UTILITY


 * [Peggy Moe]**

=6. Utility = =The placement assessment system makes a positive contribution to students’ chances for success at the college. = ===The assessment process creates a greater understanding of students’ strengths and weaknesses in the areas being assessed. Assessment results can be used to support the development of improvement strategies. ===

Notes:
For placement to make a positive contribution to student success it must: · insure the student has the skills needed for future classes · prevent redundant time & effort · provide the best possible pathway The content, cognitive demands, and psychometric quality of placement exams are a “dark continent” in terms of the assessment research literature. Students are admitted to the postsecondary institution under a low standard, but placed in credit courses or remediation on another higher standard. [] A federally financed study of Texas public-college students has found little evidence that remedial programs there improve underprepared students' graduation chances or their performance in the labor market soon after college. "If anything, we find some evidence that remediation might worsen the outcomes of some students,  []   By definition, success in college means fulfilling academic requirements: a student earns a degree by taking and passing courses. Longitudinal research confirms that the best preparation for college is academic. All factors considered, prior academic achievement and cognitive ability surpass all other factors in their influence on student performance and persistence in college.     To be sure, nonacademic factors also matter, especially as they relate to academic activities. Nonacademic factors can influence academic performance, but cannot substitute for it. Relevant nonacademic factors can be classified into three groups:    1. Individual psychosocial factors, such as motivation (e.g., academic self-discipline, commitment to school) and self-regulation (e.g., emotional control, academic self-confidence) 2. Family factors, such as attitude toward education, involvement in students’ school activities, and geographic stability 3. Career planning that identifies a good fit between students’ interests and their postsecondary work [] A Brief Overview of the Ten Factors of the College Success Factors Index 2.0 Responsibility/Control: If we do not take control over the responsibilities we assume in college, less success is possible. Competition: The need to compete is part of our culture and thus an aspect of college and career success. For successful students, competition becomes internalized-they compete with themselves. Task Planning: A strong task orientation and a desire to complete a task in a planned step-by-step manner are very important to college success. Expectations: Successful students have goals that are related to assignments, areas of study, and future careers. Family Involvement: Family encouragement and/or participation in planning and decision making are factors in a student's success. College Involvement: Being involved in college activities, relating to faculty and developing strong peer relationships are important factors in retention. Time Management: How people maximize their time and prioritize class assignments affects their productivity and success. Wellness: People need ways to handle their problems. Stress, anger, sleeplessness, alcohol/drug use, inadequate diet and lack of exercise are deterrents to college success. Precision: To approach one's education by being exact, careful with details and specific with assignments is a measure of success. Persistence: To face a task with diligence, self-encouragement and a sense of personal urgency even when some tasks take extra effort and are repetitious is a mark of academic success. [] Our findings indicate that the non-academic factors of academic-related skills, academic self-confidence, academic goals, institutional commitment, social support, certain contextual influences (institutional selectivity and financial support), and social involvement all had a positive relationship to retention. The academic factors of high school grade point average (HSGPA) and ACT Assessment scores, and socioeconomic status (SES) had a positive relationship to college retention, the strongest being HSGPA, followed by SES and ACT Assessment scores. The overall relationship to college retention was strongest when SES, HSGPA, and ACT Assessment scores were combined with institutional commitment, academic goals, social support, academic self-confidence, and social involvement. []