Commonly used placement tests poor tools?

Report Questions Use of Placement Tests in Community Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Education)

     A new report by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College at Columbia University raises questions about how placement tests are used in community colleges. The report, “Assessing Developmental Assessment in Community Colleges,” reviews findings from more than 50 research reports, surveys, and other sources. Among the report’s conclusions is that placement tests appear to be more successful in placing academically prepared students than in placing academically underprepared students.

From the report:

     Placement exams are high-stakes assessments that determine many students' college trajectories. The majority of community colleges use placement exams—most often the ACCUPLACER, developed by the College Board, or the COMPASS, developed by ACT, Inc.—to sort students into college-level or developmental education courses in math, reading, and sometimes writing. More than half of entering students at community colleges are placed into developmental education in at least one subject as a result. But the evidence on the predictive validity of these tests is not as strong as many might assume, given the stakes involved—and recent research fails to find evidence that the resulting placements into remediation improve student outcomes....

Remembering trustee John Williams