Best Practices in School to College Alignment: Early Assessment Program

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Best Practices in School to College Alignment
Early Assessment Program
NEW ENGLAND BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION BRIDGING
THE GAP TO PROMOTE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
ALIGNMENT JANUARY 29, 2009 Allison G.
Jones Assistant Vice Chancellor Office of the
Chancellor The California State
University ajones_at_calstate.edu
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• BACKGROUND

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Ways to Demonstrate English andMath Proficiency

• SAT 550 or higher on Critical Reading and
  Mathematics
• ACT 24 or higher on English and 23 or higher
  on math portion
• AP 3 or higher on AP Language and
  Composition or Composition and
  Literature 3 or higher on AP Calculus
• or Statistics
• EAP College Ready on English and College
  Ready/Conditionally Ready

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Goal of the CSU Board of Trustees

• Reduce the percentage of those who need
  remediation in English and mathematics to 10 of
  the students entering the CSU

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Percentage of First-Time Freshmen Entering with
College- level English Proficiency
The California State University
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Percentage of First-Time Freshmen Entering with
College-level Mathematics Proficiency
The California State University
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Failure to Meet English and Math Proficiency

• Students cannot enroll in many required CSU
  college classes until they meet the requirement
• They must spend time taking remedial English and
  math classes during their freshman year until
  they meet the requirement
• They will graduate later because they get no
  degree credit for these remedial classes
• They may have to pay additional charges for these
  classes and
• If they do not demonstrate proficiency by the end
  of the freshman year, they will be disenrolled.

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• COLLABORATION

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The Problem Disconnects between K-12 and Higher
Education

• Lack of agreement on college-readiness standards
• Placement exam standards unclear to high school
  teachers
• Senior year could be used more effectively to
  prepare students academically for college.

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Collaboration

• California State Board of Education
• California Department of Education
• California State University

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Collaboration

• CDE sponsored legislation to allow students in
  grade 11 to be able to authorize the release of
  their results to send to CSU as well as for CDE
  to release the results to CSU
• CST answer document was modified to allow the
  students to acknowledge that that the EAP results
  could be sent to CSU
• EAP results were added to the grade 11 CST
  student report (2007)
• Parents and students receive the EAP results at
  the same time they receive the CST results on the
  STAR report form

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Collaboration

• CDE allows CSU staff to review the CSTs to select
  items for EAP
• CST answer document was lengthened to include 15
  additional EAP items in each content area
• California Community Colleges now authorized to
  use EAP for placement beginning 2010
• CSU and Community Colleges will have access to
  students who do not score proficient

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Modifications in ELM Placement Test

• Math faculty reassessed ELM in relation to campus
  remediation programs and to CSU GE-Breadth
  courses in mathematics concepts and quantitative
  reasoning
• May 2000, CSU Math Council proposed that ELM be
  modified to strengthen CSUs commitment to strong
  mathematics requirements for FTF
• By reemphasizing the admission requirements of 3
  years of high school math, and
• By focusing ELM on content of these courses most
  appropriate to basic GE-Breadth courses in math
  concepts and quantitative reasoning
• Continue to assess student proficiency through
  intermediate algebra, Math Council recommended
• that the emphasis of ELM be shifted from
  algebraic symbol manipulation skills
• toward problem solving skills, number sense,
  graph interpretation, and the skills most
  relevant to all students entering CSU

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• EAP
• (Early Assessment Program)

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Commitment

• EAP was designed to
• better align academic achievement and
  expectations between K-12 and higher education
• to decrease the number of incoming college
  students who required remediation in English
  and/or mathematics
• to encourage students to use their senior year in
  high school more effectively
• Piloted in 2003
• Implemented in 2004
• Administered to high school juniors

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Components of EAP

• 11th grade testing
• Supplemental high school preparation in 12th
  grade available
• Teacher/administrator professional development
• Parent/family communication
• Preservice teacher preparation

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EAP Test

• Voluntary
• Administered in Spring of 11th grade with
  California Standards Test
• Contains 15 additional multiple-choice itemsin
  English and math
• Essay required in English
• Selected items from CST and additional EAP items
  (including essay in English) are scored to
  determine student readiness for college English
  and/or mathematics

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EAP Results

• Students receive the CST score report, which also
  indicates whether they are
• College ready at end of grade 11
• Exempt from taking CSUs placement tests
• Exempt from remediation upon enrollment
• Not college ready yet
• Advised to take mathematics in 12th grade
• Advised to take 12th grade Expository
  Reading/Writing class
• Access CSUs English and Math for Success Web
  sites for additional opportunities to improve
  English and math skills
• Must take CSUs placement tests

