COLLEGE READINESS AND MATH PLACEMENT— IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? (AND DOES IT MATTER?) Bill Moore Policy Associate, SBCTC Director, Transition Math Project (TMP) “Multiplying the Options” conference Everett Community College June 2010

SESSION OUTLINE Role/purpose of placement testing Issues related to math placement testing in Washington Status of College Readiness Math Test Recent developments, hopeful signs Review of sample test items

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER What do you see as the main functions of placement tests for colleges? How well do your students understand what’s involved in college placement testing (and what’s on the tests)? What do you (or your school and/or district) do to help students prepare for college placement tests?

MATH PLACEMENT TESTING IN A “SEAMLESS” EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Placing students appropriately into college math courses Promoting an articulated connection between high school and college mathematics Historical Role New Role in K-20 System

K EY I SSUES /C ONCERNS Multiple tests Multiple cut scores Content/format differences

M ATH P LACEMENT T ESTING IN W ASHINGTON P OSTSECONDARY E DUCATION All but two of Washington community & technical colleges use one of three tests: The College Board’s Accuplacer ACT’s ASSET ACT’s COMPASS Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions use two forms of the Math Placement TestMath Placement Test

NOTE: Practice problems/tests available on-line (through WAMAP.org) Not currently funded

R ECENT D EVELOPMENTS IN C OLLEGE M ATH P LACEMENT E FFORTS Allowing students to take placement exams in high school Incorporating information about high school math courses into placement decisions Providing brief review modules to help students prepare

REDEFINING COLLEGE READINESS David Conley, prepared for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2007

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION EXAMPLES (OSPI) o Wile E. Coyote launches an anvil from 180 feet above the ground at time t = 0. The equation that models this situation is given by h = -16t t + 180, where t is time measured in seconds and h is height above the ground measured in feet. a. What is a reasonable domain restriction for t in this context?equationreasonabledomain b. Determine the height of the anvil two seconds after it was launched. c. Determine the maximum height obtained by the anvil. d. Determine the time when the anvil is more than 100 feet above ground. o Farmer Helen wants to build a pigpen. With 100 feet of fence, she wants a rectangular pen with one side being a side of her existing barn. What dimensions should she use for her pigpen in order to have the maximum number of square feet?sidedimensionordernumbersquare

( Web-based mathematics assessment and course management platform Free to Washington State public educational institution students and instructors Designed specifically for mathematics, providing delivery of homework, quizzes, tests, practice tests, and diagnostics with rich mathematical content

MATH PLACEMENT TEST SAMPLE ITEMS

REACTIONS TO WAMAP & MPT TEST ITEMS?

CLASS RESULTS School Instructor Course Test Date Test Type AR50/90 Number of Students: 25 Topic No. of Mastery Class Average Students at Code Items Level Score Percent Mastery DECM % 6 24% EQTN % 11 44% EXPS % 12 48% FRAC % 4 16% GEOM % 7 28% INTG % 12 48% Total % CALIFORNIA MATHEMATICS DIAGNOSTIC TESTING PROJECT