PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES AMONG STUDENTS CONCURRENTLY ENROLLED IN REMEDIAL COURSES: POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Community colleges utilize open-door admission policies to provide educational opportunities for all students, including those who are academically under-prepared in one or more areas. Current approaches to assisting under-prepared students include the targeted delivery of remedial courses in math, English, and reading. This approach typically relies on the use of standardized placement tests to determine whether students have remedial needs. Based on those placement test scores, students may have a remedial need in only one of the core academic areas (e.g., math, English, or reading). In such cases, students may concurrently enroll in required remedial courses and college-level courses unrelated to the area in which they are considered to be academically under-prepared. The research reported in this article evaluated the assumption that a student's under-preparedness is limited to a specific area by assessing the college-level performance of students concurrently enrolled in remedial and college-level courses. The results show that college-level pass rates are much lower among students concurrently enrolled in remedial courses who do not successfully complete one or more of these remedial courses. These students under-perform irrespective of the type of college-level course. In contrast, students who pass their remedial courses are generally successful in their college-level courses. Policy implications in regard to developmental education are discussed.     

FROM DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION TO GRADUATION: A COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Using an ex post facto analysis of outcomes data, this paper tracks the academic performances of developmental and non-developmental students and examines the effects that developmental courses have on subsequent academic progress leading up to graduation. Three-year data on developmental students and graduates were analyzed to discern the characteristics of students graduating from the College, and to compare and contrast the characteristics of developmental and non-developmental students who graduated. The College graduates were categorized into four groups with respect to their academic preparation as suggested by their placement scores. During the three-year period considered, over 61% of the College's graduates took one or more developmental courses. This study shows that there is a positive link between the number of developmental courses taken and time to graduation. Consistent with prior studies, it is remarkable that developmental students perform equally well in college level courses as non-developmental students, depending on the number of pre-college level courses taken. As higher education institutions are facing increasing demands for accountability and performance requirements, accurate assessment and placement of students needing interventions become more imperative. However, accountability measures linked to retention, graduation rates, and federal student financial aid may disadvantage community colleges, especially because roughly two-thirds of community college students attend part-time and require remediation.     

Can Low-Cost Online Summer Math Programs Improve Student Preparation for College-Level Math? Evidence From Randomized Experiments at Three Universities

Every year many students enter college without the math preparation needed to succeed in their desired programs of study. Many of these students struggle to catch up, especially those who are required to take remedial math courses before entering college-level math. Increasing the number of students who begin at the appropriate level of math has become an important focus for educators and policymakers. We conducted randomized experiments of low-cost online summer math programs at three universities to test whether this type of intervention can increase access to math preparation, improve placement and enrollment in fall math classes, and improve performance in first-year math courses. Students who received the intervention engaged with the platform, though at relatively low rates, and were more likely to retake the placement test and improve their scores than students in the control group. However, these improved scores did not translate into enrolling in higher level math courses, obtaining more math credits, or improving grades in math-related courses during the first year of college. Thus, providing students access to this online tool did not improve their math skills.     

The Effect of Test Translation on the Performance of Second Grade English Learners on the KeyMath‐3

This study was conducted to determine whether Spanish‐enhanced administration of a standardized math assessment would result in improved scores for English Learners who used Spanish as a heritage language. Twenty‐one typically developing second‐graders (English Learners) were administered the traditional KeyMath‐3. If the child made an error on an item, a Spanish version of the item was presented. Difference scores were calculated to determine whether the Spanish‐enhanced version resulted in improved scores. Data were analyzed using paired t‐tests and simple regression. The data results showed that all children significantly benefited from the Spanish‐enhanced administration of items answered incorrectly in English. The amount of benefit was predicted by a child's degree of Spanish dominance. It was concluded that standardized math tests that do not accommodate second‐language learners may be inadvertently testing language skills in addition to math skills. Implications for assessment and interpretations of assessments are discussed.     

