The California State University:
Preparing for Admission and Enrollment
Carolina Cardenas, Associate Director, Academic Outreach and Early Assessment
 EAP
– Update
– English Conditional
– Common Core Standards
 Testing
– Registration
– Exemptions from EPT/ELM
 Early Start
– Message
– When required
CSU Message on Preparation
 Concentrated focus must be on early preparation
 Begin early
– Elementary and middle school
 Focus on academic success
– What will help them become better students in
college?
 Emphasize rigorous English and math courses
– The senior year math question…..
Preparation
 Tabs
 Encourage students to
attend CSU college
fairs
– Ask questions about
impacted programs,
supplemental criteria,
deadlines, etc.
Resources for Counselors
www.calstate.edu/SAS
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Admissions Handbook
Impacted Programs
Campus Specific Practices
CSU Mentor tutorial
www.calstate.edu/college
www.calstate.edu/transfer
Resources for Counselors
CSU Mentor
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www.csumentor.edu
Counselor & Educator link
High School Planner
Transfer Planner
Application Filing Status
Report
CSU Success
– www.csusuccess.org
Early Assessment Program
 Give students an early signal of college readiness
– Identify students before their senior year who need to
do additional work in English and/or mathematics
before entering the CSU
 Collaborate with the high school community
– Inform students, families, and high schools of students’
readiness for college-level work
 Provide 12th grade interventions
– Motivate students to take the necessary steps in 12th
grade to ensure readiness
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EAP 11th Grade Testing
 Students may be exempt from CSU (and
participating community college) placement
tests if students earn a ready for college level
courses in English/mathematics status
 To receive EAP results students must complete
ALL sections of test
– ELA CST and additional 15 multiple choice
questions, and
 EAP essay administered in March
– CST in Algebra 2 or Summative High School
Mathematics and 15 multiple choice questions
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EAP 11th Grade Testing
 EAP Statuses
– Ready for CSU or participating community
college level English/math course (exempt)
– Not yet demonstrating CSU or participating
community college level readiness in
English/math (must take EPT/ELM – unless
exempt through another way)
– Ready for CSU or participating community
college level math/English course – conditional
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Conditional Statuses
– Math- Conditional
 Must take a 4th year of math with a pre-requisite
of Algebra II (If student does not take a 4th year math
class will be required to take the ELM)
– English – Conditional
 Year-long Expository Reading and Writing
Course (ERWC), or
 AP/IB English course, or
 Approved Honors English (UC Doorways Site)
– Must earn a grade of C or higher
EAP and the Community Colleges
 Approximately 70 community colleges are
accepting EAP results
 Community colleges may not be accepting
both statuses
 Check their website!!!
 www.cccco.edu/eap
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EAP and Common Core Standards Test
 New assessment tool being developed for state
standards (Smarter Balance Consortia)
– Computer adaptive
– Pilot testing in 2013 and 2014
– Full implementation in 2015
 Will incorporate college readiness standards
– English and math faculty working with Smarter
Balance to develop/align the standards
– EAP is not going away – the assessment tool will
change
Continue to use EAP Resources
 On-line preparation tools
– www.csusuccess.org
– English and math road maps/to do lists
– Free practice tests
 Letter in February reminding students/administrators
of upcoming EAP test (available on-line only)
 Campus EAP coordinators may provide one on one
assistance
EAP Release
 Important to release EAP results to the CSU/CCC
– If a student did not release results, will be required to
submit hard copy to campus
– ETS will begin charging $10 for duplicates
 2012 Release Results English
– Both: 64%
– Not Authorizing: (72K) 19%
 2012 Release Results for Math
– Both: 70%
– Not Authorizing (26K) 13%
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EAP Test Results
http://eap2012.ets.org
http://eap2011.ets.org
http://eap2010.ets.org
http://eap2009.ets.org
http://eap2008.ets.org
http://eap2007.ets.org
http://eap2006.ets.org
WWW.CSUSUCCESS.ORG
– SAT (encouraging early test taking)
– ACT (encouraging early test taking)
EAP – Grade 12
 Learn EAP results
 Determine if student needs to focus on English or
math (or both)
 Adjust courses accordingly (previous CST results)
 If applying to CSU register for EPT/ELM if
necessary
 Conditional status students may need to take
EPT/ELM even if in an approved course
 If student does not meet the condition, admitted
campus will provide direction.
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Campus Communication
 Upon application, campus will send confirmation with
further communication instructions
 Campuses are using e-mail as main form of
communication
 Students should check campus website/portals regularly
– Read more than just the first line…..
 Some campuses send out blanket form letters to all
students asking them to register for EPT/ELM
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EPT/ELM: Does the Student Need it?
