The academic performance of collegiate freshmen is closely related to how they perform on in-state high school testing, according to a study released about two weeks ago.
Until the study — conducted by a team of higher education faculty and an assessment specialist — was completed, it wasn’t clear whether the benchmark testing accurately measured preparation for college or the SAT.
“While there is no single perfect predictor of first-year college success, this study reaffirms that there is a positive relationship among state assessments, high school GPA, college GPA and the SAT,” Oregon University System Chancellor Richard Jarvis said in a statement.
Preliminary results of the study showed students who met or exceeded the standard benchmark score in high school more often received a higher college GPA in related courses than students who did not meet the standard. For instance, 71 percent of students who surpassed the standard in math beyond calculus had an average college GPA of 3.0. Students who only met the standard in the same area, however, had an average college GPA of 2.6.
With such findings, Oregon Department of Education spokesman Gene Evans said benchmarking is effective in judging a student’s preparation for college and the SAT — something the Oregon Legislature has questioned in the past.
“I think the big confirmation for us at the department is that the 10th grade benchmark is testing what we want it to test,” he said.
Evans said the test also serves as a diagnostic tool for educators; now teachers can look at benchmark scores for 10th graders and see who needs more preparation for the SAT and for college.
The preliminary study results were presented before the Oregon House Education Committee on Monday and were received well by legislators.
Rep. Patt Farr, R-Eugene, said the committee was “very positive” about the results, adding that there has been a disconnect between high school programs and college.
“At face value, everything looks pretty good,” he said. “We all seem to agree we have to do something to prepare kids for college success.”
Christine Tell, lead investigator for the study, said the research will be used to help develop proficiency-based admission standards, which will measure what students can do, instead, for instance, of whether they fulfilled the required amount of hours to graduate high school.
Tell said the study will give students the chance to make choices about their education before they get to college or take the SAT. Parents, teachers and counselors also will benefit from the information because they will be able to help support students in their quest for higher education.
“It’s all about giving students the opportunity, two years prior (to college), to make some decisions,” Tell said. “The importance of this to us is that high school students need this information.”
The study examined how well 10th-grade student performance on benchmark tests matches up with students’ success as college freshmen. Indicators for freshman success in the study included overall freshman GPA, freshman GPA in individual subject areas and whether students came back for a second year of college.
Every year, high school sophomores take the state-conducted Oregon Student Assessment Test, which measures five areas: reading/literature, writing, math problem solving and math knowledge skills. The scores are then weighed in comparison to the 10th-grade benchmark, which is an index set by the Oregon
Department of Education.
For this study, the OUS team gauged the GPA of college freshman who took the benchmark test as sophomores in 1999 and recorded how many of them moved on to their second year.