Heterogeneity in the Effects of College Course Placement

Traditionally colleges have relied on standalone non-credit-bearing developmental education (DE) to support students academically and ensure readiness for college-level courses. As emerging evidence has raised concerns about the effectiveness of DE courses, colleges and states have been experimenting with approaches that place students into credit-bearing coursework more quickly. To better understand which types of students might be most likely to benefit from being placed into college-level math coursework, this study examines heterogeneity in the causal effects of placement into college-level courses using a regression discontinuity design and administrative data from the state of Texas. We focus on student characteristics that are related to academic preparation or might signal a student’s likelihood of success or need for additional support and might therefore be factors considered for placement into college-level courses under “holistic advising” or “multiple measures” initiatives. We find heterogeneity in outcomes for many of the measures we examined. Students who declared an academic major designation, had bachelor’s degree aspirations, tested below college readiness on multiple subjects, were designated as Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and/or were economically disadvantaged status were more likely to benefit from placement into college-level math. Part-time enrollment or being over the age of 21 were associated with reduced benefits from placement into college-level math. We do not find any heterogeneity in outcomes for our high school achievement measure, three or more years of math taken in high school.

     

THE ASSOCIATION AMONG STUDENT SUCCESS IN COURSES,PLACEMENT TEST SCORES,STUDENT BACKGROUND DATA,AND INSTRUCTOR GRADING PRACTICES

Growth in the use of testing to determine student eligibility for community college courses has prompted debate and litigation regarding over the equity, access, and legal implications of these practices. In California, this has resulted in state regulations requiring that community colleges provide predictive validity evidence of test-score?based inferences and course prerequisites. In addition, companion measures that supplement placement test scores must be used for placement purposes. However, for both theoretical and technical reasons the predictive validity coefficients between placement test scores and final grades or retention in a course generally demonstrate a weak relationship. The study discussed in this article examined the predictive validity of placement test scores with course grade and retention in English and mathematics courses. The investigation produced a model to explain variance in course outcomes using test scores, student background data, and instructor differences in grading practices. The model produced suggests that student dispositional characteristics explain the high proportion of variance in the dependent variables. Including instructor grading practices in the model adds significantly to the explanatory power and suggests that grading variations make accurate placement more problematic. This investigation underscores the importance of academic standards as something imposed on students by an institution and not something determined by the entering abilities of students.     

Science education for rural Latino/a students: Course placement and success in science

This study investigated the effects of one rural high school's science course placement practices on Latino/a student success in science, as measured by performance in a required science course and enrollment in subsequent science courses. The high school involved in this study has experienced a rapid increase in language minority students and placed students considered to be “limited English proficient” into a science course intended for those with learning disabilities. The results indicate that track placement was inappropriate, as Latino/a students with demonstrated success on standardized tests written in English, and with high grade point averages, were placed in the lower‐level science course. Students placed in the lower‐level science course, regardless of academic ability, were unlikely to take subsequent courses required for college admission despite the fact that most had college aspirations. Conversely, low‐achieving non‐Latino/a White students were disproportionately placed in upper‐level science classes, a track associated with greater success in science for all. Thus, despite this rural school's attempt to provide for the needs of all the students, the result in this case was decreased success in science for Latino/a students, regardless of their English fluency. Implications for inclusive rural science education are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 376–402, 2005     

C Problem: Climb or Catastrophe

While community colleges serve as a postsecondary entry point for many “at-risk” students, not many who enroll will be ready or able to participate in college level courses on entry. Statistically, large numbers of community college students require college remediation, and only a handful are able to successfully emerge from the remediation pipeline. Many students find mathematics the most challenging course sequence and frequently report high levels of math anxiety and lower completion rates. Using population data from a large urban district in a western state, this study examined the impact of course grades on subsequent grades within math courses.     

