A recent investigation highlights the benefits of placing students directly into college-level courses rather than using traditional placement methods, revealing that this approach plays a vital role in their academic success.
Challenges of Developmental Education
Critics of developmental education argue that it can act as a barrier to students, hindering their academic journey and prolonging the time it takes to finish their degrees.
While remedial courses are designed to prepare students for advanced coursework, they often have the unintended effect of discouraging students from progressing in their studies, which can lead to increased dropout rates.
In December, the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR)—a partnership between MDRC and the Community College Research Center from Columbia University—published a report that underscores the benefits of direct placement in college math and English courses.
This report highlights how such placements contribute positively to students’ credit accumulation and overall graduation rates.
Research Methodology and Findings
The study suggests that institutions should consider a broader enrollment strategy by directing more students into college-level classes.
This could involve relaxing the current criteria for direct placement or implementing similar policy changes.
To investigate this approach, researchers found that around 75% of colleges currently employ multiple measures assessment (MMA) systems for student placement into remedial education.
These MMA systems take into account various factors, including standardized test scores and high school GPAs.
The research analyzed data from 12 community colleges in Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin, involving nearly 30,000 students.
The goal was to compare the effectiveness of MMA systems with traditional test-only placement methods on long-term student success.
Students participating in the study initially took a placement test, then were randomly assigned to either the test-only group or the MMA group.
By examining their placement outcomes through both methods, researchers could assess the impacts on their longer-term success.
Results showed that most students faced minimal differences in their placement decisions.
About 81% in the math cohort and 68% in the English cohort were consistently categorized as either “always college level” or “always developmental.”
Interestingly, in the New York sample, approximately 44% of students in the MMA group were placed in college-level English, while 16% moved to college-level math—clearly straying from the developmental courses dictated by the test-only system.
Conversely, only about 7% found themselves directed toward developmental education for English.
In Wisconsin, the figures were slightly different, with 15% of students in the MMA group advancing to college-level English and 14% to math.
Implications for Student Success
Among the students identified in the MMA group who were placed in higher-level courses, there was a notable increase in the likelihood of completing college mathematics or English.
When compared to their peers in the test-only placement group with similar grades and test scores, this subgroup was eight percentage points more likely to pass their college-level courses and earned, on average, an additional 2.0 credits.
They also showed a 1.5 percentage point improvement in the chances of graduating or transferring to a four-year institution within nine semesters.
On the flip side, students who were recommended for developmental education through the MMA assessment, yet not by the test-only method, faced lower success rates.
These findings present a strong argument for a system that encourages more students to enroll in college-level courses, positioning it as a more effective strategy for student success than conventional placement approaches.
Implementing an MMA system involves minimal costs—around $60 per student.
This modest investment can yield significant savings for students, who typically complete fewer developmental courses and gain more credits in the long run.
In conclusion, the report suggests that adopting MMA strategies to promote direct placement into college-level coursework would be a wise and cost-effective way to enhance student achievement.
Source: Insidehighered