A Holistic View of Course Placement Decisions--Avoiding the HS GPA Trap

Autor/inn/en	Markle, Ross; Robbins, Steve
Institution	Educational Testing Service
Titel	A Holistic View of Course Placement Decisions--Avoiding the HS GPA Trap
Quelle	(2013), (4 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Holistic Approach; Student Placement; Decision Making; High School Students; Grade Point Average; College Students; Prior Learning; Evaluation Criteria; Student Motivation; Student Behavior; Academic Achievement; Student Characteristics; Educational Quality; Predictor Variables; Accuracy; Testing + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Holistischer Ansatz; Schülerpraktikum; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Collegestudent; Vorkenntnisse; Schulische Motivation; Student behaviour; Schülerverhalten; Schulleistung; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Prädiktor; Testdurchführung; Testen
Abstract	As some colleges and universities experience low rates of student success, many point to the large number of students who are placed into and fail to complete developmental education courses. Research examining the efficacy of course placement tests has suggested that success rates would increase if students were placed more accurately. A recent study by the Community College Research Center (CCRC; Scott-Clayton, 2012) quantitatively demonstrates the inaccuracy of current course placement systems, suggesting that as many as 24% of students in math and 33% of students in English courses are misplaced. As a means of improving placement accuracy, the study recommends the use of expanded criteria, including background characteristics and high school GPA. This research assumes that these additional criteria capture student noncognitive factors, such as motivation or classroom behavior, that incrementally add to the prediction of student success. The authors agree that current means of course placement are insufficiently robust, and that the inferences they draw about students' likelihood of success are often limited. They also agree that improving course placement is critical to the long-term goal of improving student success and degree attainment. However, using student background characteristics alone, or in tandem with course placement tests, is problematic. In this report, the authors outline the theoretical and practical issues that come with using GPA or background characteristics, as well as propose a fairer, valid, and reliable method to expand placement criteria--using a standardized assessment of psychosocial factors. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Educational Testing Service. Rosedale Road Mailstop 19R, Princeton, NJ 08541-0001. Tel: 609-921-9000; Fax: 609-734-5410; Web site: http://www.ets.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01