GRCC Cut Scores for the Redesigned 2016 SAT August 22, 2016 Background: In 2015, the Michigan Department of Education contracted with the College Board to use the SAT as the statewide education assessment (and no longer use ACT for this purpose). This decision subsequently alters GRCC’s primary practices related to cut score usage for admission and academic placement testing, which was previously based on ACT scores. This decision by the State of Michigan coincided with a major redesign of the SAT test. This redesign presented a unique issue of setting new cut scores without a base of data to determine validity of the test related to placement and college readiness. In March 2015, the Grand Rapids Community College Academic Governing Council (AGC) approved a recommendation, which was accepted by the Provost, for a cross college team to meet over the course of the summer in order to review information and data provided by the College Board (as well as other available benchmark data) and set GRCC’s initial cut scores for the recently redesigned SAT. Team Membership: ● Andrea Hayes, Mathematics ● Christopher Johnston, Arts & Science ● Eric Mullen, Co­Chair, Enrollment Management ● Frank Connor, Psychology ● Heath Chelesvig, Institutional Research & Planning ● Jason Schueller, Enrollment Management ● Kelly Kozloski, College Success Center ● Kimberly Olushola, English ● Lori Cook, Co­Chair, Enrollment Management ● Michelle Allen, English ● Vikki Cooper, English Decision: Compiling concordance data published by the College Board, along with SAT cut scores set by other regional community colleges, the team met twice to review this information and establish GRCC’s initial SAT cut scores for students who will begin the admission process in September 2016 for the 2017­18 academic year. This review of information presented some challenges, as there is no exact concordance between the ACT, the former SAT test, and the new SAT test. The College Board provides concordance between the former SAT test and the new test version. Also, concordance is provided between the old SAT and ACT for composite scores and combined reading and writing scores. There is no direct concordance for ACT math, nor individual scores within the reading and writing assessments. Subsequently, the team relied on evaluating existing ACT cut scores against recently established cut scores for the redesigned SAT among regional community colleges. Included in our benchmark institutions were Ivy Tech (Indiana), Lake Michigan College, Muskegon, Alpena, Lansing, Jackson, North Central, and Glen Oakes. Averages of these institutions’ existing ACT scores compared to recently published SAT scores are provided in table 1 below. Table 1 ­ Average ACT Cut Scores Compared to Average New SAT Cut Scores Average ACT Cut Score Average New SAT Cut Score Reading 17.28 24.57 Writing 17.14 25.40 Math 18.71 25.10 We compared these average scores against our ACT cut scores. GRCC currently uses a score of 17 or lower in the subject areas of reading, writing, and math to determine the need to take the corresponding Accuplacer assessment. Consistent with our current practice related to ACT, the committee has determined that our initial cut scores will be based on the SAT subject area test scores in the areas reading, writing and math. These scores are on a scale of 10 to 40. For a review of the full SAT test score output, see figure 1 below. GRCC SAT Cut Score and Placement Test Requirements: 1. Students who score a 24 or lower on their reading, writing, or math SAT subject tests will be required to take the corresponding placement test in a proctored environment prior to GRCC admission. 2. Students who score a 25 or higher on their SAT math subject test will be required to take ALEKS math placement prior to enrollment in a math course (unless they have the college level prerequisite established). GRCC ACT Cut Score and Placement Test Requirements: 1. Students who score a 17 or lower on their reading, writing, or math ACT subject tests will be required to take the corresponding placement test in a proctored environment prior to GRCC admission. 2. Students who score a 18 or higher on their ACT math subject test will be required to take ALEKS math placement prior to enrollment in a math course (unless they have the college level prerequisite established). 1 Figure 1 ­ Redesigned SAT test components Next Steps: ● Related to the implementation of these new SAT cut scores, the Enrollment Management group will begin the process of changing all related communications and processes to reflect these scores. These changes will be made by September 1 for the group of students who will begin applying at that time for fall 2017 admission. ● Moving forward, the following steps will be taken to explore improvements to these initial scores to accurately place students and best position them for success: ○ Report these initial scores to AGC during the fall 2016 meeting schedule to provide an update and gain feedback ○ Continue the work of this AGC subteam to evaluate the use of SAT scores to determine direct placement. We plan to reconvene in mid­September to map out this work. 2