Examines placement test scores of first-time freshmen in Tennessee postsecondary institutions to see whether timed placement testing creates disparate entry-level tracks for disadvantaged and advantaged students. Compares placement scores by ethnicity. Reports that fewer Black students completed all items on the placement test than White students.…

This report presents the results of a nationwide survey on the freshman placement practices of American colleges and universities. The report includes subgroup analyses by degree level, affiliation, size, region, and selectivity. Sources of information used for placement in English and mathematics are reported, including the most commonly found…

A summary is provided of the 1985-86 goals and accomplishments of Maricopa County Community College District's (MCCCD's) Student Assessment Pilot Project, which was conducted to develop a districtwide database of quantitative and qualitative information upon which decisions about policies, programs, and procedures related to assessment,…

A study investigated the presence of and interaction between educational and cultural/linguistic characteristics in 95 Hispanic limited-English-proficient elementary school students previously enrolled in bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. Of this group, 51 had never been referred to special education and 44 had been…

In spring and fall 1988, a two-phase study was conducted at Nassau Community College to evaluate two courses in the mathematics program: Preparatory Mathematics (MAT 001) and Introductory Algebra (MAT 002). Pre- and post-tests for the classes were administered to assess student learning outcomes. The first phase of the study examined aspects of…

Beginning in fall 1991, Napa Valley College (NVC), in California, switched from essentially mandatory placement of incoming students to an advisory, self-selection system, where students receive course recommendations based on assessment test results. In order to evaluate the validity of NVC's assessment procedures, a study was conducted of…

A study was conducted at Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) in South Carolina to assess the college's admissions testing program through a review of the current literature on placement testing and a statistical study comparing currently employed instruments, i.e., the Career Planning Program (CPP) test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test…

A study of the practices of six two-year and four-year colleges of the State Universities of New York concerning the identification of high-risk students, the operation of these practices within the academic system, and college evaluation of student progress in remedial courses is reported. (MSE)

In fall 1986, a study was conducted at Florence-Darlington Technical College (South Carolina) to measure the reliability and validity of the TEC-MAT, a newly developed entrance test. The TEC-MAT instrument, a criterion-referenced test consisting of 100 items assessing numerical skills, was field tested among a group of entry-level freshmen already…