 Students who do not show readiness on EAP (AP, SAT,
ACT) will be required to take the EPT and/or ELM
 Students that do not pass EPT/ELM will be required to
begin a remediation activity in the summer
– Early Start
 Students who earned an EAP conditional status may be
required to take the EPT/ELM
– Campuses may use final transcripts to determine if
remediation is needed
– If student is earning a grade below a “C” should consider
taking EPT/ELM
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Other Exemptions - Mathematics
 550 or higher on the mathematics portion of the
SAT Reasoning Test
 550 or higher on a mathematics subject test
(level 1 or level 2)
 23 or more on the ACT mathematics test
 3 or higher on College Board Advanced
Placement Calculus or Statistics
Other Exemptions - English
 500 or higher on the Critical Reading section of
the SAT
 22 or higher on the ACT English Test
 Score of 3 or higher on either the Language &
Composition or Literature & Composition College
Board Advanced Placement Exam
EPT/ELM
 Most students know by the end of the first semester if
they are failing a conditional class
 In math, it’s the 4th year and student has opportunity to do
other activity (i.e. on-line ALEKS)
 In English, if they fail the class they are no longer CSU
eligible!!!!
 Conditional students who are not sure if they are failing,
should register for the EPT/ELM exams
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EPT/ELM Registration
 New registration system
 On-line system designed to:
– Register students who actually need to take the EPT/ELM
– Download EAP, SAT, and ACT data and match w/student
– Reduce walk-ins
– Reduce cash on hand
– Allow campus tests offices to plan accordingly
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EPT/ELM Registration
 Students who are exempt from EPT or ELM by means of
an EAP status of Ready for CSU or participating CCC
college-level coursework, SAT or ACT will not be
permitted to register for the EPT/ELM through the online registration system.
 Students who receive a Ready for CSU or participating
CCC college-level coursework – Conditional or Not yet
demonstrating readiness for CSU or participating CCC
college-level course work in English and/or mathematics
will be permitted to register.
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EPT/ELM: Who Should Take the Test
 The California State University (CSU) requires you to
take the English Placement Test (EPT) and the Entry
Level Mathematics (ELM) exam prior to enrollment in
the CSU. Your scores will determine which Math and
English courses you should take to begin your career at
CSU. You may be exempt from taking the EPT or ELM
based on your scores earned on other appropriate tests
such as the CSU's Early Assessment Program (EAP)
tests in English and Mathematics, the SAT®, ACT®, or
Advanced Placement® (AP). This site will determine if
you are exempt as part of the registration process. For
more information about the EPT and ELM click on the
EPT/ELM Information Bulletin link below.
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Early Start Program
 Early Start was adopted by the CSU Board of
Trustees
 Goals of Early Start are to:
– better prepare students in math and English,
before the Fall semester of freshman year
– provide better assessment and preparation
– ultimately improve a students' chances of
successful completion of a college degree
Early Start
 Students who do not pass the ELM/EPT exams or earn
an exemption will be required to participate in the Early
Start Program
 A student who earns an exemption through EAP, ACT,
SAT or AP is not required to participate in Early Start or
remediation
 Conditional status students do not need to participate in
Early Start
– Depending on performance may still be required to
complete remediation – direction from campus
EPT/ELM Cut Off Scores
 If a student earned a score in:
 Math
– Less than 50
 English –
– Less than 138
 Will be required to participate in Early Start
– English: scores between 138-147 will not need to
participate in Early Start but will be required to
remediate during the first year of enrollment
 In 2014, all students below 147 will be required to
participate in Early Start
Registering for Early Start
 Several ways a student may participate in Early
Start
– Service Area Campus
 Campus close to home
– Destination Campus
 Campus where student will ultimately enroll
 On-line
– Where offered (destination or service area)
 Student may choose a 1 to 3 unit course
Registering for Early Start
 Once student is admitted, campus will determine
if Early Start is required
 Campus will send registration instructions
 Student must tell campus how they will complete
program via Early Start Smart page
– Service Area Campus
– Destination Campus
 Cost is $182 per unit plus $2 for campus fees
 Student may be eligible for Early Start fee waiver
Registering for Early Start
 When student decides how and where they will
participate in Early Start, AND
 Have told their destination campus via Early Start
Smart Page,
 Campus selected will send further instructions
 Student will then be able to register for selected
course/courses
When Student Completes Early Start
 Results will be sent to destination campus if Early
Start activity was completed at a service area
campus
 If student took less than 3 units, may be required
to complete remediation at destination campus
during the first year depending on performance
 Math score values mimic ELM (if they score a 50
or higher in Early Start Math they will have
completed the remediation requirement)
Students who may be exempt from Early
Start Participation
 Student may be exempt from Early Start if:
– Participating in a Summer Bridge/or similar
program
– Non-resident
– International
– Late-admits
– Requested and was granted a waiver due to
hardship
– EAP Conditional
Students who do not willingly participate
in Early Start
 A student that does not participate in Early Start
will have their file reviewed by the Campus
Compliance Committee
 There are a range of consequences:
– Student may be blocked from registering for fall
semester classes
– Student may be placed on academic probation
– May be given two semesters to comply with
remediation requirement
Early Start 2012
 Summer 2012 was first year of Early Start
 18,748 students participated (24K were identified
as Early Start participants)
– 15,546 participated at their destination campus
– 3,202 participated at service campus
 Most students opted to take a 3 unit course
 Currently gathering final data on participants
www.calstate.edu