Enlarging The Sorting Hat: Multiple Measures For Placement

Let’s Review Our Assumptions Placing some students into developmental education is a good idea Placement should be based on the knowledge students have when they enter college

First Assumption Placing some students into developmental education is a good idea After all, according to Clifford Adelman, students placed into multiple levels of dev. ed. fail to complete due to their lack of academic preparation, not the dev. ed. track itself

Second Assumption Placement should be based on the knowledge students enter college with ACT defines college readiness as the level of achievement a student needs to be ready to enroll and succeed —without remediation— in credit-bearing first-year postsecondary courses

And These Sub-Assumptions College readiness is about content knowledge Placement tests predict college success Placement test items reflect college work Students understand the importance of the placement tests Students prepare for placement tests Students survive developmental education Developmental education improves college readiness Developmental education solves the right problem A blanket approach to placement can cover the right students

First Some History

A Typical Chart From The CCRC Study

Another Typical Chart From The Study

Math In-Order Course Completion and Enrollment – NC 3+ levels below 2 levels below 1 level below GK Algebra Referred to Level 3+ 1,507 TOTAL: 8% Not completed 23% Not completed 12% Not completed 6% Not enrolled 23% Not enrolled 11% Not enrolled 9% Not enrolled 7% Sample: cohorts, tracked for three years Passed 54% Enrolled 77% Enrolled 43% Passed 31% Enrolled 22% Passed 16% Enrolled 9% Not completed 2% Math students don’t get through From Dr. Tom Bailey, CCRC, presented to NC State Board of Community Colleges. Does not include students who didn’t test

22 Passed 27 Took Developmental Reading By Spring Placed Into Basic Skills For Reading (7%) 4546 Students Began Fall 2010

Our Students Aren’t Getting Through

Not Getting Through

Research Supports Using Multiple Measures To Place Students Scott-Clayton2012 Poole, Shulruf, Rudland & Wilkinson2012 Kobrin & Patterson (College Board)2011 Morrison & Schmit2010 Sawyer (ACT)2010 Kobrin, Patterson, Shaw, Mattern & Barbuti (CB)2008 Geiser & Santalices2007 Lotkowski, Robbins & Noeth (ACT)2004 Robbins, Davis, Lauver, Langley & Carlstrom2004 Kobrin, Camara & Milewski2002 Noble & Sawyer (ACT)2002 Bridgeman, McCamley-Jenkins & Ervin (CB)2000 Smittle1995 Nordstrom1990 Sawyer (ACT)1989 Morgan (CB)1989 Troutman1982

Unlike Other Studies, ACT/SAT Scores Added Nothing In NC

We Could Flip The Ratio Of College Level To Developmental Level

Students Avoid Developmental Classes

The Mean HS GPA In NC Was 2.55

What Should The Expiration Date Be?

Predictive Power Diminishes Gradually

How Long Are Transcripts Still Predictive? We Need More Data

How Long Are Transcripts Still Predictive? We Need More Data

What Will Happen To College Course Grades?

CPCC College Math Grades Should Go Up, Not Down

High School English Grades Aren’t Very Predictive

What About Other States? Long Beach CC

Here Is A Study From Long Beach CC In CA

At Long Beach CC, They Flipped The Ratio

How Does This Affect Cost Over Five Years?

That Depends How We Measure Cost

Cost Benefit Changes Will Be More Incremental An increase of 15% in the rate of recent high school graduates completing college level math in their first year might take a 13% graduation rate to 15% And lower the cost per completer from $112,000 to $102,000 Moving to 100% completion of college math by year 2 would take a 13% graduation rate to 27% And reduce cost per completer to $76,000

Are All NC HS GPA’s Equally Predictive?

Is Grade Inflation An Issue? ---*--- HS GPA ---*--- College GPA

The CCRC study only got data on HS GPA for 37% of students There will be data and matching issues Colleges vary in collection rates, from >90% to <40%, with average ~60% CPCC’s Rate Is Currently About 50% What If The Student Doesn’t Have A HS Transcript?

Our New Statewide Policy Students place college level with 2.6 unweighted high school GPA by 2015 Fall if Transcripts are 5 years old or less and have FRC codes 1-4 Colleges will make local policies for out of state transcripts and missing FRC codes Colleges may require students with GPA between to take additional math labs for MAT 151 through MAT 171

Future-Ready Core: Course of Study The Core (22 units) - 4 credits of English - 4 credits of Mathematics - 4 credits of Social Studies - 3 credits of Science - 1 credit of Health/Physical Education - 6 Elective Credits (required) 2 credits from CTE, Arts or World Languages 4 credit Concentration (recommended)

Future-Ready Core Math Sequence 4 th Math or Algebra I 1 Geometry 2 Algebra II Integrated I 1 Integrated II 2 Integrated III 3 Future-Ready Core In rare instances, students will be exempted from the Future-Ready Core math sequence. In cases where parents, teachers, counselors, principals and the students believe a different path is appropriate, the student will take the following sequence… 1234 Algebra I or Integrated I Algebra II/Geometry or Integrated II Applied Math I Applied Math II Upon Approval Math Substitution *N.C.G.S. §115C-81(b) will remain in effect for students with learning disabilities in mathematics that will prevent those students from mastery Algebra I content. This student will be required to take 4 math classes aligned with their goals and abilities. * Eligible for UNC System Statistics Pre-Calculus AP Calculus Courses such as… Eligible for comm. college Drafting Engineering Accounting I Courses such as…

Multiple Measures Policy Continued Students not meeting HS GPA 2.6 will place college level with: English: ACT Reading 20 OR ACT English 18 SAT Writing 500 OR SAT Critical Reading 500 Math: ACT Math 22 SAT Math 500 Others will take Diagnostic Placement Tests *No student should be placed into basic skills by placement test score alone, and without an additional measure

Reviewing Makes A Difference From November 4, 2011 to June 27, 2012, students took 17,592 practice tests 36% did the review They went up 11 points on math, 6 on English 46% went up at least one level Saving $400,000 in unnecessary remediation

Only 44% of colleges said they provided any practice tests, and “... many students did not know they were available” (Venezia, Bracco, & Nodine, 2010). “It wasn’t a test of what you could do, but about what you could remember from a long time ago.” “I came straight after high school, and I was doing algebra and geometry. After you are at so high a level, to come to college and get an assessment on just all basics—you’re really not in that mindset anymore. Even right after high school, you’re on to bigger and better problems, so to come back in [and do] fractions— what are fractions?” Does Reviewing Make A Difference?

Current tests have no projects, no research, no media, no writing process, no revision, no presentations, no formatting, no group work, no lab work, no purpose of interest to the student, no authentic assignments, no active learning, etc. Diagnostics will help manage learning Should Placement Tests Themselves Change?

Content Knowledge Academic Skills Academic Behaviors Persistence Self-Efficacy High Expectations Social Intelligence Memory Financial Resources Family Support Adult and college lifeCollege Instructor My Theory Of College Readiness

Let’s Review Our Assumptions Placing some students into developmental education is a good idea Placement should be based on the knowledge students have when they enter college

And These Sub-Assumptions College readiness is about content knowledge Placement tests predict college success Placement test items reflect college work Students understand the importance of the placement tests Students prepare for placement tests Students survive developmental education Developmental education improves college readiness Developmental education solves the right problem A blanket approach to placement can cover the right students