March 2003 Issue
Do College Reading Placement Tests Measure College Reading Skills?
Part 2 of 2
By Gary K. Probst
Email:probstgk@pg.cc.md.us
[Note: This is the continuation of last month's article. Click here to view the first part]
The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP®) - http://www.tasp.nesinc.com/practice.htm
TASP Academic Skills Test has a reading section that is designed to determine if students have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in college-level work. The cognitive skills measured by the practice test are supposed to be similar to the reading test administered. Because the answers to the practice test questions are given, the cognitive skill measured by each question has been identified. An analysis of this test reveals the following cognitive skills are measured:
|
LEVEL |
Question Number |
|
1.00 Facts |
35 |
|
1.10 Specific Fact |
|
|
1.12 Factual Statement |
|
|
|
|
|
2.00 Concepts |
|
|
2.10 Topic |
|
|
2.11 in a topic sentence |
|
|
2.12 develop topic sentence |
1,2,5,7,11,13,25,31,32,37,41 |
|
2.13 emphasized topic |
|
|
2.14 not emphasized topic |
22 |
|
2.20 Details |
|
|
2.21 supporting |
17,19,23,29 |
|
2.22 sequential |
15 |
|
2.23 not supporting |
|
|
2.24 same as |
|
|
2.25 emphasized |
|
|
2.26 not emphasized |
|
|
|
|
|
3.0 Principles |
|
|
3.1 Definition |
6,8,12,18,24,30,36,42 |
|
3.2 Example |
21 |
|
3.3 Explanation |
10,16,39,40 |
|
3.4 Comparison |
|
|
3.5 Contrast |
3,9 |
|
3.6 Cause |
4,8,14,27,28,33,34 |
|
3.7 Effect |
20,26,38 |
The length of the passages used in this test is approximately the size of a passage in a college textbook. The content of the passages is taken from college textbooks. This test measures the reading skills required for college success.
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Regent’s Testing Program - http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/indstu.htm
The Practice Regent's Testing Program Reading Test of the University of Georgia measures the reading skills required for college success.
At this website there is a 60 question practice form of this test. What is helpful is that a question is answered and immediate feedback is given explaining why the answer is correct or incorrect.
An analysis of this practice test reveals the following cognitive skills are measured.
|
LEVEL |
Question Number |
|
1.00 Facts |
2, 40 |
|
1.10 Specific Fact |
|
|
1. 20 Factual Statement |
|
|
1.21 Definition |
|
|
1.22 Example |
|
|
1.23 Explanation |
9,31,38,45 |
|
1.24 Comparison |
|
|
1.25 Contrast |
|
|
1.26 Cause |
|
|
1.27 Effect |
|
|
|
|
|
2.00 Concepts |
|
|
2.10 Topic |
|
|
2.11 in a topic sentence |
|
|
2.12 develop topic sentence |
6,11,17,29,36,50 |
|
2.13 emphasized topic |
|
|
2.14 not emphasized topic |
|
|
2.20 Details |
|
|
2.21 supporting |
|
|
2.22 sequential |
|
|
2.23 not supporting |
5,48,59 |
|
2.24 same as |
|
|
2.25 emphasized |
|
|
2.26 not emphasized |
|
|
|
|
|
3.0 Principles |
|
|
3.1 Definition |
1,7,8,9,12,16,17,18,23,28,33,34,35,37,41,46,49,51,52,54,56 |
|
3.2 Example |
13,15,21,22,23,27,30,39,42,53,55 |
|
3.3 Explanation |
3,4,19,24,43,47 |
|
3.4 Comparison |
|
|
3.5 Contrast |
|
|
3.6 Cause |
14,20,57 |
|
3.7 Effect |
10,26,32,44,60 |
This test measures reading to find supporting details, use context clues to determine a word’s meaning and recognizing an example of a term. These are all important college reading skills.
What are the limitations of any reading placement test?
The limitations of any
college reading test can be found in the questions asked on the
Regent's Testing Program
Practice Reading Test.
1 Context clues
The Level 3: Principle – Definition questions require you to determine the
meaning of a term by using context clues. If a student knows the meaning of the
term used, the skill of using context clues to determine the meaning of an
unknown term is not measured.
2. Unusual term used in
passage
Passage 5: paragraph 1 gives the
term “cretin.” If a person did not know
a cretin could be a stupid or foolish person, the information in the paragraph
and possibly the passage would not be completely understood. Also, there is a
difference between a stupid person and a foolish person. If both meanings of
the term cretin are known, it is up to the reader to use context clues to
determine which meaning of the term the author is using in the paragraph. From
the information given as an example of Polly, it appears stupid would be the
correct meaning to use in this paragraph. Therefore, depending upon the
viewpoint of the reader two answers may appear correct.