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Benefits to Students

• Early warning
• Adjust senior-year coursework to prepare for
  college-level courses
• Earn an exemption from CSU-required English
  and/or mathematics placement tests
• Avoid investing time and money in college
  remediation courses that do not count toward a
  baccalaureate degree

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• CONTENT SKILLS ASSESSED

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What is Assessed in English

• Selected CST questions are those that parallel
  CSU proficiency expectations, plus 15 additional
  items and essay
• Purpose of the additional items is to better
  assess analytical reading skills, composing
  skills, and writing proficiency

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EAP What is Assessed in Math

• Selected CST questions are those that parallel
  CSU proficiency expectations, plus 15 additional
  items selected by CSU math faculty
• CSU questions on CST are from State Board
  Standards
• However, CSU does not cover Proof, Trig
  Functions, Probability, and Logarithms
• Important topics that need to be learned but not
  essential skills for success in GE math
• Purpose measure depth, not breadth of content
  knowledge
• Depth important because CSU grants exemptions
  from placement exam

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Math Content Specifications

• More emphasis on problem solving mathematical
  thinking
• Less emphasis on recall of formulae than current
  test
• Much of the content unchanged, but notable
  additions
• numbers and data category
• And deletions
• Probability, Proof, Trig Functions, and
  Logarithms
• Content continued to focus on traditional high
  school mathematics required for admission to the
  CSU, e.g., Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II

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Math Content Specifications

• Revised specifications place more emphasis on
  geometry, especially the connections between
  algebra and geometry
• Greater emphasis on data analysis
• Smaller proportion of pure algebra problems than
  on current test
• Modified ELM measures conceptual understanding
  and problem solving ability more than easily
  forgotten facts and algorithms

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• INTERVENTIONS

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How CSU Supports Students to Gain Proficiency in
English and Math

• Advise students and families on how to meet CSU
  expectations
• Provide educational tools and planning resources
  to help students improve their English and math
  skills
• CSU English and Math Success Web sites
• Provide teacher professional development programs
• Support high school adoption of specific
  curricula
• ERWC
• Specialized support for alternative math offerings

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Expository Reading and Writing Course

• Developed by CSU English faculty and high school
  teachers
• Aligned with ELA content standards for 11th and
  12th grades
• Structured around assignment template addressing
  reading and writing
• Engages students in a study of rhetoric and
  composition
• Enables students to read and write academic prose
  effectively and strategically

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Expository Reading and Writing Course

• Increases students mastery of academic language
• Emphasizes in-depth study of expository,
  analytical, and argumentative writing
• Deepens students critical reading, writing, and
  thinking skills
• Approved to fulfill the college prep requirement
  for English
• Not intended as an honors or remedial course

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Preliminary Evaluation of Expository Reading and
Writing Course

• Effect on Teachers
• Experienced strong success with curricular
  materials
• Found material academically rigorous and engaging
• Systemic changes in teaching
• Observed that . . .
• Depth, rigor, and intensity contributed to
  strong, positive outcomes for students
• College expectations increased
• Students experienced increased confidence as
  writers and readers
• Worked well for English language learners

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Preliminary Evaluation of Expository Reading and
Writing Course

• Effect on Students
• Increased skills in reading comprehension,
  expository writing, and independent thinking
• Analyzed text material more thoroughly
• Reexamined ideas in text
• Read text with different/multiple purposes
• Evaluated and analyzed strength of writers
  arguments
• Read more, including more complex texts by choice
• Applied skills learned with expository texts with
  traditional English language arts texts
• Students enrolled in course using modules scored
  higher on EPT than students in traditional classes

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English Success Home Page
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High School Math Courses

• Most high schools offer courses beyond Algebra II
  that lead to or include calculus, e.g., Trig,
  Solid Geometry, or math analysis
• Recently, some high schools include statistics,
  but not always with Algebra II or as a
  prerequisite
• Senior Year Experience Algebra II
• Committee of 3 math faculty of ELM Development
  Committee
• 10 School Districts submitted these
  non-traditional courses for approval for senior
  year

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Math Success Homepage
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• PROFESSIONAL
• DEVELOPMENT IN
• ENGLISH

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Professional Development in English

• Provides teachers with skills necessary to teach
  the Expository Reading and Writing Course
• Reading Institutes for Academic Preparation
  offered through selected CSU campuses for
  teachers in grades 9-12 in all subject areas to
  improve capacity to teach reading/academic
  literacy across the curriculum

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Professional Development in English

• Offered by County Offices of Education and the
  CSU to high school English teachers
• Heightens teachers awareness of college-level
  English expectations
• Emphasizes teaching expository text and
  rhetorical analysis

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• PROFESSIONAL
• DEVELOPMENT IN
• MATHEMATICS

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Professional Development in Mathematics

