Entrance exams are only one way to address the problem of student preparedness,Monica. Typically, entrance exams look at a prospective student's academic skills. They don't usually deal with knowledge of the skills needed to be successful in the field. A thorough discussion about the field and the skills to be learned are very important as well as an honest presentation about the classroom expectations. Providing an opportunity for incoming students to meet current students is also an effective way to set expectations. What does your school do to prepare new students?
We provide open house events as well as encourage all applicants to tour the school before enrolling. During the tour, a staff member walks them through the campus and explains the program in detail. Some staff members are former students themselves so they provide answers to any questions the students have about our program. Before the first day of class we have an orientation where the students are introduced to the faculty and learn about the different departments and what each one offers. They also receive a student catalog which describes in detail the classes they will be taking and the requirements of the school for them to remain in good standing.
The challenge in each of these activities is to get the prospective student fully engaged so that they understand what lies ahead. In my experience, entering students are more focused on how well they will fit in with the other students than the information that is shared. They also still have stars in their eyes and don't hear some of the harsh realities that are presented. Hearing “there's some math in the class work†is very different from seeing examples of the type of problems they will be working on.
I think if the preadmission test was presented tastefully that we could really get students, as well as the school to benefit from them. It would give a change to weed out the students that just can't make it through the program, and possibly save them face in the long run with their fellow classmates, therefore hurting their self esteem.
One way that we could do the preadmission testing that could be a saving grace for the students that have poor self esteem, is by doing the tests as essays directed at specific topics. One of the questions required to answer could be worded about a time that the student felt that they accomplished something positive in their life, and how it would pertain to their schooling (what they are about to learn).
Why not include that question as part of the student application form? Many students freeze up if they feel that they are taking a test that will impact their likelihood of being admitted, but may be less stressed if asked to complete this as part of the application. An important second step in the process is to have some form of remediation available to applicants. Does your school offer this type of support, Bethany?
I agree with you steve, try mispelling a prescibed drug. What would be the outcome of that?
Our institute currently requires an entrance exam which is aimed at weeding out any students that may not be capable of completing the program. The exam is 30 multiple choice questions and a 1-page personal essay. From my experience, the essay is far more indicative of a student's academic capabilities than the multiple choice element.
We are in the process of rewriting the multiple choice portion of the exam in hopes that the new version will be as successful in identifying student aptitude as the essay. The multiple choice questions are currently based on the curriculum taught at our technical institute, but since students are not required to have experience in the field prior to admission, this seems like an inadequate measure of the student's potential success. The new version will be based more on comprehension, math, and language skills.
I am interested to know what the standards are of other schools that require a pre-admission test. What percentage must a prospective student receive in order to "pass" the test? If the student does fail, is he/she permitted to take the test again? Are the students provided with any materials to prepare for the test?
We didn't use a pre-test at the school where I worked, but did have specific academic standards [GPA, SAT/ACT results]. Students who didn't satisfy those minimums may be offered an opportunity to take a free preparatory course that focused on basic academic and classroom skills. If the student successfully completed this course they were granted admission.
The admissions application included an essay asking the prospect why they wanted to pursue training at the school.
We also had a portfolio review requirement. The admission decision was made jointly by the Director of Admissions, Director of Education and campus Director.
We have been using the Wonderlic and have found it to be fairly accurate in predicting success. So much so, that we now also utilize it for hiring. The test is only 12 minutes and is done completely online.
How have you established the cut off scores for admission? Do they vary by program?
Do all new hires take the assessment? What makes it a useful tool for the hiring process?
Absolutely!! The goal at my school is to be an official Court Reporter. We need to give these students basic admission tests to make sure they have a sufficient command of the English language. Without that, there is a very great risk of failure. Many of my students do not understand basic fundamentals of the language. They are being set up for failure and debt. After they complete our theory classes and attempt speed, many of them realize this is not the field for them. They may owe upwards of $20,000.00 for that little mistake. If we gave them a basic preadmission test in the beginning, much of this failure would be eliminated. How dc you think this impacts their self-esteem and confidence at a second attempt to find success?
Elinda, does your school have any remediation program for students who need help to qualify for admission? If so, is there a fee? How long do they have to satisfy the requirements?
At this time our only admission requirement is having a high school diploma or a GED. Many court reporting schools do not have an entrance exam because it is difficult to come up with a test to ascertain whether a student has the ability to excel at this skill.
However, in our faculty meetings, we have discussed implementing some kind of basic english, vocabulary, grammar and spelling test to determine their knowledge level. And then, yes, of course, we could then offer some kind of short-term remediation program to better prepare them for our court reporting program.
There would be a minimal fee, and each student would be re-evaluated at the end of the course to decide whether they should continue and enroll.
We use C PAT for a preadmission test. It is standardized, and its intention is to screen before admission. Sounds good, huh? In real terms, though, it doesn't predict all that well at whom will succeed and whom will fail. Some students who score low actually do quite well and go on to good careers. My observations point toward motivation as a more accurate critical indicator. Problem here is....how do you measure motivation?
Presumably, there are minimum scores to be accepted and those scores properly reflect the raw skill needed to succeed. If not, what's the purpose?
You're right - motivation probably can't be measured. Furthermore, motivation is a reflection of many environmental factors - some internal to the school and others external. One of the most important variables is the faculty. Even a highly motivated student can be deflated by poor instruction. Of course, the opposite is true as well.
We are a health-related college.
We do use an admissions test, but from what I have observed, the test doesn't seem very helpful. Students still cannot read adequately with good comprehension.
I believe that one minimum for all health related programs is the passing of a standardized reading assessment test at the 10th grade level if not 12th. I say this because the majority of health related academic text are written at the 17th grade level. Without reading proficiency students struggle throughout or eventually leave the program.
Any student who cannot read at a designated reading level should be placed into a reading and comprehension program first and then, when the reading standard has been met, admitted to a particular health related program.
Edward, I certainly agree that reading and comprehension are basic requirements for any academic program and that the K-12 system does not seem to be properly preparing students. However, I'm stunned by your comment that the texts in your program are written at the 17th grade level. That's post-baccalaureate. Aren't there any texts more appropriate to a lower level of training? It's not realistic to expect a remediation program to advance students that far.
Loren Kroh
Loren ~ The simplest answer is "NO." I teach in an allied health institution in the Respiratory Therapist program.
I assure you that the texts we use are written at the 17th grade level. As far as I know, there are no texts written at a lower reading level.
Wow! Sounds like a real opportunity for some enterprising authority in the field.