3. Ones feelings or opinions
Passage 6: Question 30 states, “ The overall impression of Moon Walk conveyed in the first paragraph is that it is.”
In New Orleans, Moon Walk -- a pathway along a stretch of the Mississippi -- now provides the public access that had previously been denied. It's a charming place, where one night recently a band played on the walk as tourists and residents of the adjacent Vieux Carre (the Old Quarter or French Quarter) strolled past. A few feet west, the paddlewheeler Natchez sounded its whistle, signaling its imminent departure.
This paragraph gives both a “band playing” and a “padddlewheeler Matchez sounded its whistle.” To some people this would appear noisy and a place to avoid. These people would select noisy as the correct response. Other people might like the sound of the band and whistle and select pleasant as the correct answer. The test gives pleasant as the correct answer. Thus, the question measures the feelings or opinion of the reader and not being able to recognize a specific example.
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Comparison Of Reading Placement Tests
|
LEVEL |
Form E |
Form F |
TASP |
Regent’s |
|
1.00 Facts |
15 |
13 |
1 |
2 |
|
1.10 Specific Fact |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
1. 20 Factual Statement |
|
|
|
|
|
1.21 Definition |
|
|
|
|
|
1.22 Example |
|
|
|
|
|
1.23 Explanation |
|
|
|
4 |
|
1.24 Comparison |
|
|
|
|
|
1.25 Contrast |
|
|
|
|
|
1.26 Cause |
|
|
|
|
|
1.27 Effect |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.00 Concepts |
|
|
|
|
|
2.10 Topic |
|
|
|
|
|
2.11 in a topic sentence |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
2.12 develop topic sentence |
4 |
2 |
11 |
6 |
|
2.13 emphasized topic |
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
2.14 not emphasized topic |
|
|
1 |
|
|
2.20 Details |
|
|
|
|
|
2.21 supporting |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
2.22 sequential |
|
|
1 |
|
|
2.23 not supporting |
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
2.24 same as |
|
|
|
|
|
2.25 emphasized |
|
|
|
|
|
2.26 not emphasized |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.0 Principles |
|
|
|
|
|
3.1 Definition |
2 |
|
8 |
21 |
|
3.2 Example |
|
3 |
1 |
11 |
|
3.3 Explanation |
5 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
|
3.4 Comparison |
|
2 |
|
|
|
3.5 Contrast |
|
|
2 |
|
|
3.6 Cause |
1 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
|
3.7 Effect |
|
|
3 |
5 |
Percent Of Test Questions On Each Cognitive Level
|
Cognitive Level |
N-D form E |
TASK |
Regent’s |
|
Facts |
53 |
2 |
10 |
|
Concepts |
24 |
40 |
15 |
|
Principles |
24 |
58 |
75 |
|
Problem Solving |
|
|
|
|
Total Number of Questions |
34 |
42 |
60 |
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What are the cognitive reading skills measured by the different placement tests?
The reading placement tests measured the following cognitive skills:
1.
Accuplacer
a. Determine the connection or relationship between the second sentence to the first sentence
b. For three sentences, recognize a topic sentence.
2.
Nelson-Denny, Form E and
F
a. Fifty percent of the questions require scanning for a fact
b. The remaining questions measure different concepts and principles.
3. TASP
a. Recognize a topic sentence
b. Use context clues to determine a word’s meaning
c. Recognize the
cause or effect
e. Recognize supporting details
4. Regent’s Testing
Program
a. Use context clues to determine a word’s meaning
b. Recognize an example of a term
c. Recognize the
cause or effect
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Conclusion
- Each reading placement test measures different cognitive reading skills.
- The Accuplacer reading test measures a cognitive reading skill that is not taught in most reading programs. While it is important to recognize the connection or relationship between sentences in a paragraph, this skill can be better measured on the principle level as it is done in the Regent’s test.
- Suggestions given on college websites on how to prepare for a college reading placement test are of no value.
- The Nelson-Denny, Forms E and F, mainly measure the student’s ability to scan for a fact.
- The TASK and Regent’s Testing Program measures the reading skills required for college success.
- Only the Regent’s reading test measures the cognitive reading skill of recognizing an example of a term. This important skill is required to solve problems.
- After being placed into a college reading and study skills class because of a low score on a reading test, the reading skills taught in the class probably are not the skills measured on the placement test.
- Only the TASK and Regent’s reading placement test measure the reading skills required on college tests.
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