prof. james e. rosenbaum, pam schuetz, ph.d. and amy foran northwestern university
DESCRIPTION
Building better students by building better college procedures: How community colleges could better convey incentives for school effort. Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Building better students by building better college
procedures: How community colleges could better convey incentives for school effort
Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy ForanNorthwestern University
![Page 2: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
12/10/2010 2
Note. From “Community college: The unfinished revolution,” by Rosenbaum, Redline & Stephan, 2007, Issues in Science and Technology, 23, p. 50.
![Page 3: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
The “Zen-question”• If colleges give a “test,” and students don’t
see any reason to do well, have students
really taken a test?
• Consider Emma. Did she take a test?
• A test’s validity depends on more than
merely its test items. Validity is also a
function of the social context of testing.
12/10/2010 3
![Page 4: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Community Colleges and Placement Tests
• Students placed in lowest remedial levels of reading and math have less than a 33% and 17% chance respectively of completing the remedial sequence (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010).
• About 75% of students report not preparing for a placement test, yet almost 3/4 of those students would advise others to do so (Rosenbaum, Shuetz, & Foran, 2010).
• 2/3 of community college students do not realize their remedial courses do not count for credit (Rosenbaum, Deil-Amen, & Person, 2006).
12/10/2010 4
![Page 5: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
• What do community colleges tell incoming students about placement tests?
Community Colleges and Placement Tests
12/10/2010 5
![Page 6: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Methods and Sample
• 9 public community colleges (4 in Illinois and 5 in California)
• Websites are the major source of information
12/10/2010 6
![Page 7: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Findings
1.The Test: What is the placement test?
– Community college websites do not advertise
placement tests.
– Several colleges barely mention the test.
– Many colleges bury information deep within their
sites.
12/10/2010 7
![Page 8: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
2.Incentives: Why is the test important?
– Community college websites do not inform
students of placement tests’ impact on degree
timetables.
– Colleges often avoid giving discouraging
information and provide vague, reassuring
descriptions of the test instead.
Findings
12/10/2010 8
![Page 9: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
3.Preparation: How can students get a better
score?
– “Summer gap”
– Community colleges do not recommend preparing
for placement tests. Some discourage it.
– Preparation materials are limited.
Findings
12/10/2010 9
![Page 10: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
4.Timing and Retest: When should students
take the test?
– Advice on when to take the test and retesting is
largely unavailable.
– Advantages to testing early:
• Fresh content
• Allows time for practice and retesting
Findings
12/10/2010 10
![Page 11: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
5.Use: How to use test results?
– Provide students with information to devise
successful plans within timetable;
– Indicate student’s level of preparation;
– Forecast additional time needed for remedial;
– Advise students in choosing first career goal.
Findings
12/10/2010 11
![Page 12: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Conclusion• Community college webpages provide little
information about existence and importance of placement tests.
• Social context undermines the test’s validity as an indicator of students’ college readiness.
• Community colleges’ lack of clarity on placement tests likely hurts remedial results, regardless of students’ achievement.
12/10/2010 12
![Page 13: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
What can community colleges do?
• Standardize and organize the community college admissions process - emulate that of selective colleges’ admissions and testing– Admissions test– “National Decision Day”– Early Registration– College Board and ACT procedures
• Improve advice given on websites - the main source of information about community colleges
12/10/2010 13
![Page 14: Prof. James E. Rosenbaum, Pam Schuetz, Ph.D. and Amy Foran Northwestern University](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062321/56813e65550346895da86eee/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
ReferencesBailey, T., Jeong, D. W., & Cho, S. (2010). Referral, enrollment, and completion in developmental education sequences in community colleges. Economics of Education Review, 29, 255-270.
Rosenbaum, J., Deil-Amen, R., & Person, A. (2006). After admission: From college access to college success. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Rosenbaum, J., Redline, J., & Stephan, J. (2007). Community college: The unfinished revolution. Issues in Science and Technology, 23(4), 49-56.
Rosenbaum, J., Schuetz, P. & Foran, A. How students make college plans and ways schools and colleges could help. (working paper, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, July 15, 2010).
12/10/2010 14