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Post Secondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) Transition Plan VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Transition Details Valencia Community College will begin its transition to use the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) as the main placement mechanism for entering students once the college begins its Summer Term registration. The expected date for the first phase of the transition is February 14, 2011, which will allow the majority of students testing for Summer term enrollment to be consistently placed using the same assessment instrument. The full transition will take place in three phases: I. Implementation of the PERT Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) for the three basic subject areas of math, reading and writing. II. Integration of placement into math and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursework III. Implementation of the Paper/Pencil version of the test for administration in the high schools Valencia’s transition to the PERT will include the following components: The formation of a work group to support the transition to the PERT The development and implementation of a communication plan to prepare the different stakeholders for the transition to PERT The development and implementation of a plan to inform and/or train faculty and staff regarding the particulars of the transition to the PERT Areas that will also need to be addressed throughout the implementation include: a) Issues related to students with disabilities b) Student fees related to PERT testing c) Retake policy d) Review materials e) Review sessions/workshops f) Expiration of test scores g) Marketing issues Phase I Implementation will begin with three subsections of the test: Math, Reading and Writing. Cut scores for college-level and for preparatory course work placement have been provided by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and the placement charts for Valencia have been updated (see tables at the end of this document). Beginning February 14, the PERT will become the primary placement system and will virtually replace the CPT for all intents and purposes with the following exceptions: 1. Students who need Ability to Benefit (ATB) testing 2. Students who need CPT scores to meet the CLAS graduation requirement 3. Students who request a retake in the CPT instead of starting the PERT testing cycle due to special circumstances 4. Students whose PERT scores do not provide enough information for optimum placement in Math (this will be a temporary measure until phase II is complete) 5. Students who request, or are required to obtain, placement into EAP courses (this will be a temporary measure until phase II is complete) Revised 11/30/2010
2 Phase II Implementation will continue with the following: 1. The development of a placement system for math courses beyond college entry level and for intensive preparatory coursework 2. The establishment of a system for students requiring English for Academic Purposes (EAP) placement These are areas that will need to be added to the FLDOE-provided PERT system in order to create a seamless flow in the placement process for Valencia students. In addition, this phase may include the integration of the PERT Diagnostics component to facilitate classroom instruction in preparatory coursework. Math Placement for Valencia Courses not Covered by FLDOE-Provided Placement System Math faculty will evaluate alternative ways of placing students into the following courses: MAT 0020C – Preparatory Mathematics Intensive and Lab MAC 1114 – College Trigonometry MAC 1140 – Precalculus Algebra MAC 2233 – Calculus for Business and Social Science MAE 2801 – Elementary School Mathematics MAT 2930 – Selected Topics in Mathematics MHF 2300 – Logic and Proof in Mathematics STA 2023 – Statistical Methods MAC 1147 - Precalculus MAC 2311 – Calculus with Analytic Geometry I The potential alternative placements may include local tests, other national tests (such as College Board’s Accuplacer® and ACT Compass®), individual evaluation of transcripts, or other methods. The expected date for implementation of these placement components is May 16, 2011, as the college begins its Fall Term registration. English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Placement EAP faculty will evaluate assessment instruments currently being used for EAP/ESL placement nationally – such as College Board’s Accuplacer® ESL and ACT Compass® ESL. Once an assessment instrument is chosen, decisions will be made regarding: Subtests to be used Cut scores for placement into different levels An implementation plan for a new placement system Possible changes in the placement system – placing students in individual courses with the different subtest scores as opposed to a level-placement with an average score Phase III Valencia will transition to PERT paper/pencil Expanded Postsecondary Readiness Assessment (EPRA) testing on high schools campuses during the 2011-2012 academic year. EPRA testing through the 2010-2011 year will continue to be done using the Accuplacer® Companion. Work Group A PERT work group led by the Director of Standardized Testing will be formed to support the implementation process. This group will include: AVP for Curriculum and Articulation DEI Project Director Revised 11/30/2010
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Director, Admissions & Registration Director, Transition Services Communications faculty Math faculty EAP faculty Counselor Representative Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) Representative Assessment Coordinators Advisor Representative Student Services Specialist Representative Career Advisor Representative Computer Support Specialist
Communication Plan A communication plan will be developed and implemented that will include three phases: A. Internal communication plan – This plan will target internal Valencia constituencies – leadership, faculty and staff and will include these steps: 1. The development of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document to include a description of the PERT and Valencia’s transition plans 2. Short informational presentations during meetings of the college’s leadership teams. The FAQ document will be shared during these presentations and an opportunity to provide feedback regarding questions and/or concerns will be provided. 3. The placement of the FAQ document on the Assessment Website B. Student communication plan – We will develop and implement a communication plan to inform and educate entering Valencia students on the PERT, which will include the following: 1. Update the Assessment website to include the information about: a. The PERT test b. The transition from CPT to PERT c. The use of PERT scores when students have previous CPT scores d. Exemptions to taking the PERT e. PERT retake policy f. Other pertinent information related to the PERT 2. Replace CPT bookmarks with PERT bookmarks for distribution to students in the Answer Centers and other Student Services areas. C. Community stakeholders communication plan 1. Development of a document describing the PERT test, as well as the transition from CPT to PERT will be developed and distributed through correspondence to the following constituencies: Orange and Osceola School Districts Public high schools in these school districts Private schools in Orange and Osceola counties Technical Vocational Centers in Orange and Osceola counties Revised 11/30/2010
4 Faculty and Staff Training Workshops and information sessions will be developed to target the following audiences: Answer Center staff, Advisors, Counselors and other Student Affairs staff Academic Deans and Faculty The general college community Workshops and information sessions will address: History of the PERT test PERT development and technical foundations Florida mandated and recommended PERT placement system Valencia placement structure to complement state-wide system Valencia policies relating to the PERT test Other pertinent PERT-related issues The depth and breadth of these workshops and information sessions will be determined by the particular audience being targeted. They will be available to the full college community before, during and after the transition to PERT. They will be offered on different campuses and in multiple time slots to ensure college-wide exposure to the new placement system. Other Issues a) Issues related to students with disabilities Valencia Assessment Offices will work with the Office of Students with Disabilities to ensure that all students have access to the PERT b) Student fees related to PERT testing Initial administration - The PERT will be available to Valencia entering students free of charge for the first time they take it as part of the application/admission process. Retakes – Students will be charged a fee of $ 10.00 per subtest to retake the PERT c) Retake policy The retake policy currently in place for the CPT will remain in effect for the PERT: Students can take the test twice in a 2-yr period and they will be required to review prior to retaking d) Review materials FLDOE is currently working with McCann Associates to produce review materials. Valencia Faculty will also assess CPT review materials for potential use in case materials provided by FLDOE are not ready by implementation time. e) Review sessions/workshops Review sessions will be mandated in order to retake the PERT Standardization of review format college-wide will be discussed f) Expiration of test scores Test scores will be expired in the Banner system 24 months from the test date g) Marketing issues Transition Services will assist in coordinating with Marketing to ensure all recruiting and marketing materials are updated with the PERT information.
Revised 11/30/2010