 1, TN First Attempt 2, TN Best Attempt 2, WY First Attempt WY Best Attempt Total First Attempt 18, Total Best Attempt 18,

33 Table 18b. Post-Standard Setting Summary Statistics for Examinees Completing all Five Tests (The Full Battery) Sample Scaled Score Mean Scaled Score SD CA First Attempt 1, CA Best Attempt 1, IA First Attempt IA Best Attempt LA First Attempt 3, LA Best Attempt 3, MA First Attempt 2, MA Best Attempt 2, ME First Attempt ME Best Attempt MO First Attempt 4, MO Best Attempt 4, MT First Attempt MT Best Attempt NH First Attempt NH Best Attempt NJ First Attempt NJ Best Attempt NV First Attempt 1, NV Best Attempt 1, TN First Attempt 3, TN Best Attempt 3, WY First Attempt WY Best Attempt Total First Attempt 19, Total Best Attempt 19, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 30

34 The fields in the following two tables contain: Technical School (TECH), Two-Year College (2-Yr College), Four-Year College (4-Yr College), Get a Job, Keep Current Job, Role Model, Satisfaction (SAT), Public Assist, Military (MIL), Early Release, Court Order, and Other. Table 19a. Pre-Standard Setting Passers with Reported Reason for Testing Response Rate TECH 2-Yr College 4-Yr College Get a Job Keep Current Job Role Model SAT Public Assist MIL Early Release Court Order Other IA LA 2, MA 1, ME MO 2, MT NH NJ NV TN 1, WY Total 10,

35 Table 19b. Post-Standard Setting Passers with Reported Reason for Testing Response Rate TECH 2-Yr College 4-Yr College Get a Job Keep Current Job Role Model SAT Public Assist MIL Early Release Court Order Other CA IA LA 1, MA 1, ME MO 1, MT NH NJ NV TN 1, WY Total 8, Table 20a. Summary Statistics for Pre-Standard Setting Passers Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies Battery Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD IA LA 2, MA 1, ME MO 4, MT NH NJ NV TN 2, WY Total 14, Annual Statistical Report on the HiSET Exam 32