Resources on Multiple Measures
As the National Organization for Student Success’s (NOSS) Research Network Chair, I am working on compiling and updating a comprehensive list of references that pertain to the relatively recent reform termed multiple measures for placement. Please contact me if you would like a resource added to this list.
This resource list is designed as a tool for researchers and practitioners to understand what multiple measures are, how they have been applied, and how effective they have been. For an overview and critique of multiple measures and how they have been applied in institutions and states across the nation, please read this article.
References
Achieving the Dream. (n.d.). Multiple measures for placement.
Bailey, T. R., Jaggars, S. S., & Jenkins, D. (2015). Redesigning America’s community colleges: A clearer path to student success. Harvard Press. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/redesigning-americas-community-colleges.html
Barnett, E., Bergman, P., Kopko, E., Reddy, V., Belfield, C., Roy, S., & Cullinan, D. (2018). Multiple measures placement using data analytics: An implementation and early impacts report. Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/multiple-measures-placement-using-data-analytics.pdf
Barnett, E., & Kopko, E. (2020). What really works in student success (CCRC Working Paper No. 121). Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/what-works-student-success.pdf
Barnett, E., Kopko, E., Cullinan, D., & Belfield, C. (2020). Who should take college-level courses? Impact findings from an evaluation of a multiple measures assessment strategy. Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness and MDRC. https://postsecondaryreadiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/multiple-measures-assessment-impact-findings.pdf
Barnett, E., & Reddy, V. (2017). College placement strategies: Evolving considerations and practices (CAPR Working Paper). Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/college-placement-strategies-evolving-considerations-practices.pdf
Belfield, C. R. (2014). Improving assessment and placement at your college: A tool for institutional researchers [Research tool]. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/improving-assessment-placement-institutional-research.pdf
Belfield. C. R., & Crosta, P. M. (2012). Predicting success in college: The importance of placement tests and high school transcripts (CCRC Working Paper No. 42). Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/predicting-success-placement-tests-transcripts.pdf
Citrus College Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness. (2017). Accuracy of self-reported high school GPA. http://www.citruscollege.edu/admin/research/Documents/AB705/AccuracyGPA2017.pdf
Clery, S., Munn, B., & Howard, M. (2017). North Carolina multiple measures implementation and outcomes study: Final report. Coffey Consulting, LLC. http://www.coffeyconsultingllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/NC-Multiple-Measures_FINAL_Rev-1_29June2017.pdf
Cullinan, D., Barnett, E., Kopko, E., Lopez, A., & Morton, T. (2019). Expanding access to college-level courses: Early findings from an experimental study on multiple measures assessment and placement. MDRC and Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/expanding-access-college-level-courses.pdf
Cullinan, D., Barnett, E., Ratledge, A., Welbeck, R., Belfield, C., & Lopez, A. (2018). Toward better college course placement: A guide to launching a multiple measures placement system. MDRC and Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/2018_Multiple_Measures_Guide_1.pdf
Duckworth, A. L., & Peterson, C. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Duckworth, A. L. (2016, March 26). Don’t grade schools on grit. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/opinion/sunday/dont-grade-schools-on-grit.html
Fain, P. (2012, February 29). Standardized tests that fail. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/29/too-many-community-college-students-are-placing-remedial-classes-studies-find
Fain, P. (2015, June 18). Finding a new compass. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/18/act-drops-popular-compass-placement-test-acknowledging-its-predictive-limits
Gabrieli, C., Ansel, D., & Krachman, S. B. (2015). Ready to be counted: The research case for education policy action on non-cognitive skills (Working Paper). Transforming Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED605379.pdf
Ganga, E., & Mazzariello, A. (2019). Modernizing college course placement by using multiple measures. Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness, Teachers College, Columbia University and the Education Commission of the States. https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/Modernizing-College-Course-Placement-by-Using-Multiple-Measures.pdf
Goldfarb, Z. A. (2014, March 15). These four charts show how the SAT favors rich, educated families.The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/03/05/these-four-charts-show-how-the-sat-favors-the-rich-educated-families/
Goudas, A. M. (2019, May). Multiple measures for college placement: Good theory, poor implementation. Community College Data. http://communitycollegedata.
Hodara, M., & Lewis, K. (2017). How well does high school grade point average predict college performance by student urbanicity and timing of college entry? (REL 2017–250). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED573041.pdf
How grade point average correlates to various personal characteristics [Research report]. (2010). Diversity & Democracy, 13(3), 21.
