Transcript MCAS and Accuplacer

MCAS and Accuplacer
Lois Martin
Professor of Mathematics
Massasoit Community College
June 18, 2008
Why this Project?
• Richard Bisk study, Worcester State
• Math Alignment Task Force
Worcester Study
Accuplacer scores by MCAS scores
100%
90%
70%
60%
passing =2)
Percentage Accuplacer score (failing=0, marginally passing = 1,
80%
Accuplacer 0
50%
Accuplacer 1
Accuplacer 2
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Math Alignment Task Force
MATHEMATICS ALIGNMENT TASK FORCE
through support of the
University of Massachusetts President’s Office
July 2001
• Task Force recommends that the Board of
Higher Education not make a policy decision to
accept achievement at specified MCAS
performance levels for placement of students
into college mathematics courses.
Task Force Observations
• Since MCAS is a 10th grade test, it might be two years or more
before a student takes a college mathematics course after
he/she passes the test. If no additional mathematics is taken,
retention of the core knowledge and skills might change
significantly during this period such that placement is no longer
accurate.
• Passing MCAS in 10th grade might encourage some students not
to take a mathematics course during their final years of high
school. Every effort must be made to ensure that students build
on their mathematical abilities and not lose mathematical
competency prior to entering higher education.
The Project Begins
• How to get the MCAS Scores
– Bisk Model
– Idea from Leanna Russell
The Population
• Students who took the Accuplacer
Mathematics test at Massasoit
Community College during summer
2007
The Population and The
Sample
• Original list: 2407
• Minus duplicates: 2135
• Minus foreign schools: 2060
• Minus no school listed: 2009
• Minus GED: 1875
• Minus privates and small: 1122
Getting the Releases
• Spent much of fall semester
tracking down students
• Thanks to Math department for
assistance
Deciding on the Sample
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Abington
Blue Hills Regional
Bridgewater-Raynham
Braintree
Brockton
Canton
East Bridgewater
Middleborough
Randolph
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Rockland
Southeastern Regional
Silver Lake Regional
South Shore Voc
Stoughton
Weymouth
Whitman-Hanson
Sample Size
• n=533
• This is NOT a random sample!
Contacting the Schools
• Letter to Superintendents
• Follow-up phone calls
• Different experiences
• Renewal of acquaintances
Score to Score Correlations
• Placement via Arithmetic Test
r=.538
• Placement via Elementary Algebra
Test
r=.514
MCAS to Accuplacer
250
N
3
u
m
b
200
27
e
45
r
o
150
>260
240-258
f
S
t
220-228
100
126
u
5
<220
52
35
d
e
230-238
17
50
n
19
28
t
s
21
29
25
2
0
MATH010
MATH101
MATH112
Massasoit Placement
10
23
3
1
10
1
3
82-100
101-120
Accuplacer to MCAS
200
N
u 180
1
m
25
b 160
e
r
o
f
S
140
29
23
120
3
3
80
s
MATH010
19
35
40
20
MATH101
126
60
n
t
MATH112
52
28
d
e
101-120
82-100
100
t
u
1
10
45
2
27
21
17
5
3
0
<220
10
220-228
230-238
MCAS
240-258
>260
What Does It Mean?
• Do the results confirm the Bisk
conclusions?
• Why do students who pass MCAS
place into developmental courses?
What are the Implications?
• Should Accuplacer be given in the
high schools?
• Should schools require math in the
senior year?
• Should the colleges change their
placement test?
DHE School to College
Report
• Among students who passed the
10th grade Mathematics MCAS test
at the needs improvement level, 50
percent enrolled in developmental
math, as opposed to 20 percent of
students who passed at the
proficient level and 4 percent at the
advanced level.
This Sample
More from the Report
• Students who scored needs
improvement on the 10thgrade
mathematics or English language
arts (ELA) MCAS test were more
likely to enroll in a developmental
course than students who scored
proficient or advanced.
This Sample
Can We Draw Any
Conclusions?
• The sample was not random, so any
conclusions are for the sample only.
• There are clear patterns.
• Too many students who pass MCAS
place into developmental
mathematics courses.
Thank You
• To the many colleagues who helped
me with this project
• To the Superintendents who
provided the necessary data
• To Eileen Lee and Shelley Tinkham
who gave me the opportunity to
share this information today.
Contact Me
Lois Martin
Professor of Mathematics
Massasoit Community College
[email protected]