Transcript English Placement Testing By Pedram What do English Placement Tests do? • Tests the skills of a student to determine the level of English they belong in •

English Placement
Testing
By Pedram
What do English Placement
Tests do?
• Tests the skills of a
student to determine
the level of English
they belong in
• Prevents students
from enrolling in a
class they are not
prepared for
• Keeps things fair
Who Needs to Take Them?
• All new students
• All students must test in basic
skills if they plan to:
• Transfer
• Earn a degree or certificate
• Enroll in basic English or ESL
• Are undecided about their
educational future
• Students exempt if they have
earned an Associate in Arts or
higher degree (from USA) or
have completed English 1A
Which courses require
Placement Testing?
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All ESL courses
English 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 100B, 160, 200, 150
LART 100, 170, 200
Reading 100, 101, 201, 202
Taking the Test
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Choose the tests you need to take
Photo I.D. required- passport,
driver's license, high school
yearbook…
(must be in English)
Bring Social Security number
No appointments available
Must report minimum 30 minutes
before test time
Doors will be closed ten minutes
before test time
No one will be admitted late
Must stay for the entire test time
Bring several #2 wood pencils
Students who think they have
learning or physical disability
should contact Assessment
Center
…Still Taking the Test
• Computerized session
• Called adaptive testing
• “C.E.L.S.A Test”:
Combined English
Language Skills
Assessment
• Not timed
• 20 sentence structure
questions
• 20 reading
comprehension questions
• ½ hour to take writing
sample essay
Source: http://www.deanza.edu/admissions/placement/info.html
Interview With Bert Manriquez
(Director of Assessment at DA)
• Q: What happens if you are unhappy with your
test results?
• A: You cannot retake the test until 6 months
later, unless you have a good reason for appeal
(like felt sick or had family crisis on your mind at
the time).
• Q: How many complaints have there been about
the tests in the past quarter?
• A: About 3.
Interview With Bert Manriquez
(Director of Assessment at DA)
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Q: What were the tests like before this system?
A: Paper and pencil tests with scantron.
Q: When did DA start using this new system?
A: This past quarter.
Q: Why isn’t the computer portion timed?
A: No inherent reason why tests should be
timed.
Interview With Bert Manriquez
(Director of Assessment at DA)
• Q: So was there a time limit on the objective
portion of the test for the old system?
• A: Yes.
• Q: Why for the old test and not for the new one?
• A: The computerized testing allows for the
questions to be randomized, therefore no time
limit is needed since all tests are different.
• Q: Is there anyone pressuring the students to
hurry up?
• A: No.
Interview With Bert Manriquez
(Director of Assessment at DA)
• Q: Why is the written portion timed then?
• A: Because after a certain amount of time has
passed, the student isn’t exercising their skills;
they are only re wording their work.
• Q: Who evaluates these essays?
• A: The English teachers at DA.
• Q: What if a student ends up in a level that is too
hard for them?
• A: He or she can take a class in a lower level but
only if they have never passed it before.
Interview With Bert Manriquez
(Director of Assessment at DA)
• Q: Has anyone ever been allowed to take a class even
though they missed it by just a little?
• A: Yes.
• Q: Why?
P
F
• A: 2 point error system:
Error
Pass/Fail
10
3
• Q: Is the MC or essay
P
more accurate?
Error
• A: Written, it weighs
more too.
F
2
10
Survey
• Were you happy with your English placement
results? 12
10
8
3-D Column 1
3-D Column 2
3-D Column 3
6
4
2
0
Yes
No
Survey
• Is there anything about the test
you wish was different?
• More Questions = more
accurate
• The essay
• Essay question needs more
time
• Do you think you
were given enough
time?
12
10
8
3-D Colum
3-D Colum
3-D Colum
6
4
2
0
Yes
No
Survey
• Do you think the test results adequately
reflected the level of English you think you
belonged in?
12
10
8
East
3-D Column 2
3-D Column 3
6
4
2
0
Yes
No
Survey
• What was the best thing about the placement
test?
• The essay
• It finished at one point
• Worst thing?
• Gave me a headache
• MC
Survey
• Do you think the test was administered
properly?
16
14
12
10
3-D Colu
3-D Colu
3-D Colu
8
6
4
2
0
Yes
No
Tips for Taking the Test
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Get a good nights sleep
Eat well before the test
Arrive prepared
Don’t be nervous-as long as you do your
best you will be put into the level you
belong in
• Try taking some sample tests here:
http://www.spjc.edu/webcentral/admit/Place
ment1/sentence1.pdf
Now What?
• As we’ve learned from the class book,
tutees come in all shapes and sizes aka
ages and ethnicities. Some have a hard
time in the class level they were placed in
and some not so much. It is our job to be
patient, open, and understanding. Looking
for strengths and weakness is an
important aspect successful tutoring.
What can e expect in the
future?
• More computerized
testing?
• More time?
• More questions?
• Our complaints will
determine the
changes in the future.
• SO SPEAK UP