Reading,Writing, and English Course Pathways when Developmental Education is Optional: Course Enrollment and Success for Underprepared First-time-in-College Students

Academic underpreparedness is an issue for many first-time-in-college students, particularly those entering community colleges. Whereas many underprepared students enroll in developmental education, research has indicated that traditional remediation may not increase students’ chances for success. Therefore, states and colleges have begun to implement new course placement strategies to increase the accuracy of initial course placement and new instructional approaches to better serve their developmental students. Specifically, in 2013, the state of Florida passed Senate Bill 1720 which redesigned developmental coursework and placement policies across the Florida College System. The reform lifted developmental education placement exam testing and course enrollment requirements for certain exempt students, irrespective of prior academic preparation or achievement. The current study focuses on these exempt students—those who had the option to bypass developmental education—who were also underprepared, and their initial course selection and subsequent success in their gateway (introductory college-level) English course. Using statewide student-level data and logistic regression techniques, the results indicated that level of preparation was related to students’ course enrollment and gateway English course success. Students slightly underprepared in reading or writing were more likely than severely underprepared students to enroll in the gateway English class, relative to a developmental reading or writing course. In reading and writing, slightly underprepared students were more likely to pass English, relative to severely underprepared students. The authors consider the findings in light of recent national changes to developmental education and offer recommendations for policy and practice.     

The Aftermath of Remedial Math: Investigating the Low Rate of Certificate Completion among Remedial Math Students

Nationally, a majority of community college students require remedial assistance with mathematics, but comparatively few students who begin the remedial math sequence ultimately complete it and achieve college-level math competency. The academic outcomes of students who begin the sequence but do not complete it are disproportionately unfavorable: most students depart from the community college without a credential and without transferring to a four-year institution. Interestingly, however, many of these students continue to attend the community college after they exit the remedial math sequence, sometimes for an extended period. One is led to ask why students who do not complete the sequence generally are not finding their way to an alternative credential objective that does not require college-level math competency, such as a career and technical education certificate, sometimes referred to as a vocational certificate. In this study, I explore three possible answers to this question, including difficulty navigating to the alternative credential, declining participation in the community college, and declining academic performance. I find that all three of these explanations contribute (to varying degrees) to explaining the low rate of certificate completion among remedial math students who do not achieve college-level math competency.     

Comparisons between talent search students qualifying via scores on standardized tests and via parent nomination

This study examined differences between students who qualified for talent search testing via scores on standardized tests and via parent nomination in their performances on the SAT or ACT and some demographic characteristics. Overall, the standardized testing group earned higher scores on the off‐level tests than the parent nominated group. Asian students used parent nomination more than standardized tests for talent search testing, and Hispanic/Latino students in the parent nominated group but not in the standardized testing group were among the top performers on the off‐level tests. Parent nomination as a feasible alternative to standardized achievement tests is suggested for talented students who are not native English speakers or would not be identified as gifted using traditional qualification methods.     

Defining and Measuring College and Career Readiness: A Validation Framework

This article reviews the intended uses of these college‐ and career‐readiness assessments with the goal of articulating an appropriate validity argument to support such uses. These assessments differ fundamentally from today's state assessments employed for state accountability. Current assessments are used to determine if students have mastered the knowledge and skills articulated in state standards; content standards, performance levels, and student impact often differ across states. College‐ and career‐readiness assessments will be used to determine if students are prepared to succeed in postsecondary education. Do students have a high probability of academic success in college or career‐training programs? As with admissions, placement, and selection tests, the primary interpretations that will be made from test scores concern future performance. Statistical evidence between test scores and performance in postsecondary education will become an important form of evidence. A validation argument should first define the construct (college and career readiness) and then define appropriate criterion measures. This article reviews alternative definitions and measures of college and career readiness and contrasts traditional standard‐setting methods with empirically based approaches to support a validation argument.     

Improving the Academic Performance of Non‐native English‐Speaking Students: the Contribution of Pre‐sessional English Language Programmes

There is an established, if weak, inverse relationship between levels of English language proficiency and academic performance in higher education. In response, higher education institutions (HEIs) insist upon minimum entry requirements concerning language for international applicants. Many HEIs now also offer pre‐sessional English courses to bring applicants up to the designated language requirement. This paper revisits the research into language proficiency and academic performance using data on all full‐time students (17,925) attending a major UK HEI in the academic year 2011–2012, 4,342 of whom were non‐native English speakers. The findings confirm that while higher International English Language Testing System (IELTS) marks at entry translate into higher grade point averages (GPAs), students who undertake pre‐sessional courses do notably worse in GPA terms than students who arrive with acceptable (for the course) IELTS scores. These findings suggest HEIs (and, by extension, international students) could benefit from a review regarding the appropriateness of current pre‐sessional English language proficiency programmes.     

