Math Matters: Toward a K–16 System

• In Event: 47.097 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 47.097-5 - What Matters in Postsecondary Student Success: From Local to National to International

Abstract

By 2020 65% of all jobs in the U.S. will require postsecondary education. Educators have called for a K-16 system in which admissions practices, examination policies, and graduation requirements are aligned across K-12 and undergraduate education. This study examined the predictive validity of the Kansas State Assessment – Mathematics (KSA-M) for math placement in postsecondary education and stakeholders’ perceptions of the viability of using state math assessments for math placement in postsecondary education. After controlling for student-level characteristics and school-level characteristics, student performance on the KSA-M predicted both math placement and the likelihood of passing the first math course in postsecondary education. Postsecondary math faculty members were reluctant to substitute the KSA-M for locally developed or commercially available math placement tests.

Authors

• Jacqueline D. Spears, Kansas State University

• Carolyn Elizabeth Barber, University of Missouri - Kansas City