The High School –
College Disconnect
presented to: The Coastal Bend
Mathematics Collaborative, 11/14/05
G. Donald Allen
Department of Mathematics
Texas A&M University
Why are we here?
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To consider the connections and disconnections
between secondary and postsecondary
institutions.
To develop an awareness of K-12 issues.
To develop an awareness of college realities for
our students.
To find common ground across the bridge
between high school and college.
Where do we stand?
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Enrollment in college has remained steady at
44% of the graduating class.
Texas sends fewer students to college than
other states (33% of 9th graders)
72% of growth in college enrollment is in two
year colleges. (565k vs 483k)
College readiness is a focus area by the THECB
Texas now has an Educator Quality and P-16
Initiatives division of TEA
Two-year colleges had 88,007 additional students, 2000 to 2003
Universities increased by 58,192 from 2000 to 2003
Where do we stand?
Value Added in High School Declined
During the Nineties
 Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate
Strong Math Skills.

Low-Income Students More Likely to End
Up in 2-Year Colleges and Proprietary
Institutions: 1995-96
Middle- and
Upperincome
4
Low-income
42
34.2
21
0
For Profit
10
50
20
30
2-Year
40
50
60
70
Public 4-yr
20.1
19.2
10
80
90 100
Private 4-yr
Source: American Council on Education, Center for Policy Analysis, Crucial Choices: How Students’ Financial Decisions
Affect Their Academic Success using The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: 1995-96 (NPSAS) & Beginning
Postsecondary Students 1996/98 (BPS)
College Freshmen Not Returning
for Sophomore Year
4 yr colleges
 2 yr colleges
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26%
45%
Retention is a priority on most campuses
Graduating…
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The statewide six-year graduation rate is
52 percent, while the national rate is about
55 percent.
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Nationwide, only half (52%) of full-time,
first-time freshmen at four-year institutions
earn a bachelor’s degree within five years
Comparisons
Of every 100 kindergarten children…
Graduate from high
school
Complete some
college
Obtain a bachelor's
degree
White
African American
Latino
93
87
63
65
51
32
32
17
11
BUT… About 40% of white students, 23% of AfricanAmerican students, and 20% of Hispanic students who
started public high school graduated college-ready in
2002.
What is College Readiness?
Dual credit courses
 Texas Success Initiative (TSI) (formerly
TASP)
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 THEA, ASSET,
COMPASS and
ACCUPLACER
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Standards for test exemption: SAT – 1070
combined; ACT – 23 composite; TAKS –
2200 in math
Texas Success Initiative
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Effective September 1, 2003, the Texas Academic Skills
Program (TASP) ceased to exist,
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) was implemented for all
public colleges and universities.
TSI is focused on using a statewide standard for
assessing college level readiness skills of all entering
undergraduate students at public colleges and
universities.
New students are assessed on their reading, writing and
math skills, then academically advised and placed in
developmental level courses if necessary.
Why higher education?
70% of the 30 fastest-growing jobs will
require an education beyond high school.
 40% of all new jobs will require at least an
associate’s degree.

Bureau of Census & Education Trust,1999
More Data…
2.5 million students graduate from high
school annually
 70% go on to post-secondary education
within two years
 50% of those take remedial courses –
often in several subjects
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College is important for life…
Salaries for adults aged 25
With a high school diploma, $24,267
 With an associate’s degree, $26,693
 With a bachelor’s degree, $40,314
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U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001
Today’s topics
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Assessment in high school vs. college
 computational
vs. analytical questions
 calculators, yes or no?
 test taking strategizing
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Placement exams vs. TAKS vs. College Exams
Scoring correction awareness
Critical transition points
Today’s topics
College readiness
 Local college-high school liaisons
 Forming P-16 initiatives
 Workshop deliverables
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Scoring Correction – a little math
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Assume multiple choice test of n questions with
four distractors.
The student gets m correct, w wrong: m + w = n.
Grade = m - or is it?
g = number guessed at. w=3/4 g. (g = 4/3 w).
True score = n – g = n - 4/3w = m - w/3.
Example n=100. m = 75. True score is
75 – 25/3 ~ 67
Ex. On any such multiple choice test, a grade of 85% is
required to be equivalent to a corrected score of 80%. A
grade of 77% ~ corrected score of 78%.
What sort of placement instruments
do we use?
High school grades? TAKS raw score.
 High school rank?
 SAT, THEA, Accuplacer, Compass, ACT?
 Internal placement exam?
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Is there any consistency?
Accuplacer – an adaptive test
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This means that the computer automatically determines
which questions are presented based on prior
responses.
This technique selects just the right questions to ask
without being too easy or too difficult.
The test is not timed.
After you answer each question, the computer calculates
a score based on all of the answers given and uses this
score to select the next question.
Questions must be answered in the order given.
Critical transition points
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When do students get turned on to mathematics
(and why)?
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Applications?
Teacher?
Career day?
Love of subject?
 When
do students get turned off to mathematics (and
why)?
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Fear or anxiety of subject?
Teacher?
Placement Exams
Test for reliability and validity
 Tracking students
 ACCUPLACER is the computer adaptive
testing system approved by the Texas
State Legislature as an alternative
assessment tool for initial THEA testing.
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Test equivalencies (for TSI)
Minimum passing standards for WTAMU admission
Test
Math
THEA
230
ACCUPLACER
63 elem alg
ASSET
38 elem alg
COMPASS
39 alg
Texas Success Initiative (TSI)
Test equivalencies (for TSI)
Minimum passing standards for Del Mar admission
Test
THEA
ACCUPLACER
ASSET
COMPASS
Texas Success Initiative (TSI)
Math
230
63 elem alg
38 elem alg
39 alg
Minimum passing scores for
College Algebra at UH
Test
THEA
SAT
ACT
Math
250
530
21