using accuplacer to enhance college and career readiness for high school students

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Using ACCUPLACER to Enhance College and Career Readiness for High School Students

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Using ACCUPLACER to Enhance College and Career Readiness for High School Students. Agenda. The Big Issues Design of ACCUPLACER Use of ACCUPLACER scores How is ACCUPLACER different? Introducing ACCUPLACER Diagnostics Intervention with MyFoundationsLab Preparing Students to Take ACCUPLACER. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Using ACCUPLACER to Enhance College and Career Readiness for High School Students

Welcome to this presentation on Using ACCUPLACER to Enhance College and Career Readiness for High School Students. Remember that you can use the controls in your video player to pause or rewind as you watch.

AgendaThe Big IssuesDesign of ACCUPLACERUse of ACCUPLACER scoresHow is ACCUPLACER different?Introducing ACCUPLACER DiagnosticsIntervention with MyFoundationsLabPreparing Students to Take ACCUPLACER

This presentation will address:

The Big Issues facing students as they move into collegeThe Design of ACCUPLACERHow are ACCUPLACER scores used?How is ACCUPLACER different from traditional testing?What are ACCUPLACER Diagnostics?Intervention with MyFoundationsLabPreparing students to take ACCUPLACER

The Big Issues

The Big IssuesThe Big Issues for College Bound StudentsEligibilityAdmission

PersistenceAffordabilityCompletionGraduation

College Readiness is the conceptACCUPLACER as a measure

High schools primarily focus on ensuring that their 12th graders are eligible for college including meeting high school graduation requirements, enrolling in appropriate courses, and maintaining a high GPA. In addition, schools work very hard with students on the admission to college including taking tests such as the SAT, completing college applications, meeting application deadlines, and many other areas.

Colleges, including virtually all 2 year and most 4 year institutions will administer a placement test such as ACCUPLACER to determine if students are ready to take college-level courses or if they need remediation first. Remedial courses, called Developmental Education, do not count towards a students degree program but do require time and tuition. Students who are not college-ready and must take Developmental courses face a whole range of new issues.

Persistence: Students who face several semesters of Developmental courses have a much lower probability of finishing those courses and earning their degree.

Affordability: Each developmental course requires tuition which can eat into the financial aid a student receives, making college less affordable.

Completion and Graduation: Data shows that students who face significant college-readiness challenges have a very low chance of completing their certificate program, graduating with a degree, or transferring to a 4 year institution.

For all these reasons, working to ensure students are college-ready while finishing high school is a very powerful way of ensuring success in higher education. Being prepared for ACCUPLACER can make a significant difference.Design of ACCUPLACER

The design of ACCUPLACER

5ACCUPLACER is the most widely used Placement Assessment in the USState or system-wide ACCUPLACER use

Institutions:49% 2 year37% 4 year 14% High schools Used in all 50 states And in 19 countries

ACCUPLACER is in use in all 50 states and in 19 countries worldwide. In 2012-13, the platform delivered over 7 million exams.

The stars on the map indicate states where ACCUPLACER is used statewide at public institutions. The states in blue are ones where we have worked to create custom assessments based on the states test blueprint.

Over 1,300 institutions use ACCUPLACER. Of our user base, 49% are 2 year institutions with 37% comprised of 4 year institutions. High school represent a growing segment of our users. While the number is hard to quantify since high schools may test under a colleges account, they currently make up approximately 14%.

6ACCUPLACER PlatformInternet-based, on-demand testingComputer-adaptive testing formatPlacement and Diagnostic examsReliable and Valid

The ACCUPLACER is a very flexible testing platform which:

Is Internet-based meaning that testing can occur at any time, unlike a paper/pencil test such as the SATIs computer-adaptive, providing students with a shorter testing experience because the next question in a test is based on their prior answers,Provides both placement exams used by colleges and Diagnostic exams to provide data for instructional and intervention programs,Is highly reliable with millions of exams given per year.7ACCUPLACER TestsGeneral TestsReading ComprehensionSentence Skills Arithmetic Elementary AlgebraCollege Level MathWritePlacerComputer Skills PlacementLocal TestsESL SuiteReading SkillsSentence MeaningLanguage UsageListeningWritePlacer ESL

DiagnosticsReading ComprehensionSentence SkillsArithmeticElementary Algebra

(20)(20)(17)(12)(20)(20)(20)(20)(20)(40)(40)(40)(40)(30/70)

ACCUPLACER has a variety of assessments which campuses can use based on their needs. On the left hand side is the list of General tests which are used primarily for course placement. Each placement test provides a single score on a scale from 20-120 which can be used to assist in placement decisions. The exception is WritePlacer which provides a holistic score on a 1-8 scale.

