Assessment Results

English 163

The data points out that there is significant improvement in grade-level reading abilities of students in English 163. The students seem to be learning well.
The p value obtained through a 2-tiered t-test shows that p=0.000001779<0.1. When p<0.1, it clearly indicates that the difference is significant and it is not by chance.

TIP: To understand data analysis using the t-test and the value of "p"  please refer to the following site: http://www.parenting.cit.cornell.edu/documents/Measuring%20Evaluation%20Results%20with%20Microsoft%20Excel.pdf

There are a couple reasons why English 163 seems to be working well:

1. Those students who take the Accuplacer Placement test have to clear a higher cut-off score to get into English 163. This means they are more prepared than the average reader.
2. Those who don't place directly have to take English 162. Thus they are learning the skills in the lower-level course and applying the skills in English 163. In other words, working up the series is helpful.

English 162

The data clearly points out that while there is an increase in grade-level reading, the increase is not huge. The gain is very minimal (about 2 grade levels). There is a need to significantly look at various aspects of this course. It must be noted that there a few reasons already, why students don't do well in English 162:

1. Any student can get into English 162. Even if students take the placement test, the lowest course they will end up with is this course. 
2. While the placement  test has a "See a Counselor" section, most ESL type of students or those with very low reading abilities do not follow this recommendation.
3. The reading abilities of students in this course has a very wide range (Grade levels 0-6). It makes it difficult for the instructors to accomodate students at the lowest levels at times.
4. A majority of the sections for this course is being taught by adjunct faculty and thus there is a lack of oversight and consistency.