Re: Placement test/re-test issues

[Laura VaN <abrilmackenzie@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Why "test" them at all.  I suspect (with over 50% confidence but nothing
near 90% confidence) that if students were allowed to select their classes,
perhaps with support from the school in terms of a syllabus, with perhaps
worksheets if they felt it necessary, that students would select the proper
class.  AFter all, who wants to take a class they are going to struggle in
just to tread water - and god forbid, bring down their grade point average.
Or, if tests must be administered, give the results to the students, let
them review them, and decide whether their test performance accurately
reflects their understanding and then let the student decide whether to
which class to enroll in (e.g. Math 101, 102 or 103).

The only downside I see IF too many students overestimate their abilities,
some professors might be inclined to slow down for students struggling, and
if a critical mass are struggling, this would be unfair to those who
properly chose the course and are being slowed down.  This I suspect is less
of a problem at the college level than the high school level, as my
recollection is professors routinely kept their pace and the students were
the ones to adjust.



> From: Mark Kenney <MKenney@SPSCC.CTC.EDU>
> Reply-To: Assessment Reform Network Mailing List <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
> To: ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU
> Subject: Placement test/re-test issues
> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 11:27:17 -0800
>
> Hello All - As a new subscriber to the ARN listserv, I'd like to pose a
> question.  I work in a Community College in Washington State where we use
> an
> adaptive computerized instrument for initial placement into reading,
> English
> and Math courses (mandatory placement).  As there has always been
> considerable "discussion" among the faculty regarding the accuracy or
> reliability of our placement test (no matter which one we have used - from
> the two major vendors of ATB approved placement tests), what I have found
> is
> that students are being tested by their instructors (primarily at the
> developmental levels) again, and sometimes again before being placed into a
> class they feel is appropriate, using a variety of assessments (TABE,
> RFU,DRP).  Since one of the goals of our assessment program is to limit
> overtesting or unecessary testing, my question is this:
>
> For those of you in centralized testing centers - Do you feel it is
> appropriate for instructors to utilize any number of other test batteries
> to
> "check" the validity of placement for their students, sometimes numerous
> times using more than one instrument?  Who should decide which instruments
> are used and how would that be accomplished?
>
> As I just read the "Test Taker's Bill of Rights" resolution on the NCTE
> website, I have numerous concerns for the students who must oftentimes
> submit to this extended testing regimen.  I look forward to "listening in"
> on the discussion in this forum.
>
> Mark Kenney
> ____________________________________________
> Mark Kenney
> Testing Center
> South Puget Sound Community College
> 2011 Mottman Road SW
> Olympia, WA  98512-6292
> PHONE   (360) 754-7711 ext. 5386
> FAX             (360) 664-4336
> E-MAIL  mkenney@spscc.ctc.edu
> ____________________________________________
>
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