Testing as a means of documenting progress has risen to prominence in the climate of educational crisis which followed the publication of "A Nation At Risk." New developments in testing will determine how some of the current problems now facing postsecondary education are resolved. Among these problems are the following: lack of agreement on what…

The results of the June 2000 CLAST administration are reported in this information capsule. Results are reported for first-time examinees, retake examinees, and students earning alternatives to the CLAST requirement. During this administration period, 3,858 Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) (Florida) students earned an alternative in at least…

In 1983-84, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges developed and field tested an instrument, the General Academic Assessment (GAA) student survey, to assess community college students' knowledge in several liberal arts areas, including the humanities. The GAA was completed by a sample of 8,024 students at four large, urban community…

The Arizona Minority Education Policy Analysis Center (AMEPAC) is a policy center of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. AMEPAC's mission is to stimulate, through studies, statewide discussion, and debate, constructive improvement of Arizona minority students' early awareness, access, and achievement throughout the educational…

A comprehensive student basic skills assessment program was developed at St. Louis Community College (SLCC) at Florissant Valley to appraise student readiness to take courses, gather information for counseling and advising, diagnose student problems, and evaluate program efficiency and effectiveness. The steps taken in developing the program were:…

In 1983-84, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges developed and field-tested an instrument, the General Academic Assessment (GAA), to assess community college students' knowledge in several liberal arts areas, including the sciences. The GAA was completed by a sample of 8,024 students at four large, urban community college districts. The…

The Maricopa Community College District's (MCCD's) Commission on Student Assessment and Initial Course Placement was formed to assess the current status of student assessment for initial course placement across the district, to review the available instruments that assess student skills for placement, to discover what other community college…

In an effort to assess community college students' knowledge of the liberal arts, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges developed and field tested a student survey and General Academic Assessment (GAA) instrument. The GAA was completed by a sample of 8,024 students at four large, urban community college districts. The scores were cross…

This report provides a comprehensive description and record of all academic support services provided to students through the South Plains College Learning Center. After an introductory statement clarifies the ever-increasing need for academic support services at open-door institutions, a philosophy and mission statement and a detailed description…

Discusses computerized adaptive testing, which is designed to provide students with an individualized examination adjusted to their skill levels. Indicates that scores are derived by comparing correct answers with the answers' difficulty rating. Highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the system and provides guidelines for successful…

The Lansing Community College (LCC) Math Lab offers two arithmetic and two developmental algebra courses and provides a placement and proficiency testing program for the mathematics department and for other selected departments in the college. Students who participate in Math Lab courses: (1) take a placement test and/or have a placement interview…

Tests must be responsive to the needs of adult learners who offer a unique history of formal education, come from different cultural/linguistic backgrounds, and may have had little exposure to tests. Transfer, occupational, continuing education and leisure program, and developmental studies of students' needs are examined. (Author/CM)

Neosho Community College (NCC) in Kansas developed an assessment program to measure changes in student learning and progress in courses and programs. The specific objectives of student assessment at NCC are to determine readiness for regular college courses; to determine proper placement; to assist students in meeting personal objectives; and to…

A comparison of the reading skills assessment programs at three community colleges in Virginia and New Jersey is presented as part of an examination of the kinds of placement decisions that are made from assessment test data. Introductory comments focus on the controversy surrounding the growing emphasis on skills assessment in open-door community…

Discusses considerations in developing assessment and placement programs: which students should be tested, why admission tests and high school grades are inappropriate for placement, how testing should be carried out, which tests should be used, and how tests should be interpreted. (DMM)