These first 5 tests are the ones most frequently used by colleges for placement. You can see from the number of questions, they were designed to provide a streamlined, yet effective testing experience.

In addition to core English and Math tests, ACCUPLACER offers a suite of ESL tests which can be used individually or as a group to help place students into various levels of an English-as-a-Second Language program.

In addition to placement tests, ACCUPLACER offers Diagnostics which provide comprehensive data on individual as well as group student achievement. This data can be used to develop and deliver interventions to help enhance students college readiness.

Test Blueprint ArithmeticComputationfractionsComputationdecimal numbersProblems involving percentEstimation, ordering, & number senseWord problems & applications

Elementary AlgebraReal NumbersLinear equations, inequalities, and systemsQuadratic expressions & equationsAlgebraic expressions & equations (other than linear and quadratic)Word problems & applications

Sentence SkillsSentence StructureSentence BoundariesModifiersDiction/LogicAgreement

Reading ComprehensionPassage-Based Reading: Main IdeaPBR: Supporting DetailPBR: InferencePBR: Author's Purpose/Rhetorical StrategiesSentence Relationships

Here is the test blueprint for each ACCUPLACER test. The placement version of the test provides a single cut score which colleges use for course placement. The Diagnostic tests provide detailed data for each area of the blueprint.9Use of ACCUPLACER Scores

How ACCUPLACER scores are usedComputer Adaptive TestingDecreased DifficultyTypical Pattern of Student ResponsesIncreased DifficultyMiddle DifficultyScore is calculated and the next best item is selected based on:DifficultyContentTest Specifications

ACCUPLACER tests are computer-adaptive to provide a streamlined and personalized experience for each student. Tests begin with middle difficulty questions. Subsequent questions may be either of higher or lower difficulty based on the students prior responses. The final score for each test is based on the difficulty of test items, the content the student got right, and the test specifications.Branching Profiles: Test ScoresCollege Level MathPlacement91-120Elementary Algebra70-90PlacementPlacementArithmetic20-69PlacementPlacement20-59Diagnostic TestingMyFoundationsLabRetest ACCUPLACER

One of the challenges for high schools is that each college uses ACCUPLACER a bit differently. Tests may be given in different orders and conditions required to place into different courses will vary.

In this example, a student meeting the cut score on Elementary Algebra is placed into a college level math course.

If they score exceptionally well, there are given the College Level Math test to determine if they might succeed in a higher level course.

If instead they do not score well, they are sent to the Arithmetic test to find the level of developmental course they require.

This campus also decided to use Diagnostic testing and our online intervention curriculum called MyFoundationsLab. We will discuss that in more detail shortly.12Sample College Placement Policy

Just as the test setup can vary from college to college, the placement policy will be different from campus to campus based on the courses they offer, the needs of their students, and the wishes of their faculty.

Here is a very typical example of a college placement policy.

In the Reading area, students who make an SAT score of 540 or greater are exempted from placement testing and can go immediately into a college level English courses. Students scoring from 51 to 70 must take just one developmental Reading course. Students below that must take two developmental reading courses.

In Writing, again there is an exemption based on the SAT. Students scoring 79 or greater can go straight into college-level English. Students scoring below must take one developmental writing course.Sample Community College Cut Scores

The same process applies to Math. Students who miss the cut score on Arithmetic must take one or two developmental math courses. Students taking the Elementary Algebra test may also place into either 1 or 2 developmental courses. For a student who is underprepared, they may face up to 4 semesters, or 2 full academic years, of developmental math before they begin to take any math that is part of their degree or certificate program.

All told, an underprepared student may end up with 7 semesters of Developmental Education before being able to take courses in their chosen program of study. Students in this situation are at-risk of dropping out and never pursuing their educational goals.ACCUPLACER Diagnostics

Introducing ACCUPLACER Diagnostics15

Test Blueprint ArithmeticComputationfractionsComputationdecimal numbersProblems involving percentEstimation, ordering, & number senseWord problems & applications

Elementary AlgebraReal NumbersLinear equations, inequalities, and systemsQuadratic expressions & equationsAlgebraic expressions & equations (other than linear and quadratic)Word problems & applications

Sentence SkillsSentence StructureSentence BoundariesModifiersDiction/LogicAgreement

Reading ComprehensionPassage-Based Reading: Main IdeaPBR: Supporting DetailPBR: InferencePBR: Author's Purpose/Rhetorical StrategiesSentence Relationships

