1. CTC Math Placement Testing and the New College Readiness Math Test (CRMT): Fall 2008 Update and Status Report Bill Moore Policy Associate, SBCTC Director, Transition Math Project bmoore@sbctc.edu 360-704-4346

2. Primary Phase I Work Defining clear targets for college readiness in math Improve readiness in math for college-bound Washington students K-16 Public-Private Partnership Funding provided by The Washington State Legislature The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

3. TMP, Phase II: 2006-09  Primary emphasis: regional partnerships between school districts and colleges/universities (16 projects to date of varying sizes around the state)  Key statewide project work: College Readiness Math Test (CRMT)  Implementing clear college readiness targets for math  Providing greater consistency for students and school districts

4. New Role for Math Placement Testing in a K- 16 Educational System Placing students appropriately into college math courses Promoting an articulated connection between high school and college mathematics

5. Math Placement Testing in Washington Postsecondary Education All but two of Washington community & technical colleges use one of three tests: –The College Board’s AccuplacerThe College Board’s Accuplacer –ACT’s ASSETACT’s ASSET –ACT’s COMPASSACT’s COMPASS Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions use two forms of the Math Placement TestMath Placement Test

9. Aligned Expectations? A Closer Look at College Admissions and Placement Tests Heavy emphasis on algebra (but relatively little on more advanced algebra concepts) Relatively little emphasis on higher cognitive demands Compared to admissions tests, placements tests generally more narrow and less balanced across content areas

10. Legislative Directive (HB 1907, 2007) Common college readiness test in math for WA public higher education with common performance standard Fall 2009: high schools must make CRMT available to high school students (subject to funding)

11. Statewide TMP Effort: College Readiness Math Test Summer-Fall 2007: develop and pilot test items aligned to College Readiness Standards Winter-Spring 2008: field test operational versions of the new Math Placement Test— General (MPT-G) Fall 2008-Spring 2009: MPT-G available as part of placement testing for public 4-years; pilot-test full version with CTC and high school students Fall 2009: CRMT available to high school juniors across the state

13. Using College Readiness Math Test Scores Students meeting “college readiness” cut score place into specified first college-level math courses Students who meet this cut score as juniors would also need C or better in senior math (Algebra II or higher) Qualifying courses will be defined by higher education institutions (in process)

14. (http://www.wamap.org/index.php) Web-based mathematics assessment and course management platform Free to Washington State public educational institution students and instructors Designed specifically for mathematics, providing delivery of homework, quizzes, tests, practice tests, and diagnostics with rich mathematical content

15. Lingering Issues Technical test issues –Cut Score (for “college-ready”) –Courses to be included in placement set –Duration of score validity Logistics and costs Ownership/governance Longer-term solution to system math placement testing

16. For more information related to math placement and college readiness, see: http://www.transitionmathproject.org/placement /index.asp