One further note of information, while this trend many be inevitable and even
present some economic and learning advantages, my concern is that many of
these companies are making a cash cow from test coaching and really do not
teach concepts required for real understanding. A second concern is that
Sylvan is also in the business of administering these same tests which
represents a potential breach of security and validity of test results which
seems to me to be a serious conflict of interest. Are any of these colleges
that have outsourced development education programs to such companies and are
also allowing these same companies to be responsible for assessment of the
results?
How many colleges still require professors to develop and administer tests in
class as opposed to the recent trend in which colleges now require students
to take all tests in a test center? Who supervises the test centers --
college staff or Sylvan or other outside company? This information would be
very useful to my firm -- we provide consulting services for colleges and
others relative to test development/validation and test administration
including test center security. Thanks in advance...
Deanna M. De'Liberto
D SQUARED ASSSESSMENTS, INC.
(Specialists in Test Development/Validation and Test Adminsitration)
Hazlet, NJ
Tel: (732) 888-9339
Email: Ddeliberto@aol.com
In a message dated 97-11-02 23:40:46 EST, bleibman@AUSTIN.CC.TX.US writes:
<< When Geoffrey posted the note below, I actually printed it out with the
intention of finding thatissue of the Chronicle to read the article. It
is now a few weeks later and I have been forced to read it. It is now
being suggested that our administration might wish to bring Kaplan in to
help train us to do our job in developmental math better. So far, the
claim is that we would still be working for our college (not Kaplan), but
who knows. Reasons cited for bringing them in include questions about our
students success rate and their retention in college. (That was the
impetus for my previous posting a few days ago about such things and
sources for comparative info.) Still would be interested in getting some
replies here.
I am wondering whether any of you have heard similar such rumblings about
bringing in outsiders - either as consultants or as outsourcing - at
your school - or whether any of you have had any experiences with the
Kaplan organization in terms of working with developmental students.
Bob Leibman
Austin Comm. Coll.
bleibman@austin.cc.tx.us
On Sat, 4 Oct 1997, Geoffrey Akst wrote:
> If you have concerns about privatizing remediation, take a look at
> the article "Tutoring Companies Take Over Remedial Teaching at Some
> Colleges" in the September 19 issue of _The Chronicle of Higher
Education_.
>
> Focusing on Kaplan Educational Centers (owned by the Washington
> Post) and Sylvan Learning Systems, the article deals with the experience
of
> several colleges which have transferred to these private companies their
> math and language developmental ed functions. Referring to my
university's
> experience with Kaplan, the author (Ben Gose) writes: "CUNY's plan to
> study Kaplan's effectiveness was quashed when the Board of Trustees
severed
> all contracts with consultants, including the agreement with Kaplan."
> Those of us familiar with Academic Systems math and now writing multimedia
> software will also be interested to learn that "Kaplan...recently invested
> several million dollars in Academic Systems, which makes computer software
> that helps students in remedial math and English..."
>
>
>
>
> Geoffrey Akst
> Mathematics Department
> Manhattan Community College
> 199 Chambers Street
> NY, NY 10007
> (v) 212/346-8530, -8531, -8532
> (f) 212/346-8550
> (e) akst@idt.net
>
>>
****************************************************************************
* To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
* To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu *
* In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc *
* Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! *
* Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
****************************************************************************