Testing, Assessment Alterations Made to Create More Equitable Outcomes

This article is a continuation of the Equity and Excellence story from May 1, 2017.

 

One of the first steps in reaching the goal of becoming the leading college of equity and excellence was looking at the system of testing and assessment for students to be placed in English classes.

 

“We thought testing and assessment was a way to really understand our students because the majority of our students place into basic skills,” Hands said. “A high portion of African American, Chicano and Latino students are overrepresented in their placement in basic skills. Our data shows that students that start off in courses below college transfer level very rarely make it out of basic skills, so we’re starting people in stages and we know that they’re not going to successfully come out of that.”

 

A change agent team of about 40 faculty and staff conducted action research (research used to solve an immediate or progressive problem) to “look at the conditions that exist – not make any assumptions about them” as far as taking an English course at Mesa is concerned, according to Luster. Members of the team looked at the college’s website, the method for applying to Mesa College, the English placement exam, the syllabi for English courses and actually sat in on English classes to fully experience the process. What the team found were inequities in the assessment for level placement.

 

Since then, the department has changed its curriculum so that students who have placed below college-level English can take the 101 course concurrently with an Academic Literacy course (ENGL 031) to brush up on their basic skills. In doing so, it eliminates the process of having to take English courses for a couple of semesters or years before taking a class that is at the transfer or graduation level.

 

The San Diego Community College District as a whole is currently participating in the Multiple Measures Assessment Project pilot. Instead of solely relying on placement exams to evaluate students at Mesa College, MMAP factors in high school transcripts, grades and non-cognitive variables in the creation of education plans for students to complete college level courses.

 

“Relying exclusively on standardized tests for placement is a weak predictor of students’ performance in college,” said Ailene Crakes, Acting Dean of Student Development. “MMAP will help create equitable outcomes for students at Mesa by overcoming the under placement phenomenon that is occurring among students who take the assessment tests. This pilot will allow us to implement pathways to English and math courses that will hopefully result in increased student access to transfer level courses.”

 

Outreach Coordinator and Assessment Supervisor Genevieve Esguerra added that, “by utilizing transcript data, many students will have the opportunity to bypass the assessment test and receive a placement that is truly commensurate with their knowledge and ability in both English and math.”

 

In April 2017, Mesa College tested the new MMAP system at James Madison and Kearny High Schools.

 

Stay tuned for a continuation of this story and weekly articles highlighting students, faculty and staff who are working toward the goal of making Mesa the Leading College of Equity and Excellence. For more information about Student Success and Equity at Mesa College, contact Dean Larry Maxey at (619) 388-5940, or via email at lmaxey@sdccd.edu.

Tags: Equity and Excellence