This reply serves two purposes.
The first: I'm trying to find out if I'm in the group. I'm newly
subscribed, you see.
The second: I followed most of the discussions on assessments. Seems that
most of them are Norm-Referenced, not quite connected to outcomes, and
although quite reliable difficult to validate. Hence, problems with
cut-scores.
Please check the following: I posted this last week to the group but am not
sure it got out. Was not able to get messages.
Those of you who have posted requests for information on testing and
assessment practices over the past year, will be interested in the
following description of a project undertaken by the Ontario Colleges
Mathematics Association (OCMA) in Ontario, Canada.
In 1992 the OCMA began work on a common approach to mathematics assessment
for students entering Engineering Technician/Technology programs at five
Colleges in the Greater Toronto Area. Most colleges were already
pre-testing their students, but the test instruments and procedures in use
at the time varied considerably. OCMA's goal was to design an assessment
model which could be customized to the needs of individual colleges.
We have developed a Multivariable Program-referenced Assessment
(MPA TM) model which identifies students "at risk" and helps place them in
alternative programs. We have built MPA (TM) models from pilot studies
involving over 8000 students at a dozen colleges covering most of the
province, from Thunder Bay to Sarnia. MPA (TM) tests are now available in
mathematics for three areas: Technology, Business and College Access, and
preliminary work has been done on extending the MPA approach to language
skills.
MPA (TM) is based on a composite of several variables and can predict
success more accurately than test scores alone. In addition, it provides
estimates of prediction accuracy and can allow for differences in
difficulty among courses or programs of study.
Discriminant analysis is used to determine which predictor variables
contribute most to accurate placement of students. Accuracy of the
procedure is estimated by comparing predicted and actual outcomes for the
pilot population.
The software for the Assessment of Student Readiness will be distributed as
On Your Mark! (TM).
For a more in-depth discussion you are invited to session S43, ITT
Sheraton, 2:30-3:30 on Thursday November 15, 1996 at the AMATYC 22nd
annual conference.
For additional general information contact:
Arie L. Nadler
Director of Development, OCMA
17 Guildwood Drive
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4C 8G9
Voice: (905) 737-9299
Fax: (905) 737-9488
e-mail: ocma@fox.tstn.ca
For detailed technical information please contact:
Paul Hietala
Project Research, OCMA
Seneca College
1750 Finch Avenue, East
North York, Ontario
M2J 2X5
Voice: 416-491-5050, Ext.: 2363
Fax: 416-491-0854
email: hietala@mars.senecac.on.ca