As discussed previously, ACCUPLACERs placement tests provide just a single cut score over the content of the entire test. For students who miss the expect score, there is no information designed to inform the teacher or student of academic weaknesses. ACCUPLACER Diagnostics were introduced 4 years ago as a separate test to provide detailed data to assist both students and teachers. They cover the same test blueprint but give information about each domain on the Diagnostic.16Student Diagnostic Score Report

Here is an example of a report from ACCUPLACER Diagnostics. Instead of providing just a single cut score, the report shows data for each of the 5 domains on the test including a score and a proficiency level. In addition, a statement describes the level of performance and lists details of the item tested. This report is very powerful for providing an instructor or teacher with the information needed to deliver individualized intervention.17

This Summary Report provides a look at the trends for a particular cohort of students. The report contains data for each Diagnostic, in this case Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra. There is one row on the report for each area on the Diagnostic. This report is for a total cohort of 200 students. There is a column indicating the percentage of students who Need Improvement, are Limited Proficient, and Proficient for each area. This information can be used to plan instruction or perhaps to devise curriculum or intervention strategies based on the needs of the group of students.18

The Diagnostic Score Roster report is much like a gradebook with a listing of scores for each area tested on the Diagnostics.19Intervention with MyFoundationsLab

Intervention with MyFoundationsLab

The ACCUPLACER diagnostic assessment is paired with proven MyFoundationsLab remediation. This powerful combined experience enhances college preparedness and student success.

2121The ACCUPLACER program partnered with Pearson to provide an online curriculum for intervention to help enhance the college readiness of students. This solution:

Uses ACCUPLACER Diagnostics to assess a students academic skills in Reading, Writing, and Math.Reporting helps identify the strengths and weaknesses.Data is used to provide a personalized prescription of content to improve skills in each targeted areaRetesting with ACCUPLACER placement or diagnostic tests can show improved college readiness

Independent Study: Student provides own access to technology and monitors own improvementIndependent Study with Instructor/Teacher Guidance: Student provides own access to technology but is monitored by teacher/instructorBlended Learning: Teacher/instructor integrating technology into curriculum.Lab: Student is given access to technology and is monitored by instructor.

ACCUPLACER//MyFoundationsLab is a flexible online curriculum which has proven successful in a variety of settings.

Independent Study: Student provides own access to technology and monitors own improvementIndependent Study with Instructor/Teacher Guidance: Student provides own access to technology but is monitored by teacher/instructorBlended Learning: Teacher/instructor integrating technology into curriculum.Lab: Student is given access to technology and is monitored by instructor.

Implementation Possibilities Include:

Creating a College Readiness course for Seniors which reviews the skills measured on ACCUPLACER and blends traditional instruction with MyFoundationsLab.Use MyFoundationsLab as part of an ongoing English and/or Math courseProvide opportunities for independent study, preferably with teacher guidance Create an intervention program such as a Summer Boot Camp.

Based on those options, your campus may decide to:

Create a college readiness course for Seniors which is designed to review the skills measured by ACCUPLACER. Course delivery could either be a blend of teacher-led instruction with MyFoundationsLab or could be just MyFoundationsLab alone.Add MyFoundationsLab to the instructional resources used in an ongoing courses. The teacher can let students work on their individual learning paths to build missing skills or can choose specific topics for small groups or the entire class to review.Use MyFoundationsLab as a vehicle for independent study. Again, best results come from more teacher involvement.Create a special event such as a Summer Boot Camp which provides an intensive focus on college-readiness skills. MyFoundationsLab can be a key instructional strategy.

A personalized study plan has been created for you based on your ACCUPLACER test results. Within 24 hrs you will receive an email with your log in credentials and instructions on how to access your personalized study plan. If you have not provided an accurate email address please. See your proctor to update your information.

At the conclusion of ACCUPLACER Diagnostics, the students Individual Score Report contains additional data needed to activate MyFoundationsLab. First is the web address. Second is an Access Code which signifies that use of MyFoundationsLab has been paid for. Next is a Course ID which places the student into the proper grade book for teachers and instructors to monitor their performance. Finally, the most important piece of data is the Locator Code which tells MyFoundationsLab which content to turn on based on the students needs.Students enter the remediation tool. Click on the Learning Path.

Once logged into their account, students can select an activity to study in several different ways. One is to click the icon on the calendar to choose the next Reading, Writing, Math or Study Skills activity. Another is the click the Next Activity button. Finally, students can view their entire learning path by the green, blue, or red block.

