WHY SOME STUDENTS PERFORM WELL AND OTHERS PERFORM POORLY ON SAT MATH ITEMS

The primary purpose of the present study was to see whether a cognitive process model of SAT performance could be used to differentiate between successful and less successful students. This model specifies that a student will do well on an SAT math item if he or she correctly defines the problem, accesses prior knowledge, assembles an effective strategy, performs computations without error, avoids misleading alternatives, and performs all of these processes quickly. High school students were given SAT items as well as a measure of their prior knowledge. Interviews were used to establish their ability to define problems, assemble strategies, and perform computations. The results supported the prediction that successful students would have more prior knowledge than less successful students and would be better at defining problems, assembling strategies, and avoiding computational errors. Also, prior knowledge and problem definition were necessary for success, but they were not sufficient. Strategy assembly and computational skill were both necessary and sufficient. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for theories of math ability and for programs designed to raise SAT scores. © 1994 Academic Press, Inc.