The Remedial/Developmental Plan, one of the Four Segments
of the 1999 Assessment Plan, contains a brief discussion of the assessment of
incoming students and the placement of students needing developmental
instruction. In informal interviews with the academic dean, the new assessment
coordinator learned that the ACT COMPASS instrument is frequently administered
to incoming students. It is not known if students are responding by enrolling in
developmental courses on the basis of their ACT-COMPASS scores. The 2000 CIP
addresses the issue of whether or not students should be assigned on the basis
of the results of a placement exam. Weakness and Remediation Strategy #11, pages
60-61, examines the absence of policy for placement into appropriate entry-level
coursework; Weakness and Remediation Strategy #8, pages 57-58, mentions that too
few students grasp the understanding of academic preparedness; and Weakness and
Remediation Strategy #10, pages 59-60, identifies the issue of academic advising
and its relationship with academic progress and career exploration.
However, placement cannot be determined by arbitrarily
selecting cut-off scores on a standardized exam. Research will need to be done
in order to document student success based on course enrollment given their test
scores or other reliable indicators. If the ACT COMPASS is a good predictor of
student performance in introductory courses, then it could form the criterion
for student placement policy. Student
attrition data would also indicate the appropriateness of student course
selection based on incoming student data.
Many faculty members will likely agree that in some
disciplines, whether or not students meet a threshold level of skills and
abilities makes the difference between success and failure. Assessment for
placement attempts to address this concern independently of student
self-perceptions. When advised and placed in courses based on sound placement
instruments and policies, students have a better chance of success and continued
achievement.
In summary, the segment of the Assessment Plan having to do with placement should be developed to reflect how course selections are applied to incoming freshman to ensure student success. To address this concern, the new assessment coordinator will conduct several studies using the ACT-COMPASS scores recorded in the administrative database to demonstrate student retention and success in entry-level courses such as composition and mathematics. This information, when it will be made available, will inform faculty and administration regarding placement issues.