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SummaryReportofDSPProgramEvaluation

InFall2006,FresnoStateimplementeda5‐yearpilotoftheDirectedSelf‐Placement(DSP)programforfreshmenEnglish.ThisprogramreplacedEnglishclassesinwhichstudentswererequiredtotakeaspecificEnglishclass(English1,orEnglish1withalab)basedonresultsoftheEnglishPlacementTest(EPT).IntheDSP,studentscanchoosetoenrollinaone‐semesterEnglishclass(English10)oratwosemestersequence(English5Aand5B)regardlessoftheirEPTscore.Thisstudyexaminesfirst‐yearfreshmanretentionratesandcoursepassingratesastwomeasuresoftheDSP’seffect.

Fourcohortsof3788first‐timefreshmenwhotookEng1,Eng10orEng5Aintheirfirstsemesterswereselectedforthestudy.Thesestudentswerefurtherclassifiedinto15student‐coursegroupsandChi‐squaretestswereappliedtoidentifysignificantdifferencesbetweenstudentsuccessintheDSPprogramandthepreviousEnglishcourses(SeeAppendixfordetailedtechnicalreport).

MajorFindings

• Eng5A5Bappearstohaveapositiveeffectonretentionrates,especiallyamongstudentswhoneededremediationandfailedEnglish5B.(Table1)

• InthefirstyearofDSPimplementation,thepassingratessignificantlydecreasedformultiplegroups.PassingratesofstudentswhotestedintoremediationandonlyenrolledinEng5AwerelowerthanforthecomparablegroupthatenrolledinEnglish1LA.(Table2)

• Inthe2ndyear,studentsneedingremediationwhocompletedEnglish5A5BpassedathigherratesthancomparablestudentswhotookEnglish1LBinthepre‐DSPprogram.(Table2)

Thisstudywillberepeatedwiththethreesubsequentcohortsinthepilot‐testperiodtodeterminewhetherthesefindingspersist.

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References:Royer,DanielJ.andRogerGilles.DirectedSelf‐Placement,HamptonPress,Incorporated(March1,2003)

JaniceChernekoff,“IntroducingDirectedSelf‐PlacementtoKutztownUniversity”,Chapter6,DirectedSelf‐Placement

CynthiaE.CornellandRobertD.Newton,“TheCaseofaSmallLiberalArtsUniversity:DirectedSelf‐PlacementatDePauw”,Chapter7,DirectedSelf‐Placement

DavidBlakesley,ErinJ.Harvey,EricaJ.Reynolds,“SouthernIllinoisUniversityCarbondaleasanInstitutionalModel:TheEnglish100/101StretchandDirected

Self‐Placement”,Chapter10,DirectedSelf‐Placement

Glau,GregoryR.“HardWordandHardData:GettingourMessageOut.”PaperpresentedattheAnnualMeetingoftheNationalCouncilofTeachersofEnglishConferenceonCollegeCompositionandCommunication.50th,Atlanta,GA,March24‐27,1999.

Appendix:Technicalreport

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1. Student‐coursesubgroupclassificationProgrameffectsareusuallysmallandcanbedifficulttodetectgiventhatsomanyfactorsinfluencetheoutcomeofhumanandsystemsbehavior.TodetectpotentialeffectsoftheDSPprogram,wedevelopedcomparisongroupsbycontrollingfortheinfluencesofremediationstatus,thetypeofDSPcoursechosen,and,forretentionrates,passingorfailingthecourse.Giventhatthedifferencesinstudents’EnglishproficiencylevelandthetypeofEnglishcoursestakenbystudentsmayaffecttheevaluationofDSPprogrameffects,studentsarefirstbrokendownintotwogroupsofremedialandnon‐remedialstudentsintermsoftheirEPTstatus,andthenfurtherbrokendownintodifferentcoursesubgroupsasbelow.InevaluatingtheeffectofDSPprogramontheretentionrate,studentsarefurtherbrokenintotwogroupsofpassingandfailingbasedontheirgradesreceived.

Studentclassification:Remedialstudents:consistsofstudentswhotestedintoremediationbasedontheirEPTstatus.Inpre‐DSPEnglish,thesestudentsenrolledinEng1alongwithalab(Eng1LAor1LB).IntheDSPprogram(beginningFall2006),theycanenrollineitherEng10ortheEng5A5Bsequence.Non‐remedialstudents:consistsofstudentswhoseEPTstatusdoesnotrequireremediation.Inpre‐DSPEnglish,thesestudentsusuallytookEng1.IntheDSPprogram,theycanenrollineitherEng10orEng5Aand5B.CourseclassificationPre_DSPcoursegroups:Eng1Only:consistsoffreshmenwhotookEng1andnolabinfall2004or2005.Eng1LA:consistsoffreshmenwhotookEng1andLabAinfall2004or2005.Eng1LB:consistsoffreshmenwhotookEng1andLabBinfall2004or2005.DSPcoursegroups:Eng10(acceleratedoptionofDSPprogram):consistsoffreshmenwhoenrolledinEng10infall2006or2007.Eng5A5B(stretchedoptionofDSPprogram):consistsoffreshmenwhoenrolledinEng5Ainfall2006or2007andthentookEng5Bthefollowingsemester.Eng5A:consistsoffreshmenwhoenrolledinEng5Ainfall2006or2007.