Mandatory Placement Testing for Mathematics Course Enrollment

A Response to Program Review:Target Audiences and Success Rates

Academic Governing CouncilNovember 11, 2014

Intent

• To implement a policy to accurately assess students’ current prerequisite knowledge for placement into the math course that will provide the best opportunity for success

• Reduce the number of under-placed and over-placed students

• Currently, only students who have HS GPA below 2.00 and an ACT score below 18 on ACT mathematical knowledge are assessed. Current placement only allows these students to be placed into developmental courses.

• All other students regardless of their mathematical knowledge may enroll into any math course up to Calculus

Proposed changes toMandatory Placement Policy 8.2

• To require mandatory placement testing for all students seeking to take a mathematics course at the college who do not have a valid prerequisite or placement score

• Remove names of vendors/products from Mandatory Placement Policy 8.2

Conflicts with Admissions PolicyThe college has yet to adopt an official Admissions Policy

Assessing all students who want to take a math course does not conflict

with current admissions practice.

GRCC admissions requirements are:an ACT subscore of an 18 or higher in each category of math, reading and English, plus a high school GPA of 2.0 or higher, or 12 college credits with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Students who do not meet these requirements will be required to take the related component of the Accuplacer.

Who needs to take Accuplacer?Individuals who do not have an 18 or higher sub-score on the ACT in English, Math, and Reading AND do not have a 2.0 GPA or higher on their high school transcripts. A college transcript must have 12 or more earned credits and a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Implementation

• AGC has not allowed policy that benefits students to be stopped because implementation may be complex

• Improving success in mathematics courses should not be delayed for what other departments may or not be considering for their respective departments

• Feedback indicates time limits are a mix between procedures and academic success thus trade offs between academic success, costs and procedures should be further investigated by the College wide implementation team