Title: CHARTING A PATH TO SUCCESS: HOW ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF MATHEMATICS PLACEMENT IMPACT THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Although many community colleges are using placement tests as the sole means, or as an important part, of making placement decisions, it is not clear that these tests effectively measure a student's readiness for their initial mathematics course. This study examined the impact of four alternative methods for placing community college students into the mathematics curriculum. Accuplacer test score and self-reported high school preparation were measures of academic preparedness used alone and in concert to develop the four distinct methods for initial placement.

Three hundred, four students who took the placement test and enrolled in their first mathematics course during fall 2001 at one Illinois community college were randomly assigned to one of the four placement methods. Mathematics course completion, course grade, and persistence to enroll in a subsequent mathematics course were outcomes that were compared to determine if students placed by one method were more successful than students placed by other methods. Quantitative methods were used to examine eight hypotheses, first to compare differences in academic outcomes by placement method for all students and then to examine differences independently for students placed at either the developmental or college level. The distribution of student enrollments in mathematics by placement method were also examined to determine if one method systematically placed students into higher or lower levels of mathematics than other placement methods.

Results indicated that an institutional placement policy prescribing placement by an examination of multiple measures consisting of placement test score and self-reported high school preparation resulted in student placement into higher-level mathematics courses with equal academic success when compared to policies that considered either measure individually. While Accuplacer test scores were a reasonably effective means of making placement decisions, community college students benefited from placement policies that required consideration of multiple measures of academic preparedness. When both test score and high school preparation were considered, enrolling in a higher course than the lowest indicated by either measure advantaged students. A different method of initial placement did not emerge as being more effective for developmental students as compared to college-level students.