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Northern Kentucky Placement Testing Project
Kentucky Online Testing (KYOTE) Introduction
The Kentucky Online Testing (KYOTE) project is an outgrowth of the Kentucky Early Mathematics Testing Program (KEMTP) and statewide agreement on standards of college readiness in mathematics among all of Kentucky’s public postsecondary institutions.
The KYOTE project began in the spring of 2006. A large and representative group of postsecondary mathematics faculty, including math faculty from all eight state universities, Thomas More College and two other private colleges, and 12 of the 16 Kentucky Community and Technical College (KCTCS) institutions developed, discussed, modified, and approved a college readiness, college algebra, and calculus placement test. These tests are on a secure online site constructed at the University of Kentucky by the same group that provides online support for KEMTP.
Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College have used these tests as their placement tests almost exclusively since they were made available in the spring of 2007. Thomas More College gave the college readiness test to all incoming freshman this fall. Many other postsecondary institutions have used the tests on a less regular basis. They will likely be more frequently used next year by many KCTCS institutions because of an agreement between KYOTE and KCTCS administration that permits use of the KYOTE college readiness test as an alternative to COMPASS (the current placement test).
The KYOTE system and the collective expertise of postsecondary math faculty involved in constructing the KYOTE tests are offered free of charge to any educational institution in the commonwealth. ____________________________________________________________________
Project Details and Description
The Idea. A discussion among high school and college mathematics teachers in the spring led to an idea to motivate high school seniors in their mathematics courses that was subsequently supported by an agreement between the Northern Kentucky Association of School Superintendents and Northern Kentucky University (NKU). The agreement will be implemented as a pilot project in the 2008-2009 school year. The idea is to have high school seniors with ACT math scores less than 19 (scores that would place them in remedial mathematics courses in college) take the NKU college readiness mathematics test (the KYOTE test) online at their high schools after they have completed a transitional algebra class. With an acceptable score on this test, they would be guaranteed placement into a college-level mathematics class at NKU provided they are admitted to NKU and enter NKU within a year of completing the transitional course.
Transitional Algebra Course. There is currently no consensus on what a transitional algebra course would look like although many Northern Kentucky high schools are experimenting with this concept. High school seniors who wish to attend NKU and have ACT math scores below 19, and who are enrolled in any standard algebra course (Algebra II or Algebra III) or in a specifically designed transitional algebra course, are going to profit the most from taking the placement test. One goal of the project to get as many of these students tested as possible even if they are in mixed classes with sophomores and juniors.
Another important goal of the project is to bring together Northern Kentucky high school and college math teachers to discuss the development and implementation of transitional algebra courses. The intention is to get a variety of existing groups such as the Northern Kentucky Algebra Community, Northern Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NKCTM), Kentucky Center for Mathematics (KCM), CINSAM, and KEMTP to participate in this process.
Student Preparation. Teachers planning to give the college readiness placement test are encouraged to have their students take the online college readiness practice test available on the KYOTE web site at www.mathclass.org, click on Placement Exams. This will enable students to become familiar with both the content and the technology of the placement test. Hard copies of the practice test are also available by contacting project director Steve Newman at newman@nku.edu.
Cut-Off Scores. The cut-off scores for the NKU college readiness test have been determined. Students who get 22 or more of the 30 multiple-choice questions correct will be guaranteed placement into a college-level mathematics class at NKU provided they are admitted to NKU and enter NKU within a year of completing the transitional course. Students who get between 11 and 21 questions correct are recommended for placement into a developmental (remedial) essential algebra course, whereas students with fewer than 11 correct answers are recommended for placement into a developmental pre-algebra course.
It is important to note that the placement test will only be used to improve the placement of students. For example, if students retake the ACT and get 19 or better, then this score guarantees placement into a college-level mathematics course regardless of their score on the placement test.
College-Level Mathematics Courses and College Algebra. There are a variety of entry-level, college-level mathematics courses that count both for college credit and credit towards the one general studies mathematics course required at NKU. These courses include mathematics for liberal arts, elementary statistics, and elementary probability. None of these three courses have college algebra as a prerequisite.
College algebra at NKU currently requires a math ACT score of 20, but that is likely to increase to 22 beginning in the fall of 2009. If this happens, then students with a math ACT score of 19, 20, or 21 will be required to take either a developmental algebra course designed to prepare them for college algebra or pass a college algebra placement test prior to entering college algebra. This requirement will only affect those students whose college majors require college algebra (or placement out of college algebra). These majors include all majors in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline or in a business discipline.
College Algebra Placement Test. The KYOTE college algebra test will be offered to students in their high schools in the same manner as the college readiness test. Details about this test and the cut-off scores will be communicated at a later date once everything has been approved.
Star Alignment. The stars are perfectly aligned for this project: Ø The ACT is given to all public high school juniors and can be used to give them an indication of their mathematical preparation for college and the work they need to do as seniors to improve their preparation. Ø Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry are required of all students. Students must take a math class in every year of high school and, in particular, must take a math class their senior year. Ø Students whose math ACT score is below 19 must take a mathematics placement test prior to entering any public postsecondary institution in Kentucky Ø The project is offered free of charge and that’s a big deal in these challenging economic times.
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Steve Newman, Mathematics Professor and Project Director
Gail Mackin, Mathematics Professor and Mathematics Department Chair
Diane Williams, Director of Student Success
Janis Broering, Coordinator of Developmental Mathematics Program
Mike Waters, Mathematics Professor
Ted Hodgson, Mathematics Professor |
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