Anne Arundel Community College
&
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Using Accuplacer at the Secondary Level
to Improve Post-Secondary Outcomes
NCTA 2011 Conference – San Diego
Lois Burton & Kristen Vickery
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Off-Campus Accuplacer Testing Projects
12th Grade students
Personal Registration Days/Jump Start Project
Contract Education Testing
Prison System
Fire Academy & EMT Program
Johns Hopkin Healthcare System
Maryland Transportation System
F.O.C.A. Testing
Early Alert Projects
AVID Students (Grades 10-12)
Meade Succeeds
Personal Registration
Days
 The advantages of testing these high schools off-site
were 4 fold:
 Convenience for the student
 Decreased traffic in the Testing Center
 Increased student enrollment
 Involvement with Personal Registration Days’ staff
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Jump Start Program
In 2000, the Testing Center staff started testing 11th grade
students in the high schools for the Jump Start program. This was
a concurrent high school/AACC program which allowed seniors
to:
• Take classes at ½ price,
• Use all college facilities and programs,
• “Bank” credit for future use.
•In 2006, this program was extended to all high school students
aged 16 and above.
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Foundations of College Algebra
This May) to
Pre- and Post Accuplacer testing (September & May) to give students an
early alert on math weaknesses and to assess student growth in
mathematics during their senior year.
This program was initiated to reduce the number of developmental math
classes that a student is required to take.
This program was initiated to reduce the number of developmental math classes
that a student is required to take.
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McCabe Bridge
Partnership
•A testing/academic intervention program for A.V.I.D. students in the 10th, 11th,
and 12th grades.
•Staff goes to the high schools to test the students, and then return to interpret
scores and discuss academic intervention strategies. (SmarThinking, Peer Tutoring,
Speakers’ Bureau).
•Teachers are given class profiles and individual score reports.
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What Group of Students
Was Chosen.?
•Approximately 90 students were in this
project (30 diagnostic, 60 control).
•These students were identified as IEP, 504
or ELL.
•Students in the diagnostic group were
given 1 extra math class period every other
day with targeted tutoring based on the
Accuplacer Diagnostic test. This test shows
strengths and weakness on 5 mathematical
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domains.
What Was The Test
That Was Given?
•The Accuplacer Math Placement test was
given as both a pre- and post test to all
students.
•The Diagnostic Accuplacer Math Test
was given to the pilot group in Fall 2010
•Scores were compared to determine gains
made by the pilot and the control groups.
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What Was AACC’s
Motivation In Doing
This?
•To tell students how close they are to being
ready for college-level math.
•To lessen the amount of developmental
classes that students need when entering
college.
•To make more students college-ready when
they graduate from high school.
make “Success Goals” clearer.
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How Were Scores Reported?
Math 010
Comparable to
Pre-Algebra
Math 011
Comparable
to Algebra I
Math 012
Comparable
to Algebra II
College
Level
Math
Number of Students in Each College Class
Equivalent – Pre-Test & Post-Test
40
35
38
32
30
27
25
20
18
17
15
10
7
5
0
Math 010
Math 011
Math012
Comparison of Placements/Scores
Diagnostic and Control Groups
Control Group
Diagnostic Group
60.0%
60.0%
50.0%
50.0%
35.1%
40.0%
40.0%
33.3%
30.0%
30.0%
20.0%
51.3%
50.0%
20.0%
16.7%
13.5%
10.0%
10.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Decrease in
Placement
Same Placement
Increase in
Placement
Decrease in
Placement
Same Placement
Increase in
Placement
Comparison of Placements/Scores
Diagnostic and Control Groups
Comparison Between Diagnostic
Group and Control Group
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
16.5
10.4
Control Group Scaled Score Gain
Diagnostic Group-Scaled Score Gain
Comparison of Placements/Scores
Diagnostic and Control Groups
Diagnostic Group
60.0%
Control Group
50.0%
50.0%
51.3%
50.0%
40.0%
35.1%
40.0%
33.3%
30.0%
20.0%
60.0%
30.0%
16.7%
20.0%
10.0%
13.5%
10.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Decrease in
Placement
Same Placement
Increase in
Placement
Decrease in
Placement
Same Placement
Comparison Between Diagnostic
Group and Control Group
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
16.5
10.4
Control Group Scaled Score Gain
Diagnostic Group-Scaled Score Gain
Increase in
Placement
Questions ?