BASIC SKILLS ASSESSMENT
ratified: Academic Council, 9/1/91
last update: 11/95
archived versions:
"Quinebaug Valley Community College assesses student skills using a Basic Skills Assessment (BSA) to provide students and the College with information about student skills in the English language and in mathematics. Each student with his/her counselor or advisor will use this information to make decisions about the kinds of courses the student is prepared to take."
QVCC CATALOG
QVCC requires that the following students take the BSA:
1. All new students enrolled in a degree or certificate program.
2. Any student transferring to QVCC who has not successfully completed both an English composition and a college level mathematics course at another college. (Transfer students must provide an official copy of the transcript from the college(s) attended.)
3. Any QVCC student who has not taken the BSA and has accumulated 6 or more credits.
4. Any student who wishes to enroll in a course for which the BSA is a prerequisite.
The following students are not required to take the BSA:
1. Students who have completed an associate, bachelor's or higher college degree.
2. Non-degree students seeking to enroll in an occasional course for personal enrichment, or for no more than six credits.
3. Students seeking to enroll only in English as Second Language courses.
"Assessment/Placement Policy" -- Memorandum from Gary Hottinger to Student Services, Dated Aug. 12, 1988 --
Policy on Re-Administration of Basic Skills Tests (Retesting Policy)
Students will be retested only if there is a compelling reason to do so. Between the student's first assessment and his/her request for a second assessment, one of the following should have occurred:
1. The student has studied, in an appreciable way, the subject area (or areas) and can provide evidence of that to the Director of the Learning Assistance Center [Coordinator of Developmental Studies].
2. A Student Services Counselor, after meeting with the student, has a sound reason for believing that the student was impaired during the first assessment (e.g., from illness) and makes a written request for a retest.
3. Two or more years have passed since the first assessment; thus, it is outdated.
4. The student never took the algebra section of the Basic Skills Test and would be doing so for the first time.
5. The student has dropped, withdrawn, or audited the recommended developmental course and that course's instructor makes a written request that the student be assessed in that subject area.
6. The Academic Dean requests that the student be reassessed in one or more subject areas.
Written requests will be submitted to the Director of the Learning Assistance Center [Coordinator of Developmental Studies] and a copy will go into the student's file to prevent confusion over multiple scores.
Approved: Academic Council, May 24, 1991
Approved: QVCTC Cabinet, June 25, 1991Other Assessment/Placement Policies And Procedures
Assessment:
Testing: Group testing situations will be the norm. . . . Individual assessment testing will be minimal (less than 10% of new students) and will be scheduled through the Learning Assistance Center.
Records of Tests: Completed assessment answer forms will be kept in the Student's file.
Monitoring Students' Progress in Developmental Classes: All developmental Studies classes will screen students early and thoroughly to check for students who might have been misplaced.
Placement:
1. Only qualified faculty and the Developmental Studies Coordinator will make placement decisions.
2. No student may change his/her placement without prior approval of a counselor, the course instructor, and the Developmental Studies Coordinator.
3. Student Services will pull the files of each registering student to see if s/he has taken the placements previously.
[From a compilation sheet prepared by Gary Hottinger for Student Services, dated August 12, 1988, entitled "Assessment/Placement Policy," and based on three documents: Minutes of the Educational Services' Committee, 2/24/83; a procedure statement agreed upon by members of Student Services and by Developmental Studies personnel, dated 3/3/88; and a proposal approved by Educational Services Committee, 5/5/88 -- modified slightly and approved by QVCTC General Staff 10/7/88.
See also DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES, for full text of Staff resolution.