26Here is an example of a students learning path for Writing. Each block, or module, matches one of the 5 areas from the ACCUPLACER Arithmetic Diagnostic. The module for Estimation, Ordering and Number Sense is grayed out and contains a gold star, indicating that the student was proficient in that area on the Diagnostic and no work is required. Beside it, the module for Computation with Integers and Fractions indicates that the student was not proficient in that area but did earn credit for knowing several topics. The green bars indicated mastery of topics and continue to fill in as the student progresses to provide an indication of progress. In addition, data about the students work is being collected in the teacher grade book.

27After clicking on the Computation with Integers and Fractions module, the students sees a list of all the topics available. Several topics are already marked with gold stars, indicating that the student mastered those topics on the Diagnostic. Topics marked with the pencil icon are the ones to study. On the right side of the screen is a list of specific learning activities the student should study to learn the topic.

The list begins with an overview of the topic, moves to Getting Started with contains lots of instruction with learner support tools, to Practice the Skills activities which provide a chance to build confidence, moves to Apply Your Learning which takes the concept to higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy, and ends with a Mastery Quiz which tests the students mastery.The activities include reading,

28Here is an example of an overview of a topic in reading. Note the audio player at the top which will allow the learner to have the text read to them to enhance their understanding.videos,

29Many topics include video of an instructor explaining the topic in detail. Tools at the bottom allow the learner to control the pace, pause, rewind, and even turn on closed captioning which lets the student read the print as the instructor is speaking.animations,

30Animations also provide instruction for the student and allow them to control the pace and frequently interact with content on the screen.practice assignments,

31Here is an example of a quiz designed to check for recall of the basics of the topic.Writing Activity

32Here is a writing activity which asks the student to label the passage to identify different types of sentences.and low-stakes assignments

33Students are given frequent assessments which provide feedback as well as provide performance data for the instructor.with immediate feedback.

34As students work, they receive feedback on their responses. Here is an example of informative feedback designed to help the student improve on their next attempt on this question.And the assignments include a variety of learning aids for just-in-time help.

35During Practice the Skills activities, students have access to a variety of self-help tools including:

Help Me Answer This which breaks the question down into the specific steps required to understand the problem and answer successfullyView an Example provides a similar exercise to the original question, then allows the student to return to it after the practiceThe Video provides either a review of the original video or a new video with additional informationThe Glossary allows the student to look up terminology in both English and SpanishAsk My Instructor allows the student to email their teacher with questions right from the activityPrint allows the student to print the screen when requesting help3. Students can demonstrate topic mastery by taking a post-test with a mastery score or achieving a mastery score on all activities. (This is an instructor setting.)

36At the conclusion of each topic is a Mastery Quiz which allows the student to demonstrate mastery by answering test questions. Unlike the learning activities, students do not have an self-help tools and other have one attempt to answer each question.

There is also a focus on study skills.

37In addition to the Reading, Writing, and Math curriculum, ACCUPLACER//MyFoundationsLab includes a Study Skills curriculum. The Study Skills module focuses on standard skills such as Time Management, Effective Note Taking, and Test Taking Skills. The Math-Reading Connections module includes content which help students read and understand math problems and test more effectively.

The Grade Book collects data about student performance as they work in MyFoundationsLab including the date/time they worked, the time accumulated, the scores achieved, and mastery of topics and modules. Different views of the Grade Book allow the instructor to see snapshots of the class and yet drill down into details of individual students work include answers provided on specific questions.Preparing Students to Take ACCUPLACER

Preparing Students to Take ACCPULACERTaking ACCUPLACER TestsComputer adaptiveUntimedOn the screen:Only one question per screenMust answer before moving aheadCannot skip questionsCannot review and change answersCan stop and finish later

Taking ACCUPLACER on the computer is different than taking a paper and pencil test.

It is computer-adaptive. That means that each test question is chosen based on the answers to previous questions. This gives each student a personal testing experience. ACCUPLACER tests are not timed, so there is no need to rush.

There is only one question per screen which must answered before moving to the next one. The student cannot skip questions and cannot go back to change answers after leaving the screen.

ACCUPLACER is not timed so there is no need to rush. Encourage students to take the time they need to be sure theyve chosen the best answer.

If time runs out, students can save their place and finish later. Again, there is no need to rush. Student PreparationInformation on test content and designSample Questions for StudentsStudy App

On the student portion of the ACCUPLACER web site is information to help them prepare for testing including information on test content and design. In addition, students can download the free Sample Questions document. Details on how to access the low cost, ACCUPLACER web-based study app are also available.41For more information, email:[email protected]

Thank you for viewing this presentation on ACCUPLACER . We hope youve found it beneficial. For more information, please email [email protected]