Tri-County
Technical College – Placement Committee Meeting
Thursday,
November 12, 2015 (2:30-3:30 pm) – Oconee 301
Faculty/Staff
Present
Andrea
Barnett, K.C. Bryson, Jennifer Hulehan, Julia Jackson, Mara Jobin, Joan Kalley,
Tracy Kilgore
Opening Remarks
Andrea
Barnett, mathematics instructor for Comprehensive Studies, stated that she
appreciated everyone’s attendance at the meeting. The focus of the meeting
would be the Reading and English portion of the ACCUPLACER Pilot completed in fall
2015.
Then, she introduced K.C. Bryson, statistical
analyst for the College, who presented information on the proposed ACCUPLACER
system that will replace the COMPASS Placement Test.
First-Time
Postsecondary Students – Pilot
K.C.
Bryson presented the following:
Ø Study sample needed
600 students – 300 each subject for adequate representation.
Ø Study sample will
consist of COL 103, COL 105, CPT 170, EGR 269 courses
Ø One score for each
Reading range
Ø Scores must
measure the same thing, match distributions, and predict the difference in the
scores
Comments/Questions
Ø Where do the
scores align and how do the tests relate to each other?
Ø The average
student places into ENG 101
Ø Instructions were
confusing for the test…need to be clearer
Ø Correlation
Coefficients were strong but needed to be stronger
Ø A cut-off score is
required when students go to Adult Education…score was 50 or below
Ø New ACCUPLACER
scores would be needed…CWPL range 39-49 needed for ENG 032 or CRPL range 58-64
needed for ENG 100, 155)
Ø Scores look low on
handouts…maybe students didn’t take test seriously or really didn’t care
Ø Suggested that
instructors take the test as themselves then as the student…see what results
would look like.
Ø Need guidelines to
support the statistical test results
Ø Small groups will meet
and discuss the pilot scores and their relationship in the study
Ø Place students in
a range…ex. ENG 100-101…let the student be involved in the decision making
process
Ø Waive admissions
fee if student takes the COMPASS and ACCUPLACER test within a certain period of
time
Ø Fall has a greater
data population…scores may be closer in range…don’t tell the student which test
they are taking
Ø Compare the
formats of the exemption exams…ENG doesn’t have exemption exams
Ø Test scores are
stored for 3 years
With
no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.
Recorded
by Linda Crowe
