Colleges might gain much more information about the likely success of undergraduate applicants to science, technology, engineeri

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问题    Colleges might gain much more information about the likely success of undergraduate applicants to science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) programs by giving added weight to success on Advanced Placement (AP) tests, and on personality traits that may hold back some students, according to a new study.
   The study tracked 589 undergraduates at the Georgia Institute of Technology to see whether they persisted as majors of STEM. A much larger study found similar results for the predictive value of AP scores on top of traditional measures (high school grades and SAT or ACT scores) that explain about 25% of the variation in student performance, whereas the additional consideration of AP scores and personality traits can explain 40%. By focusing on performance on AP and similar exams, testing applicants for what they know in addition to their abilities and prior performance seems to boost our predictions of their success.
   The study also examined personality traits of students and found different linkages for male and female students who started as STEM majors but then shifted to other programs. Girls who moved away from STEM fields were those who lacked a "self concept" of themselves as scientists — in other words, those who didn’t see themselves as scientists. Notably, self-concept doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with ability in science, so some of these women likely are highly capable in STEM.
   For men, the personality trait associated with moving away from STEM was that they lacked traits of "mastery and organization." This would be men who reported that they lacked time management skills and "couldn’t get things done".
   These findings suggest not only that admissions officers might seek out those without those traits, but that educators could try to reach students early so they are less likely to have those traits. For instance, colleges might work on study skills with male students and educators might do more work early on with girls who are talented in science to show them that they can pursue STEM careers.
   Robert Schaeffer, a longtime critic of SAT and other standardized tests, said that he was not surprised by the findings. Many researchers have found that "non-cognitive" indicators can be powerful factors in forecasting undergraduate academic performance. This study demonstrates quantitatively that such traits add significant predictive value. Exclusive reliance on conventional measures ignores important evidence for evaluation. The data about differential impact of scores from specific AP exams may also have implications for the admissions process.
According to the findings of this study, educators are advised to______.

选项 A、help females to manage their time more effectively
B、find female students without any personality traits
C、help females to develop the same traits as males
D、encourage science-talented girls to learn STEM

答案D

解析 第五段讲这个发现对于大学的招生人员和教学管理人员有参考意义。本段最后一句的大意是:大学可以提高男同学的学习技巧,而教学管理人员可以提前做那些有理科天赋的女同学的工作,鼓励她们从事STEM相关的职业。
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