Jaggars, S. S., & Fletcher, J. (2014). Redesigning the student intake and information provision processes at a large comprehensive community college (CCRC Working Paper No. 72). Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/redesigning-student-intake-information-provision-processes.pdf
Kafka, T. (2016). A list of non-cognitive assessment instruments. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/images/a-list-of-non-cognitive-assessment-instruments.pdf
Kena, G., Aud, S., Johnson, F., Wang, X., Zhang, J., Rathbun, A., Wilkinson-Flicker, S., & Kristapovich, P. (2014). The Condition of Education 2014 (NCES 2014-083). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014083.pdf
Litschwartz, S., Cullinan, D., & Plancarte, V. (2023). Multiple measures assessment and corequisite courses: Alternate ways to place and prepare new college students (CAPR Research Brief). Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness and Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. https://postsecondaryreadiness.org/multiple-measures-assessment-corequisite-alternate-place/
Martorell, P., McFarlin, I., & Xue, Y. (2015). Does failing a placement exam discourage underprepared students from going to college? Education Finance and Policy, 10(1), 46–80. https://doi.org/10.1162/EDFP_a_00151
Noble, J. P., Schiel, J. L., & Sawyer, R. L. (2004). Assessment and college course placement: Matching students with appropriate instruction. In J. E. Wall & G. R. Walz (Eds.), Measuring up: Assessment issues for teachers, counselors, and administrators (pp. 297–311). ERIC Counseling & Student Services Clearinghouse and the National Board of Certified Counselors. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED480056.pdf
Nord, C., Roey, S., Perkins, R., Lyons, M., Lemanski, N., Brown, J., & Schuknecht, J. (2011). The Nation’s Report Card: America’s High School Graduates (NCES 2011-462). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011462.pdf
Rampell, C. (2009, August 27). SAT scores and family income. The New York Times. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/sat-scores-and-family-income
Reuschel, J. C. (2009). A comparative study of high school academic paths, grade point averages, and ACT composite scores as predictors of success at Walters State Community College [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. East Tennessee State University. http://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1847
Rutschow, E. Z., & Mayer, A. K. (2018). Early findings from a national survey of developmental education practices (CAPR Research Brief). Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, and MDRC. https://postsecondaryreadiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/early-findings-national-survey-developmental-education.pdf
Saxon, D. P., & Morante, E. A. (2014). Effective student assessment and placement: Challenges and recommendations. Journal of Developmental Education, 37(3), 24–31. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24614032
Scott-Clayton, J. (2012). Do high-stakes placement exams predict college success? (CCRC Working Paper No. 41). Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/high-stakes-predict-success.pdf
Scott-Clayton, J., Crosta, P. M., & Belfield, C. R. (2012). Improving the targeting of treatment: Evidence from college remediation (NBER Working Paper No. 18457). National Bureau of Economic Research. http://www.nber.org/papers/w18457.pdf
Scott-Clayton, J., Crosta, P. M., & Belfield, C. R. (2014). Improving the targeting of treatment: Evidence from college remediation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36(3), 371–393. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373713517935
Scott-Clayton, J., & Stacey, G. W. (2015). Improving the accuracy of remedial placement [Research overview]. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/improving-accuracy-remedial-placement.pdf
Shaw, E. J., & Mattern, K. D. (2009). Examining the accuracy of self-reported high school grade point average (College Board Research Report No. 2009-5). College Board. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED562616.pdf
Smith, A. A. (2016, May 26). Determining a student’s place. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/26/growing-number-community-colleges-use-multiple-measures-place-students
Strauss, V. (2020, June 21). It looks like the beginning of the end of America’s obsession with student standardized tests. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/21/it-looks-like-beginning-end-americas-obsession-with-student-standardized-tests/
West, M. R. (2014, December 18). The limitations of self-report measures of non-cognitive skills. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-limitations-of-self-report-measures-of-non-cognitive-skills/
Westrick, P. A., & Allen, J. (2014). Validity evidence for ACT Compass placement tests. ACT Research Report Series. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED546849.pdf
Wilkenson, T. (2014). ACT college readiness benchmark attainment by annual family income level 2014 [Information brief 2014-22]. ACT Research and Policy. https://www.act.org/research/researchers/briefs/pdf/2014-22.pdf
Willingham, D. (2013, February 18). What predicts college GPA? Daniel Willingham–Science & Education. http://www.danielwillingham.com/daniel-willingham-science-and-education-blog/what-predicts-college-gpa