Assessment and Placement for Incoming Community College Students: Developments and Innovations in Eight Different States

• In Event: Policy Learning and Change in the United States

Abstract

For most incoming community college students, the assessment and placement process is extremely important because it determines whether they can immediately begin college, or if they must spend time and resources on remedial coursework. This study is an in-depth examination of assessment and placement at two-year colleges in eight states: Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Through interviews with a range of state-level and institutional stakeholders, we identify developments in assessment and placement across these states, some of which have consequences for college access, and uncover innovative assessment approaches that identify both the level of skills students have at the time of the assessment and what they need to be successful in college.

Authors

• Katherine L. Hughes, The College Board

• Michelle Hodara, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Melinda Mechur Karp, Columbia University