What Do High Schoolers and Their Teachers Need to Know About the
Accuplacer Mathematics Placement Test in MnSCU?
Beth Hentges [email protected]
MCTM/MinnMATYC Spring Conference
26 April 2013
Overview
• Current policy• Pilot project• Future• Accuplacer Placement Tests• Accuplacer Diagnostics• Customized Intermediate Algebra Test for MN• Student resources for review/prep• Questions• This presentation will be posted on conference web site.
Current Policy
• MnSCU Policy 3.3Assessment for Course Placementhttp://www.mnscu.edu/board/policy/303.html
• MnSCU Procedure 3.3.1Assessment for Course Placementhttp://www.mnscu.edu/board/procedure/303p1.html
Current Policy
• Accuplacer Placement Tests– Basic Mathematics (17 questions)– Elementary Algebra (12 questions)– College-Level Mathematics (20 questions)
• ACT Mathematics Subject Area Scores
• Scores valid for two years
Current Policy
• Accuplacer Test
• A student will be placed into College Algebra if the student scores 76 or higher on Elementary Algebra Test
and 50 or higher on College-Level Test
Current Policy
• Policy• A student will be placed into College Algebra if the
student scores– 76 or higher on Elementary Algebra Test
and– 50 or higher on College-Level Test.
• Reality• Some universities only give College-Level Test.
Current Policy
• Accuplacer Test
• Branching profiles between the three Accuplacer Placement Tests are set by the individual colleges and universities.
• Some colleges use background questions to determine which test to start with.– How many years HS Math?– How long ago?– Program/major?
Current Policy
• Accuplacer Test
• Students can test at any MnSCU college or university and have their score sent to whichever MnSCU college or university they choose.
• If a student wishes to take the test close to home at College A, but intends to enroll at College B, the student should indicate that to the testing administrator.
• The test administrator can set up the test with the branching profile and background questions of College B.
Current Policy
• Accuplacer Test
• Students may take the test twice within a year.– Note: NOT twice at each campus!
• The test is “free” the first time.• However, the actual cost can be upwards of $2000 in
tuition and three semesters of time.• The college may charge a fee for a retest.
Current Policy
• ACT Mathematics Subject Area Score
• A student who presents a Mathematics subject area test score of 22 or higher shall be placed in College Algebra.
Current Policy
• A system college or university may establish lower minimum score(s) for placement into introductory college-level mathematics courses other than College Algebra and for developmental mathematics courses.
– Liberal Arts -- Precalculus– Math for Elem. Ed. -- Calculus I– Statistics -- Calculus II
Accuplacer and the College Board
• Accuplacer Diagnostics– Basic Mathematics– Elementary Algebra
• My Foundations Lab• Accuplacer Placement Tests
– Basic Mathematics– Elementary Algebra– College-Level Mathematics
• A+ Advancer• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
Accuplacer Diagnostics
• Basic Mathematics• Elementary Algebra
– Each test is 40 questions, separated into 5 domains.– Can be used as an additional measure in local policy
regarding placement into lower courses.– Can be used to validate placement decisions in
developmental courses.– Can be used to develop individualized learning plan.– Can be used by high schools (Each test costs $.)
o Often followed by My Foundations Lab or A+Advancer
What’s New?• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
• Test will be used for placement into College Algebra instead of the current College-Level Test.
• Customized test for MN
What’s New?• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
• Formatted like Accuplacer Diagnostic Tests• Test has 40 questions, separated into 5 domains.
– Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and systems– Quadratic and other polynomial expressions, equations, and
functions– Expressions, equations, and functions involving powers,
roots, and radicals– Rational and exponential expressions, equations, and
functions– Word problems and applications
What’s New?• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
• Standard setting (cut scores) completed October 2012• Test is currently being piloted at 12-13 colleges and 2
universities for students entering Fall Semester, 2013• Each pilot site seems to be doing its own thing• Meeting scheduled for May 10 to standardize the
pilot testing
What’s New?• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
What’s New?• Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra Test for MN
• Research will need to be conducted regarding student scores on the test and success in mathematics courses.
• Cut scores will need to be confirmed or revised. • Some pilot sites are also using this test for placement into
Intermediate Algebra.• Early reports indicate that students spend an hour or more on
this test.• Earliest possible system-wide implementation is for new
students who will be registering for Fall Semester, 2014
Assessment for Course Placement Web Site
• http://www.courseplacement.project.mnscu.edu/
• This website has been deleted as have all websites ending with project.mnscu.edu.
