CSU officially ends longtime use of placement tests
The switch comes in an effort to double graduation rates across the system
Students enrolling at a California State University campus will no longer have to slog through math or English placement tests to take classes for college credit. Instead, the schools will look at a combination of high school grades, SAT scores and AP scores to decide if incoming students are ready for collegelevel work.
The system’s chancellor, Timothy P. White, explained the change in an executive order sent to the campuses late Wednesday. The chancellor’s office had hinted at the changes back in May when it sent a draft of the order to the campuses for feedback.
The exact grades and scores that will determine whether students are ready for college-level classes are still being decided, but the shift is part of a broader effort to increase graduation rates across the system.
Right now, only about one in five students earns a degree in four years. Officials say part of the problem is that students who don’t do well on the placement tests might actually be ready for collegelevel work. But those students tend to get caught in remedial classes that aren’t worth any credit, which can mean a longer path to a degree.
The shift has been met with trepidation from some faculty concerned about students who are unprepared for college-level work being thrust into the deep end too soon. But James Minor, hired by CSU last year to help lead a systemwide push to double graduation rates, said he hasn’t spoken with anyone “who can defend the current policy and protocol that is in place.”
“I think there is a growing body of evidence nationally that suggests that over-reliance on standardized exams does not serve as a valid or reliable predictor of how well students are likely to perform in college classrooms,” Minor added. While the SAT and AP are standardized tests, CSU will now look at those scores in combination with grades and other factors instead of
just a single placement test.
In addition to changing how it measures whether students are ready for college work, CSU is also reworking how the system helps students it says aren’t yet ready for standard math and English classes at the university level. In the past, students often enrolled in no- credit remedial classes. Now, these students can enter an “early start” program to earn college credit over the summer.
They can take the program at any CSU campus, or they can sign up for classes to earn college credit during the school year and receive more support and time with instructors.
It’s unclear what the exact cost will be, and it will likely vary by campus, but schools will need to rework courses and support services for students.
The chancellor’s office has dedicated about $10 million to the effort.
“It could be argued that this policy,” Minor said, “is among the most progressive, if not the most progressive, in terms of a statement to students who may need additional academic support, in the country.”