• Offered by County Offices of Education and the
  CSU to high school math teachers
• Increases teachers knowledge and understanding
  of EAP program
• Examines student performance on ELM to identify
  and analyze patterns of student strengths and
  weaknesses
• Increases teachers knowledge and understanding
  of options that exist to increase and sustain
  student math skills

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Math PD - Intent

• Did not include development and dissemination of
  a course like Expository Reading and Writing
  Course (12th grade)
• Did not support curricular changes as in English
• Designed to get more students to take more and
  higher levels of math
• No systematic and supported evaluation of
  outcomes

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High School Math Courses Approved by CSU for 12th
Grade

• Finite Mathematics, An Applied Approach
• A Survey of Mathematics with Application
• Functional Analysis
• Pre-Calculus
• Statistics
• EAP Advanced Algebra
• Discrete Math
• These choices exist purely because of EAP.

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High School Math Courses

• Most high schools offer courses beyond Algebra II
  that lead to or include calculus, e.g., Trig,
  Solid Geometry, or math analysis
• Recently, some high schools include statistics,
  but not always with Algebra II or as a
  prerequisite
• Senior Year Experience Algebra II
• Committee of 3 math faculty of ELM Development
  Committee
• 10 School Districts submitted these
  non-traditional courses for approval for senior
  year

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• EAP
• SCORE RESULTS

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Spring 2008 Results

• English EAP
• 352,943 of 446,153 (eligible juniors took English
  EAP (79), compared to 342,348 (78) in 2007
• 17 college ready, compared to 16 in 2007
• Mathematics EAP
• 147,885 of 209,873 eligible juniors took Math EAP
  (70), compared to 141,648 (70) in 2007
• 55 college ready, the same percentage as in 2007
• (College Ready 13 (19,442) Conditional 42
  (62,660)

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Meaning?

• Overall, changes in math proficiency of entering
  freshmen are minimal
• 1 over 3 years
• Among means to become exempt from taking the CSU
  Entry Level Math Exam (ELM) , percent who qualify
  on EAP increased from 6.5 to 8.2
• A few more scored ready on EAP
• A few more who scored conditional ready on EAP
  took 12th grade math class and moved to ready

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Meaning?

• While percentages of students taking the EAP have
  decreased, the actual number of test takers has
  increased each year.
• An increase in ready scores among summative
  math students is offset by a comparable reduction
  in conditional ready scores.
• Performance appears to have improved more at the
  summative math level than at Algebra II

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• RESOURCES

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Web-Based Resources CSU Developed

• CSU Math Success Website (www.csumathsuccess.org)
  practice tests with personalized feedback,
  customized Roadmap advising tool, e-mail
  reminders about preparing for the CSU, student
  testimonial videos explaining the importance of
  preparing for college-level math.
• ALEKS Personalized Online ELM Exam Tutorial
  (http//www.csumathsuccess.org/exam_prep)
  intelligent tutor software, costs 35, covers
  only those topics that appear on the CSU ELM Exam
• CSU EAP Math Professional Development for HS
  Teachers (http//pd.csusuccess.org/) Online EAP
  math professional development for CA middle and
  high school math teachers
• CSU English Success Website (www.csuenglishsuccess
  .org) practice tests with personalized
  feedback, customized Roadmap advising tool,
  e-mail reminders about preparing for the CSU,
  student testimonial videos explaining the
  importance of preparing for college-level English.

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Web-Based Resources CSU Developed

• 5. Calibrated Peer Review (http//www.csuenglish
  success.org/practice_ept_essays) online essay
  writing tool that allows students to respond  to
  retired EPT essay prompts and engage in an online
  peer review process using the EPT scoring rubric.
• 6. Online EAP Status Check (http//www.csusuccess
  .org/eap_results) service that allows high
  school seniors to determine their EAP status and
  receive customized advice for becoming
  college-ready.

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Web-Based Resources CSU Developed

• 7. EAP STAR Report Website (http//www.csusucces
  s.org/star) website that explains all EAP
  statuses and provides suggestions for becoming
  college-ready.
• 8. EAP 11th Grade Portal (http//www.csusuccess.
  org/juniors) website showing the importance of
  participating in the EAP which encourages
  students to submit their e-mail address in order
  to be alerted when their EAP results are ready.

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Resources

• Early Assessment Program Home Page
• www.calstate.edu/eap
• Math Success Website
• www.csumathsuccess.org
• English Success Website
• www.csuenglishsuccess.org
• ALEKS ELM Tutorial
• www.csumathsuccess.org/alekslink
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• www.calstate.edu/eap/documents/eapfaqfinal/pdf
• California Just for the Kids
• www.jftk-ca.org
• California Department of Education
• www.cde.ca.gov

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Summary

• EAP helps California students to prepare
  academically for college or the workforce
• Reduces need for remediation
• Improves path to degree

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• QUESTIONS