• Can use WayBack Machine to access info from this site.
Assessment for Course Placement Committee (ACPC)
• Interim System Director for College Transitions– Doug Binsfeld– [email protected]
• System Director for College Transitions– Karen Hynick– [email protected]
Assessment for Course Placement Committee (ACPC)
• System Director of Research– Craig Shoenecker
• System Associate Director of Research– Susan Carter
Assessment for Course Placement Committee (ACPC)
• two-year college faculty members appointed by MSCF
• four-year university faculty members appointed by IFO
– Reading– Writing– Mathematics – English for Speakers of Other Languages
Assessment for Course Placement Committee (ACPC)
• campus placement test administrators
• students appointed by their associations
Student Resources for Review
• http://accuplacerpractice.collegeboard.org
Student Resources for Review
• http://accuplacerpractice.collegeboard.org• http://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/students
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/math_assessmt.pdf
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/math_assessmt.pdf
Arithmetic Review
The Arithmetic review is partitioned into the following five topics.Print out the notes and watch the videos for each topic.1) Positive and Negative Whole Numbers notes and video.2) Fractions and Mixed Numerals notes and video.3) Decimals and Percentages notes and video.4) Solving Basic Linear Equations notes and video.5) Order of Operations notes and video .After viewing the Arithmetic topic videos, print out the practice worksheet,then check your answers with the solution key.
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/math_assessmt.pdf
Elementary Algebra Review
The Elementary Algebra review is partitioned into the following six topics.Print out the notes and watch the videos for each topic.1) Combining Like Terms and Distribution notes and video.2) Solving First‐Degree Equations notes and video.3) Graphing Lines notes and video 1, video 2.4) Exponent Rules notes and video.5) Polynomials notes and video 1, video 2.6) Factoring notes and video 1, video 2.After viewing the Elementary Algebra topic videos, print out the practice worksheet, then check your answers with the solution key.
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/math_assessmt.pdf
College Level Review
The College Level review is partitioned into the following five topics.Print out the notes and watch the videos for each topic. 1) Solving Second‐Degree Equations notes and video.2) Solving Rational Equations notes and video.3) Systems of Linear Equations notes and video. 4) Radical and Quadratic Equations notes and video.5) Exponential and Logarithms notes and video.
After viewing the College Level topic videos, print out the practice worksheet,then check your answers with the solution key.
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/math_assessmt.pdf
Practice Test and Further Review Materials
After completing the math review modules, you can print out a practice test,then check your answers with the answer key.
Student Resources for Review
• http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/bordwell/accuplacer%20study%20material/accuplacer%20study%20main%20page.htm
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.minneapolis.edu/Admissions/Accuplacer-Placement-Tests/Accuplacer-Test-Preparation
Student Resources for Review
• http://thenrocproject.org/
Student Resources for Review
• http://nrocmath.org/
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.hippocampus.org/
Student Resources for Review
• http://edready.org/
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/cptprep.pdf• http://www.century.edu/files/assessment/CLMstudy.pdf• http://www.minneapolis.edu/Admissions/Accuplacer-
Placement-Tests/~/media/5A6EF019C99B401FA9A57C211FAD0CCE.ashx
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.aims.edu/student/testing/studyguides/• http://demo-test.accuplacer-test.com/• http://www.studyguidezone.com/accuplacertest.htm• http://www.studyguidezone.com/accuplacer_arithmetic.htm• http://php.yccd.edu/assessment/sample.html• http://www.accuplacertestquestions.com/
Student Resources for Review
• http://www.mathtv.com/ (also in Spanish)• http://www.tareasplus.com/ (in Spanish)
Proficiency Statements for Arithmetic
Total Right Score of about 31Students at this level have minimal arithmetic skills and can:• perform simple operations with whole numbers and decimals (addition, subtraction, and multiplication)• calculate an average, given integer values• solve simple word problems• identify data represented by simple graphs
Total Right Score of about 57Students at this level have basic arithmetic skills and can:• perform the basic arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using wholenumbers, fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers• make conversions among fractions, decimals, and percents
Proficiency Statements for Arithmetic
Total right score of about 90Students at this level have adequate arithmetic skills and can:• estimate products and squares of decimals and square roots of whole numbers and decimals• solve simple percent problems of the form p% of q = ? and ?% of q = r• divide whole numbers by decimals and fractions• solve simple word problems involving fractions, ratio, percent increase and decrease, and area
