Are COMPASS Reading Score & Developmental Writing Performance Related ?

1. Are COMPASS Reading Score & Developmental Writing Performance Related? MI AIR Conference: Nov. 9, 2012 Jamie DeLeeuw, Ph.D

2. About MCCC

3. COMPASS Categories Writing Prior to WI 2012Current • 0-40 = Dev Writing (ENGL-090) < 32 = Remediation • 41-54 = Decision Zone 32-40 = Dev Writing • 55+ = No Restriction 41+= No Restriction Reading Prior to WI 2012Current • 0-60 = Developmental Reading 1-49 = Remediation • 61-74 = Decision Zone 50-60 = Dev Reading • 75+ = No Restriction 61+ = No Restriction • Previously determined that 32+ were more likely to pass Dev Writing than those who scored <32, so new score categories were created.

4. Research Questions • Are reading and writing skills related? • Does a high reading score serve as a buffer for low writing performance? • Are student who scores < 32 on COMPASS writing successful in Developmental Writing if the reading score is ______?

5. Method & Descriptive Statistics • Data were analyzed from five semesters, Fall 2009 to Fall 2011 • Outliers removed: Two students had a recorded COMPASS reading score of 1 • 443 students scored below a 32 on the COMPASS writing test, completed the COMPASS reading placement exam, and enrolled in Dev Writing 44.7% (198) = Passed (H) Dev Writing 40. 2% (178) = Didn’t pass (U) 15.1% (67) = Withdrew (W)

6. Descriptive Statistics • COMPASS reading M = 64.3; M =74.2 for those who scored above 31 25th50th75th percentile reading scores 54 65 75

7. ANCOVA • Those who scored below 32 on the writing placement. • Grouping variable = developmental writing course outcome (H, U, W) • “Dependent” variable = COMPASS reading score • Covariate = COMPASS writing score

8. Reading Score by Dev Writing Outcome • Statistically significant: F(2, 432) = 11.68, MSE = 200.08, p < .001 • The relationship between Dev Writing outcome and reading score was of moderate strength, as assessed by a partial n2; 5.1% of the variance in reading score was accounted for by Dev Writing course performance. • Not holding the COMPASS writing score constant inflates the partial n2 to 7.3%.

9. Reading Score by Dev Writing Outcome

10. Reading Score Quartile & Developmental Writing Outcome • The relationship between reading score category and Dev Writing performance was statistically significant, Pearson χ2(6, N = 436) = 27.49, p < .001. • The Contingency Coefficient illustrates that 24% of the variance in development writing course outcome was accounted for by COMPASS reading score.

11. Reading Score Quartile & Developmental Writing Outcome

12. Discussion • While these are all “low” COMPASS writing scorers, a potential confounding factor in the two-way chi-square analysis is that student performance across areas is related, meaning students who scored “high” on COMPASS reading may have also scored “high” on COMPASS writing, and it is the latter variable driving the relationship with ENGL-090 performance. • However, the ANCOVA results and a Pearson correlation (r = .28, p < .001) coefficient analysis between COMPASS reading & COMPASS writing for students who placed into remedial writing indicate that while COMPASS writing score is related to ENGL-090 performance, reading ability has a relationship with course performance beyond the influence of initial writing ability.

13. Application • Are students who score < 32 in writing but above 75 in reading allowed to enroll in Dev Writing? • Fall 2012: Students must complete Dev Writing & Dev Reading before enrolling in most 100-level courses.

14. Future Research Increase cut scores? • Are students who take Development Writing (32-40) succeeding? • Track those who pass and move on to ENGL-151 in Winter 2013, and their outcomes. For comparison, analyze Fall 2010 students (and those who proceeded into ENGL-151 Winter 2011) • Are students who go straight into English 151 (41-100) succeeding? • Are students classified as having sufficient college level reading skills performing well in their coursework?

15. Comments?