Data from the ALEKS-based placement program at the University of Illinois is presented visually in several ways. The placement exam (an ALEKS assessment) contains precise item-specific information and the data show many interesting properties of the student populations of the placement courses, which include Precalculus, Calculus, and Business…

This article compares essays written in response to the ACT Essay prompt and a locally developed prompt used for placement. The two writing situations differ by time and genre: the ACT Essay is timed and argumentative; the locally developed is untimed and explanatory. The article analyzes the differences in student performance and predictive…

San Francisco's Bridge to Success (BtS) initiative brings together the City and County of San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), and key community organizations to promote postsecondary success for underrepresented students. Various working groups, each comprised of staff from…

This study examined the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) scored elicited oral response (EOR) tests to assess the speaking ability of English language learners. It also examined the relationship between ASR-scored EOR and other language proficiency measures and the ability of the ASR to rate speakers without bias to gender or native…

A study was conducted at Stark Technical College to compare a normative-referenced test for mathematics placement with a criterion-referenced test that had been used by the college. The study sought to compare statistically the scores of 165 students on the Mathematics Inventory Test (MIT--a criterion-referenced test that had been developed…

The need in adult education English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages (ESOL) classes for a simple, effective placement measure that is inexpensive in terms of both cost and time is noted, and results of a study of the predictive validity of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) on the achievement scores of adult ESOL students are reported. The WRAT…

To identify a set of predictor variables for student grades in a first-quarter English course, a study was undertaken of students' reading and language scores on the Career Planning Program (CPP) and the Multiple Assessment and Program Services (MAPS) placement tests. In addition, the relationship was examined between the first-quarter English…

Thirty-four tests measuring verbal ability, academic achievement, reading skills, attitudes, visual perception, spelling, and word decoding skills were compared for their correlational strengths with grade in a required freshman course in composition. The American College Testing Program (ACT) Assessment English subtest yielded the strongest and…

A study examined whether ACT subtest scores can be used to predict reading skills, as measured by the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, with a degree of accuracy that would support their use as a screening device for college placement. ACT test scores of 2,431 students were used to predict Form C Nelson-Denny raw scores. ACT test scores from 3,016…

In an effort to determine the validity of placement tests used at Rancho Santiago College (Santa Ana, California), for placing students into mathematics courses, a study was conducted comparing the course performance of students who met test cut-off scores ("eligible" to take the course) with students who did not meet the cut-off scores…

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…

Since standardized tests of English foreign language seem to lack external validity, a new test, the New Cloze Test (NCT), was developed and validated as a placement test for foreign students. Details of the test design, including paragraph preparation, word deletion, and recommended methods for administration and scoring are discussed. Subjects…

The predictive validity of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program (CGP) tests for two diverse curricular groups was examined. Three methods for developing predictive equations were compared. The CGP was administered to 417 Liberal Studies and 316 Business Technical students at a New England community college. Principal component analyses…

Examines the validity of the cultural bias contention with respect to English aptitude tests by looking at test scores of Jewish and Arab students applying for admission to a college in Israel. Results show evidence for differential construct or predictive validity of test scores as a function of cultural group membership. (31 references)…

In spring 1992, a mid-term assessment of English 10 students was conducted at Golden West College, in California, in order to compare four course placement methods. English 10, "Writing Essentials," is a nontransferrable course which focuses on paragraph writing and grammar review in order to prepare students for entry into English 100.…