Assessing the cognitive abilities of culturally and linguistically diverse students: Predictive validity of verbal,quantitative, and nonverbal tests

Verbal and quantitative reasoning tests provide valuable information about cognitive abilities that are important to academic success. Information about these abilities may be particularly valuable to teachers of students who are English‐language learners (ELL), because leveraging reasoning skills to support comprehension is a critical aptitude for their academic success. However, due to concerns about cultural bias, many researchers advise exclusive use of nonverbal tests with ELL students despite a lack of evidence that nonverbal tests provide greater validity for these students. In this study, a test measuring verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning was administered to a culturally and linguistically diverse sample of students. The two‐year predictive relationship between ability and achievement scores revealed that nonverbal scores had weaker correlations with future achievement than did quantitative and verbal reasoning ability scores for ELL and non‐ELL students. Results do not indicate differential prediction and do not support the exclusive use of nonverbal tests for ELL students. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Laser Academy: An After-School Program to Promote Interest in Technology Careers

We present a review of an after-school program that has been running at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York for the past 5 years. The program is unique among after-school activities for high school students in several ways. First, it deliberately focuses on students who do not excel in science and math courses and students who are unsure about a college career. Second, it targets typically underrepresented minorities in the technology fields, namely blacks, Hispanics, and women. Third, it introduces these students to high-tech career options which do not require 4 years of college. The goal of the program is to make the students aware of technician-level careers and to give them a chance to learn the skills needed for such careers in order to help them make an informed decision about their future.     

CET-4考试与大学英语教学分析——以遵义师范学院为例

CET考试是检验大学英语教学的重要手段,从我院两次CET-4考试来看,我院大学英语教学与国家要求还存在着相当大的距离,学生的英语成绩总体偏差,综合英语应用能力不强,特别是写作能力;学生基础差、学院教学班级的安排和把大学英语作为一门课程安排教学的教学模式是造成这种结果的原因。为改变大学英语教学效果不好的现状,我院拟采取在分层教学的基础上进行模块教学的教学模式。     

The Impact of Every Classroom,Every Day on High School Student Achievement: Results From a School-Randomized Trial

Abstract

Every Classroom, Every Day (ECED) is a set of instructional improvement interventions designed to increase student achievement in math and English/language arts (ELA). ECED includes three primary components: (a) systematic classroom observations by school leaders, (b) intensive professional development and support for math teachers and instructional leaders to reorganize math instruction, assessment, and grading around mastery of benchmarks, and (c) a structured literacy curriculum that supplements traditional English courses, with accompanying professional development and support for teachers surrounding its use. The present study is a two-year trial, conducted by independent researchers, which employed a school-randomized design and included 20 high schools (10 treatment; 10 control) in five districts in four states. The students were ethnically diverse and most were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Results provided evidence that ECED improved scores on standardized tests of math achievement, but not standardized tests of ELA achievement. Findings are discussed in terms of differences between math and ELA and of implications for future large-scale school-randomized trials.     

Placement Evaluations and Remedial Education: Are Students Shopping for Bargains?

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence that students may be doing comparison shopping when it comes to community college placement in English and mathematics courses. Comparisons may occur because of the difference in the placement process across campuses and the variation in the levels of developmental education offered. The implications of students’ course shopping are discussed in terms of state policy.     

Sex Differences among High School Seniors

Abstract

Objective timed tests are an integral part of the University of Utah’s admissions and placement testing. The purpose of this study was to further investigate Yates’ findings of the effect of time limits on results obtained from such tests. The sample consisted of seventy freshman students who had been identified, on the basis of scores obtained on the Cooperative English Expression Test, as lacking the English skills necessary for satisfactory university work and had been assigned therefore to a remedial English class. Alternate forms of the same test were administered to these students during the first class meeting and at the conclusion of the 10-week course. The effect of additional time produced results of the same magnitude as the remedial English course. It was also noted that if scores obtained with extended time limits had been used for placement rather than scores obtained by students on the entrance battery, 41 percent of the sample would not have been placed in remedial English. Implications for such findings in university admissions and placement are discussed.