MCAS and Accuplacer Lois Martin Professor of Mathematics Massasoit Community College June 18, 2008

Why this Project? Richard Bisk study, Worcester State Math Alignment Task Force

Worcester Study Accuplacer scores by MCAS scores 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% >=260 Percentage Accuplacer score (failing=0, marginally passing = 1, passing =2) Accuplacer 0 Accuplacer 1 Accuplacer 2

Math Alignment Task Force MATHEMATICS ALIGNMENT TASK FORCE through support of the University of Massachusetts President’s Office July 2001 Task Force recommends that the Board of Higher Education not make a policy decision to accept achievement at specified MCAS performance levels for placement of students into college mathematics courses.

Task Force Observations Since MCAS is a 10 th grade test, it might be two years or more before a student takes a college mathematics course after he/she passes the test. If no additional mathematics is taken, retention of the core knowledge and skills might change significantly during this period such that placement is no longer accurate. Passing MCAS in 10 th grade might encourage some students not to take a mathematics course during their final years of high school. Every effort must be made to ensure that students build on their mathematical abilities and not lose mathematical competency prior to entering higher education.

The Project Begins How to get the MCAS Scores –Bisk Model –Idea from Leanna Russell

The Population Students who took the Accuplacer Mathematics test at Massasoit Community College during summer 2007

The Population and The Sample Original list: 2407 Minus duplicates: 2135 Minus foreign schools: 2060 Minus no school listed: 2009 Minus GED: 1875 Minus privates and small: 1122

Getting the Releases Spent much of fall semester tracking down students Thanks to Math department for assistance

Deciding on the Sample Abington Blue Hills Regional Bridgewater-Raynham Braintree Brockton Canton East Bridgewater Middleborough Randolph Rockland Southeastern Regional Silver Lake Regional South Shore Voc Stoughton Weymouth Whitman-Hanson

Sample Size n=533 This is NOT a random sample!

Contacting the Schools Letter to Superintendents Follow-up phone calls Different experiences Renewal of acquaintances

Score to Score Correlations Placement via Arithmetic Test r=.538 Placement via Elementary Algebra Test r=.514

MCAS to Accuplacer

Accuplacer to MCAS

What Does It Mean? Do the results confirm the Bisk conclusions? Why do students who pass MCAS place into developmental courses?

What are the Implications? Should Accuplacer be given in the high schools? Should schools require math in the senior year? Should the colleges change their placement test?

DHE School to College Report Among students who passed the 10 th grade Mathematics MCAS test at the needs improvement level, 50 percent enrolled in developmental math, as opposed to 20 percent of students who passed at the proficient level and 4 percent at the advanced level.

This Sample

More from the Report Students who scored needs improvement on the 10 th grade mathematics or English language arts (ELA) MCAS test were more likely to enroll in a developmental course than students who scored proficient or advanced.

This Sample

Can We Draw Any Conclusions? The sample was not random, so any conclusions are for the sample only. There are clear patterns. Too many students who pass MCAS place into developmental mathematics courses.

Thank You To the many colleagues who helped me with this project To the Superintendents who provided the necessary data To Eileen Lee and Shelley Tinkham who gave me the opportunity to share this information today.

Contact Me Lois Martin Professor of Mathematics Massasoit Community College