Total right score of about 112Students at this level have substantial arithmetic skills and can:• find equivalent forms of fractions• estimate computations involving fractions• solve simple percent problems of the form p% of ? = r• solve word problems involving the manipulation of units of measurement• solve complex word problems involving percent, average, and proportional reasoning• find the square root of decimal numbers• solve simple number sentences involving a variable
ACCUPLACER Program Manual 39 August 2009
Proficiency Statements for Elementary Algebra
Total right score of about 25Students at this level have minimal pre‐algebra skills.These students demonstrate:• a sense of order relationships and the relative size of signed numbers• the ability to multiply a whole number by a binomial
Total right score of about 57Students scoring at this level have minimal elementary algebra skills.These students can:• perform operations with signed numbers• combine like terms• multiply binomials• evaluate algebraic expressions
Proficiency Statements for Elementary Algebra
Total right score of about 76Students at this level have sufficient elementary algebra skills. At this level, the skills that were beginning to emerge at a Total Right Score of 57 have been developed.Students at this level can:• add radicals, add algebraic fractions, and evaluate algebraic expressions• factor quadratic expressions in the form ax^2 + bx + c, where a = 1• factor the difference of squares• square binomials• solve linear equations with integer coefficients
Proficiency Statements for Elementary Algebra
Total right score of about 108Students at this level have substantial elementary algebra skills.These students can:• simplify algebraic expressions• factor quadratic expressions where a = 1• solve quadratic equations• solve linear equations with fractional and literal coefficients and linear inequalities with integer coefficients• solve systems of equations• identify graphical properties of equations and inequalities
ACCUPLACER Program Manual 40 August 2009
Proficiency Statements for College‐Level Math
Total Right Score of about 40 or lessThese students should take the Elementary Algebra test before any placement decisions are finalized.
Total Right Score of about 40Students scoring at this level can:• identify common factors• factor binomials and trinomials• manipulate factors to simplify complex fractions.
These students should be considered for placement into intermediate algebra. For further guidance in placement, have these students take the Elementary Algebra test.
Proficiency Statements for College‐Level Math
Total Right Score of about 63Students scoring at this level can demonstrate the following additional skills:• work with algebraic expressions involving real number exponents• factor polynomial expressions• simplify and perform arithmetic operations with rational expressions, including complex fractions• solve and graph linear equations and inequalities• solve absolute value equations• solve quadratic equations by factoring• graph simple parabolas• understand function notation, such as determining the value of a function for a specific number in the domain• a limited understanding of the concept of function on a more sophisticated level, such as determining the valueof the composition of two functions• a rudimentary understanding of coordinate geometry and trigonometry
Proficiency Statements for College‐Level Math
Total Right Score of about 86Students scoring at this level can demonstrate the following additional skills:• understand polynomial functions• evaluate and simplify expressions involving functional notation, including composition of functions• solve simple equations involving trigonometric functions, logarithmic functions, and exponential functions
Total Right Score of about 103 or aboveStudents scoring at this level can demonstrate the following additional skills:• perform algebraic operations and solve equations with complex numbers• understand the relationship between exponents and logarithms and the rules that govern the manipulation of logarithms and exponents• understand trigonometric functions and their inverses• solve trigonometric equations• manipulate trigonometric identities• solve right‐triangle problems• recognize graphic properties of functions such as absolute value, quadratic, and logarithmic
ACCUPLACER Program Manual 41 August 2009
Normandale 2/1/2013 Start
Course Arith Test Elem Alg Inter Alg Collegel level calculus
Adult Basic Ed 0‐33 0‐45 0‐44
Pre‐Alg(500) 34‐84 0‐45 0‐44
Elem Alg(600) 85‐120 0‐45 0‐44
Elem Alg(600) 46‐62 0‐44
Int Alg (700) 63‐120 0‐44
Int Alg(700) 45‐75
Int Alg (700) 76‐86 0‐49
College Alg (1100) 76‐86 50‐56
College Alg (1100) 87‐120 0‐56
Pre Cal (1500) 76‐86 57‐64
Pre Cal (1500) 87‐120 57‐64
Cal 1 (1510) 76‐86 65‐120 0‐4
Cal 1 (1510) 87‐120 65‐120 0‐4
Cal 2 (1520) 76‐86 65‐120 5‐6
Cal 2 (1520) 87‐120 65‐120 5‐6
Questions?
What Do High Schoolers and Their Teachers Need to Know About the
Accuplacer Mathematics Placement Test in MnSCU?
Beth Hentges [email protected]
MCTM/MinnMATYC Spring Conference
26 April 2013
