This is a study of the relationship between placement test scores and academic achievement, as measured by the gain in placement pre- and post-test scores after students completed a semester of English instruction. Two placement tests were administered to a cohort of students enrolling in community college English courses. Pre- and post-placement…

This study examined the predictive validity of placement test scores with course grade and retention in English and mathematics classes. An increase in the use of testing to determine student eligibility for community college courses has prompted debate and litigation over the equity, access, and legal implications of these practices. In…

Examines the predictive validity of placement test scores with course grade and retention in English and mathematics courses. Suggests that student dispositional characteristics explain the high proportion of variance in the dependent variables, and that instructor grading practices also make a significant contribution. Underscores the importance…

As part of an effort to statistically validate the placement tests used in California's San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) a study was undertaken to review the criteria- and content-related validity of the Assessment and Placement Services (APS) reading and writing tests. Evidence of criteria and content validity was gathered from…

Study focused on the problems of curricular misalignment with placement tests used in community colleges. Findings indicate that while pre-test and post-test scores were highly aligned, there was little or no relationship between placement test scores and student performance in class, or between test content and skills emphasized in class. (PGS)

Concerns over equity, access, and fairness of placement testing have resulted in state regulations requiring validity evidence of the placement test with respect to a criterion variable, such as final course grades. A study was conducted to assess the validity of placement tests used to place students in pre-collegiate and college-level English…

This study examines the validity and usefulness of employing standardized placement tests and other indicators of academic ability to make education or training decisions about community college students. It also demonstrates how attempts to make optimal educational placement decisions through mandatory placement testing are confounded by…

This report compares San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) measures of student enrollment and academic achievement with similar measures for the California Community College (CCC) System. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the colleges' collective mission to meet the postsecondary education needs of their students, and to identify…

This report contains forecasted data for San Diego through the year 2015 and examines changes that have taken place over the past fifty years. Historically, San Diego population growth rates have been relatively high compared with the rest of the nation. Between 1998 and 2015, the population will not only become larger, it will become more…

In reports on transfer outcomes to the state Board, the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) regularly uses the definition of transfer developed by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges' Transfer Assembly (TA). This model does not consider student intent in the pool of transfer-eligible students. In response to concerns by some…

In compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and as part of an effort to evaluate staff development and disability education efforts, the colleges in California's San Diego Community College District undertook focus group evaluations of key campus constituents in fall 1997. At the district's San Diego City College, focus…

This study examines and analyzes the impact of mandatory enforced skill prerequisites on student enrollment patterns and course performance outcomes in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD). This investigation uses a comparative framework that includes data from two semesters to assess the impact of the prerequisite policy. The…

In 1996, San Diego City College conducted a study investigating the efficacy of their vocational programs in helping to prepare students for the labor market. Economic gains were examined by tracking student wages and employment rates for three years after graduation through the Post-Education Employment Tracking System (PEETS). Findings indicated…

In 1996, San Diego Miramar College conducted a study investigating if their vocational programs prepared students to succeed in the labor market after completing training. The participants of this study were former vocational students of Miramar College who left college in 1990-91 or 1991-92. Economic gains measured by wage rate after program…

A study was performed to test the association between the proportion of liberal arts course offerings and institutional transfer rate by merging the data on liberal arts offerings in the community colleges included in the 1991 National Community College Curriculum Study with the transfer rate data for these same colleges obtained from their…