NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
ERIC Number: ED253278
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985-Jan
Pages: 10
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Skills Assessment at Victor Valley College.
Holten, Virginia
Since fall 1982, on the recommendation of a collegewide task force on student assessment, a mandatory assessment and voluntary placement program has been operating at Victor Valley College (VVC). Assessment testing takes place 3 weeks before registration and also on a continuous basis throughout the semester. The 2-hour testing period is followed by a half-hour orientation period during which the tests are scored. Assessment testing is mandatory for new students, with limited exceptions. Placement in English classes is also mandatory, based on a combined score on the reading and writing portions of the test, but placement in other courses is voluntary, based upon the student's reading level and the reading level of the courses as listed in the class schedule. Between August 1982 and June 1984, 9,745 students took the assessment test and enrolled in classes at VVC. An analysis of their test scores and enrollment patterns revealed: (1) 34% of the students tested scored above average in reading; (2) 80% of the students failed to score above 70% on the decimal portion of the mathematics test; (3) total enrollment in reading classes increased by 88%, while enrollment in basic math skills courses increased by 124%; and (4) between 1982 and 1984, there was a negligible increase in the overall college grade point average and an upward trend in retention, but a decline in the enrollment of new students. Samples of the placement recommendations for students are appended. (HB)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Victor Valley Community Coll. District, Victorville, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A