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One Shot Deal?Students’ Perceptions of Assessment and Course Placement in California’s Community Colleges

Thad NodineConsulting Researcher, WestEdPresident, Nodine Consulting

Andrea VeneziaWestEd

Kathy Reeves BraccoWestEd

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Students in Basic Skills Classes: How did I get here?

• Study Purpose

• California Context

• Methodology

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Main Findings

Students view matriculation as a “one shot deal”

1.Not connected to high school preparation

2.Walked in “cold” to the assessment

3.Counseling not integrated

4.Post-assessment confusion and frustration

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Main Findings

1. High School Preparation

• Low expectations

• Lack of information about community colleges

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Main Findings

2. Assessment of incoming students

• Uninformed about assessments and unaware of content and format

• Unaware of the stakes

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Main Findings

3. Counseling

• High student-counselor ratios

• Long wait lines and limited attention

• More satisfaction with dedicated programs

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Main Findings4. Post-Assessment Confusion

• Uneven enforcement of rules

• Inconsistent policies across colleges

• Lack of clarity about retake policies

• Confusion about “multiple measures”

• Student frustration and impact on aspirations

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Recommendations1. Work across systems to ensure that

assessment and placement are part of an overall process, not a one-shot deal

2. Experiment with innovative and promising practices in student services and instruction

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More InformationReport & Executive Summary available at:

http://WestEd.org/oneshotdeal

Thad Nodine: 831-469-3348

Andrea Venezia & Kathy Reeves BraccoWestEd in San Francisco: 415-565-3000