Mathematics Diagnostic
Testing Project
CCCAA December 12, 2008
MaryAnne Anthony
Santa Ana College
cccmdtp@attglobal.net
What is MDTP?
 Project of CSU and UC
 Started 30 years ago
 Purpose
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determine math skills and competencies
necessary for success in certain math classes
develop diagnostic tests over these areas
Who is MDTP?
 Project administered at UCSD
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Director - Alfred Manaster
Business officer - Donna Ames
 10 site directors
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Located at UC and CSU campuses
Score tests administered at California K-12
schools
Host user conferences
 Workgroup members
MDTP workgroup
 Composition
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About 20 math educators
UC, CSU, CCC, high schools, middle schools
 Summer meeting
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One week
Create & revise tests, review field test data
 One-day meetings during school year
MDTP products
 Multiple choice tests
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4 levels of tests on CCCO list of approved
assessment instruments
6 test levels altogether, including PreAlgebra
Readiness
Diagnostic capabilities, personalized results
MDTP products (cont.)
 On-line practice tests
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Math Analysis Readiness
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Calculus Readiness
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Prepare for IA diagnostic
Get diagnostic information at start or end of course
Prepare for PC diagnostic
Get diagnostic information at start or end of course
http://mdtp.ucsd.edu/OnLineTests.shtml
More MDTP products
 Written response items
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Open ended questions - encourage critical
thinking and mathematical communication
One for each topic at each test level
Class-tested
Include detailed rubric for scoring
CD available- no charge to licensed users, $10 to
others
MDTP tests approved for
CCC placement
 Algebra Readiness, Elementary Algebra
Diagnostic, Intermediate Algebra
Diagnostic, PreCalculus Diagnostic
 Paper/pencil or computer delivered & scored
(CAPP Associates)
 Validated, re-validated, fully approved until
2012
Use of MDTP tests for
CCC math placement
 Colleges set their own cut scores to reflect
curricular needs and their unique student
population
 Ideally, each test helps to determine
whether an incoming student needs to
repeat the last math course or is ready to
enroll in the subsequent course
Services to California’s
Community Colleges
 Placement tests (165,000 used in 2007-08)
 Other multiple choice tests
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May be used for instructional purposes
Consider locally validating and managing for
placement purposes
 Written Response items
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Useful for assessing communication SLOs
Noted as example of BSI best practices
Role of the Community
College Coordinator
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MaryAnne Anthony
Assist assessment officers and math
faculty to implement MDTP tests
Assist math faculty with use of other MDTP
products
Attend CCCAA meetings
Attend CMC3 & CMC3-S
Community College Coordinator
Contact Information
MaryAnne Anthony
cccmdtp@attglobal.net
Phone (714) 564-6646 (after 2/1/2009)
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PreAlgebra Readiness Test
 Could be locally managed to use for
placement in Basic Mathematics classes
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Level below Algebra Readiness Test
May qualify for BSI funding to locally validate
 What is involved?
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See “Standards, Policies and Procedures for the
Evaluation of Assessment Instruments Used in
the California Community Colleges” (March 2001)
Locally Managed Tests Probationary Status
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Good for 2 years
Content Validity – item by item analysis
comparing each test item to each course
prerequisite
Test Bias - Test bias using panel to judge test
items OR Cite one or more community colleges
with similar demographics who have conducted
test bias study OR cite publisher’s test bias
studies on students with similar demographics
Locally Managed Probationary (cont.)
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Cut Score Validation – Cut Score rationale –
setting of cut scores by judgmental or empirical
approach
Disproportionate Impact – Plan to monitor
disproportionate impact for various demographic
groups
ADA – accommodations provided
Locally Managed Tests Full Approval Status
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Good for 6 years
Content validity – same as probationary
Reliability – standard errors of measurement,
internal consistency or test-retest reliability OR
Cite test-retest reliability from publisher OR
Cite the evidence from 1 or more community
colleges that have done test-retest reliability
studies
Locally Managed Full Approval (cont.)
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Test Bias - same as probationary
Cut score validation - same as probationary
Disproportionate Impact – Disproportionate
impact monitored for various demographic groups
every 3 years
ADA accommodations - accommodations provided
Interested?
 Contact the MDTP community college
coordinator
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MaryAnne Anthony
cccmdtp@attglobal.net
Phone (714) 564-6646 (after 2/1/2009)