1. Effect of MATH Placement Tests on Student Academic Achievement
Shahnam Mirzaei, Ph.D.
ECE Department
CECS
May 18, 2018

2. Introduction & Guiding Questions
The MPT (Math Placement Test) is used to determine eligibility for enrollment in Math 102, 103, 105, 150A, and 255A.
The Math Selection Assessment (MSA) is organized as a free class that uses an online system called ALEKS. The test can be used to determine eligibility for enrollment in Math 102, 103, 104, 105, 150A, and 255A.
Students go through the Early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) course this year.
Majority of these students are majoring in a CECS field.
An option before MPT that can improve students’ math placement to: 102, 105, 150A or 255A.
The objectives of the project are to find out the effect of MATH placement tests on:
Student academic achievement
Student graduation time
Guiding questions:
How does the Early-STEM summer course affect students’ MPT result?
How successful are students who take Early-STEM summer course in their first semester of math?
There are a few paths available for students to get to higher level math such as 150A. Which model has worked better for students? How do we back up the claim with data?
If students were able to place into Math 150A (or any other MATH course), did they pass (compared to the rate of those who tested into 150A via the MPT)? (short term goal)
We know from data we have already reviewed that students who fail Math 102 are on a much different trajectory than those who pass. If Early-STEM allows a student to progress to Math 105, do they pass and move onto Math 150A in semester 2? (long term goal)
Introduction & Guiding Questions

3. 694 CECS majors, and 23 students non-CECS students registered in all MATH courses
MAT 102: 390 registered (71%)
MATH 105: 41 registered (7%)
MATH 150A: 60 registered (11%)
MATH 150B: 51 registered (9%)
MATH 250: 7 registered (2%)
Overview of Data

4. Findings (MATH courses DFU Rate)
Via MPT (%)
Via ALEKS (MSA) (%)
Others
(%)
Compus-wide (%)
MATH 102 19 50 74 53
MATH 105 15 ?
MATH 150A 8 20
MATH 150B 28 35
MATH 250
Findings (MATH courses DFU Rate)
Not enough data samples are available

5. General trend looks to be lower DFU rate for students who took ALEKS (MSA) or MPT
Not enough data for most of the cases.
The analysis should be done over longer period of time.
Future work:
Run similar analysis with more data for the following semesters
DFU rate comparison with campus-wide to be done!
Need to include MATH AP tests results into calculation for the current and following semesters
Initial data was made available
Concluding thoughts