How Can Placement Policy Improve Math Remediation Outcomes?: Evidence from Experimentation in Community Colleges

• In Event: 16.058 - Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: 16.058-6 - Division J Section 5 5

Abstract

Diagnostics can provide community college faculty with skill-specific information about incoming students’ math preparedness, yet they are seldom used to inform placement decisions in developmental math. Using data from a large urban community college district, we compare the effects of placement in math remediation in contexts where commercially-available standardized tests and math diagnostics are used. We estimate placement accuracy rates for each assessment and then use regression discontinuity designs to identify the effects of math remediation under each assessment context. We also determine the impact of switching between diagnostic and standardized placement tests. The results indicate that using skill-specific math information from diagnostics is associated with increased placement accuracy and a modest but positive effect of math remediation.

Authors

• Federick Joseph Ngo, University of Southern California

• Tatiana Melguizo, University of Southern California