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Comparison Study of Placement Strategies for College Mathematics Courses

This study by Dr. Victoria Ingalls at Tiffin University examines the effectiveness of various placement strategies for college mathematics courses. It highlights the stress faculty face when dealing with underprepared students and the negative consequences of improper course placement, such as boredom or failure. The research compares historical methods, including ACT scores and faculty-developed tests, while emphasizing the need for periodic evaluation of placement systems. The findings underscore the importance of accuracy and adaptability in placement decisions to enhance student retention and success.

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Comparison Study of Placement Strategies for College Mathematics Courses

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  1. A COMPARISON STUDY OF PLACEMENT STRATEGIESFOR COLLEGE MATHEMATICS COURSESDr. Victoria IngallsTiffin University

  2. Issue of placement • 56% of faculty members indicated that working with underprepared students was a source of stress • placed too low, they may be bored, feel penalized and frustrated, and drop the class

  3. placed too high, there is little chance of success, and if they do pass, they are not likely to apply what they have learned • frustration with the course and mathematics in general • disables a student from achieving at an individual level, thereby reducing the chance of retention and success at the university

  4. No published case studies of accuracies, especially with subjective judgment

  5. Demographics • Location • Size • Diversity • Level of selectivity • Specific Math Course levels: • Foundations of Mathematics • Beginning Algebra • Finite Mathematics or College Algebra (depends on student’s major)

  6. Placement History • ACT • ACT’s Course Placement Service (CPS) • Folder analysis/Informed judgment • Faculty-developed test

  7. “There is a need to periodically evaluate a placement scheme or system…. that is subject to malfunction over time due to changes in student characteristics and alterations in course content” (Frisbie, 1982, p. 133).

  8. Literature Review • ACT-Allen & Sconig (2005); Noble & Sawyer (2006); Bridgeman (1992); Jones (1997); Pascarella (2006) • CPS- McNabb (1990)

  9. Computer Based (Cai, 2004) • Computer Adaptive Testing (Wang, 2007) Informed Judgment- Berliner (1994, 2004); Hoge & Coladarci (1989); Coladarci (1986) Placement testing- Morante (1987, 1989); Truman (1992); Wattenbarger & McLeod (1989); Weber (1986)

  10. Methodology Repeated measures • ACT • CPS • Faculty-developed online placement test • Informed Teacher Judgment

  11. Accuracy Rates: TRUE POSITIVE + TRUE NEGATIVE NUMBER OF STUDENTS

  12. From Course Placement System Guide, p. 4)

  13. Results

  14. Implications • Accuracy of historical methods • Single measure versus multiple measures • Objective versus subjective measures

  15. Future Research • Teacher judgment regression model • Teacher regression model compared to CPS • Examine sample of universities using CPS for accuracy

  16. YES Student Folders No Is the Algebra 1, 2 ≥ C? Math 17174/181 Is the ACT-M ≥ 19? Is there evidence of an IEP or alternative learning? Math 173 Are there college prep courses on the transcript? Is the Algebra 1, 2 ≥ C? Is the GPA ≥ 2.5? Math 174/181 Is the 16 ≤ ACT-M ≤ 19? Is the student from a large, urban district? Math 173 Math 100 Math 173 Is the ACT-M ≤ 15? Math 173 Is the Algebra 1, 2 ≥ C? Math 100

  17. For a copy of A COMPARISON STUDY OF PLACEMENT STRATEGIESFOR COLLEGE MATHEMATICS COURSES Victoria IngallsTiffin University419-448-3396ingallsv@tiffin.edu

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