Board # 111 : Using High School Transcript Data and Diagnostic Information to Fine-Tune Placement Policy and Tailor Instruction in Developmental Math

Tatiana Melguizo; Federick Ngo

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Conference: 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Publication Date: June 24, 2017
Start Date: June 24, 2017
End Date: June 28, 2017
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--27691
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/27691
Download Count: 493

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Paper Authors

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Tatiana Melguizo University of Southern California

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Dr. Tatiana Melguizo is an Associate Professor in the USC Rossier School of Education. She works in the field of economics of higher education. She uses quantitative methods of analysis and large-scale longitudinal survey data to study the association of different factors such as student trajectories and specific institutional characteristics on the persistence and educational outcomes of minority (African American and Hispanic) and low-income students.

Melguizo received a PhD in Economics of Education from Stanford University and an MA in Social Policy from the London School of Economics. Her work has been published in Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Teachers College Record, The Journal of Higher Education, The Review of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education and Higher Education. She is a recipient of the American Education Research Association (AERA) dissertation grant. Melguizo has also received grants from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Spencer foundation, AERA, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Jack Kent Cooke, Nellie Mae and Lumina foundations and from the Association for Institutional Research, National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (AIR/NPEC).

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Federick Ngo University of Southern California

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Federick Ngo is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Education Policy at the University of Southern California. His research interests include college access and persistence, math education, and community colleges.

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Abstract

One of the curiosities of remedial math education in community colleges (CC) is that faculty typically do not have access to students’ academic background or placement testing data. This is understandable given the general lack of integrated K-12 and postsecondary data and articulation between these systems. CCs therefore resort to reliance on complex and expensive assessment and placement (A&P) systems to sort students into coursework. However, while over 90% of CCs use placement tests, the data from these tests also largely do not make it into the hands of faculty. They therefore typically begin teaching their courses without many clues as to students’ abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Although this may be a hallmark of the open-door CC model, research suggests that more data may in fact be helpful. Higher education scholars have documented how variables such as high school GPA and prior course-taking are often stronger predictors of college success than test scores (Adelman, 2006). Challenging the over-reliance on placement testing, researchers have also found that supplementing or even replacing placement tests with high school transcript (HST) information may improve course placement (Scott-Clayton et al., 2014). Further, math diagnostics, which provide skill specific information about student math skills, can also be a potentially valuable resource for math faculty. They can improve placement accuracy and help teachers tailor instruction in math classrooms (Betts, Hahn, & Zau, 2011).

There is limited research that explicitly addresses the role and usefulness of HST and diagnostic data in the CC setting. Addressing this gap in the literature, we conducted a mixed methods study to understand whether and how a wealth of background data from HSTs and math diagnostics might improve A&P and be useful to CC math faculty. We examined longitudinal student records from high school to CC in a large California metropolitan area and tested associations between relevant academic background variables from HSTs, placement testing results, and students’ CC outcomes. We also conducted surveys and interviews of all full-time math faculty (N=22) at one CC where diagnostic data are collected during placement testing but not shared with faculty. This provided an opportunity to gather math faculty members’ insight on the usefulness of HST and diagnostic data for improving math placement and for tailoring instruction in math classrooms.

The initial survey results are illuminating. Most faculty members reported that HST information, particularly grades in math courses, were the best predictors of math success, even more so than placement tests. However, nearly half reported knowing very little about incoming student math skills. Interestingly, several indicated they did not want to receive additional information about student skills and were skeptical about the quality of additional information they would receive.

We will supplement these findings with the results of the quantitative analyses at the conference. The results of the study provide much needed information that can improve A&P practices in developmental math, as well as provide insight into how faculty can use valuable diagnostic and HS transcript information to inform their teaching.

Citation
Format

Melguizo, T., & Ngo, F. (2017, June), Board # 111 : Using High School Transcript Data and Diagnostic Information to Fine-Tune Placement Policy and Tailor Instruction in Developmental Math Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--27691

TY - CPAPER
AB - One of the curiosities of remedial math education in community colleges (CC) is that faculty typically do not have access to students’ academic background or placement testing data. This is understandable given the general lack of integrated K-12 and postsecondary data and articulation between these systems. CCs therefore resort to reliance on complex and expensive assessment and placement (A&amp;P) systems to sort students into coursework. However, while over 90% of CCs use placement tests, the data from these tests also largely do not make it into the hands of faculty. They therefore typically begin teaching their courses without many clues as to students’ abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Although this may be a hallmark of the open-door CC model, research suggests that more data may in fact be helpful. Higher education scholars have documented how variables such as high school GPA and prior course-taking are often stronger predictors of college success than test scores (Adelman, 2006). Challenging the over-reliance on placement testing, researchers have also found that supplementing or even replacing placement tests with high school transcript (HST) information may improve course placement (Scott-Clayton et al., 2014). Further, math diagnostics, which provide skill specific information about student math skills, can also be a potentially valuable resource for math faculty. They can improve placement accuracy and help teachers tailor instruction in math classrooms (Betts, Hahn, &amp; Zau, 2011).

There is limited research that explicitly addresses the role and usefulness of HST and diagnostic data in the CC setting. Addressing this gap in the literature, we conducted a mixed methods study to understand whether and how a wealth of background data from HSTs and math diagnostics might improve A&amp;P and be useful to CC math faculty. We examined longitudinal student records from high school to CC in a large California metropolitan area and tested associations between relevant academic background variables from HSTs, placement testing results, and students’ CC outcomes. We also conducted surveys and interviews of all full-time math faculty (N=22) at one CC where diagnostic data are collected during placement testing but not shared with faculty. This provided an opportunity to gather math faculty members’ insight on the usefulness of HST and diagnostic data for improving math placement and for tailoring instruction in math classrooms.

The initial survey results are illuminating. Most faculty members reported that HST information, particularly grades in math courses, were the best predictors of math success, even more so than placement tests. However, nearly half reported knowing very little about incoming student math skills. Interestingly, several indicated they did not want to receive additional information about student skills and were skeptical about the quality of additional information they would receive.

We will supplement these findings with the results of the quantitative analyses at the conference. The results of the study provide much needed information that can improve A&amp;P practices in developmental math, as well as provide insight into how faculty can use valuable diagnostic and HS transcript information to inform their teaching.

AU - Tatiana Melguizo
AU - Federick Ngo
CY - Columbus, Ohio
DA - 2017/06/24
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board # 111 : Using High School Transcript Data and Diagnostic Information to Fine-Tune Placement Policy and Tailor Instruction in Developmental Math
UR - https://peer.asee.org/27691
DO - 10.18260/1-2--27691
ER -