The Early Math Placement Tool Articulating with High Schools about College Level Math Expectations

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The Early Math Placement ToolArticulating with
High Schools about College Level Math Expectations
James Wollack UW-Madison
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What is an Early Math Placement Test?

• A shortened version of a math placement test,
  administered to HS juniors
• Purposes of EMPT
• Improve the articulation with HS teachers,
  students, and parents about university-level math
  expectations
• Increase number of students taking
  college-preparatory mathematics as Seniors
• Improve overall math preparation of incoming
  college freshman
• Reduce need for math remediation
• Increase number entering with GER satisfied and
  ready to take first math class required for major

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Why is Wisconsin EMPT unique?

• Special relationship with UW MPT
• EMPT is a homegrown statewide program serving
  Wisconsins 26 public universities and 14
  technical colleges, partnered with a parallel MPT
  program used throughout the state.
• Since 1978, faculty throughout UW-System have
  collaborated on the development of a System-wide
  math placement testing program.
• 1 representative from each 4-year campus (13)
• 1 representative from all 2-year campuses
• 1 representative from Wisconsin High Schools
• 1 psychometrician
• UW-MPT is a testing program, not a static test.

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EMPT and UW-MPT

• The EMPT really is just a shortened version of
  the exact same test students will take upon
  admission to a UW-campus

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History of EMPT Funding

• From 1986-2002, the EMPT Program charged high
  schools 3 per student for the test.
• Exam was PP, and was proctored.
• Program ran a deficit, and was subsidized by
  UW-Madison and the MATC.
• In 2003, EMPT raised costs to 4 per student
• Many schools dropped out, deficit increased,
  program died.
• Ongoing funding for EMPT approved by legislature
  in 2008 State budget

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Overview of New EMPT

• Testing medium is flexible
• PP and Online available
• Administrative conditions are flexible
• Separate forms for proctored/unproctored
• No cost to individual high schools
• Funded for Statewide implementation

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Communicating w/ Teachers about EMPT

• EMPT is not intended to assess individual teacher
  quality
• Teachers are bound by legislation to teach to
  state standards that are much broader than what
  is measured by the EMPT.
• Teacher quality relates to the ability of the
  teacher to deliver the adopted curriculum.
• The EMPT makes no effort to measure the integrity
  with which the curriculum was delivered.

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Communicating w/ Teachers about EMPT

• EMPT is not intended to assess the quality of the
  math curriculum
• Evaluating the quality of the math curriculum
  requires a comparison of student outcomes with
  the goals and objectives of the HS math program
  (and/or those of stakeholders).
• HSs need to appropriately teach many different
  types of students having very different needs and
  ambitions.
• The EMPT does not measure the extent to which
  each of these different populations is well
  served by the curriculum.

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Communicating w/ Teachers about EMPT

• EMPT focuses squarely on the transition from high
  school to college math
• It is an appropriate tool for evaluating the
  extent to which a HS curriculum adequately
  prepares students to transition to college-level
  math.

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Comfort Through Control

• The new EMPT is teacher-controlled
• Teachers decide if (and how) their classes
  participate
• Teachers register their own classes
• Results are released to teachers only
• EMPT does not provide school- or district-level
  data to school/district
• Principals/School Boards/math coordinators cannot
  request results
• EMPT data/results are for teachers eyes only

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EMPT Pilot Study

• Target sizes for pilot
• 25 Schools
• 1,000 Students
• Teacher recruitment
• Twice gave a 15-minute presentation on EMPT at a
  high school math meet
• Handed out flier at an information table at WI
  State Math Conference

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EMPT Pilot Study

• Actual numbers tested
• 77 Schools
• 217 Teachers
• 565 Classrooms
• 7,811 Students
• Not one phone call was placed to recruit a school
  and only such one e-mail was sent to a high
  school
• Students tested from January June, 2009
• Most tested in March and April

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EMPT Homepage
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Step 1 Teacher Registration
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Teacher Login
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(No Transcript)
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Registering a Class

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Registering a Class

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Registering a Class

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Registering a Class

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Registering a Class
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Instructions for Students
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Instructions for Students
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Student Login
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Student Login
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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EMPT Disclosed Exam
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After clicking on submit button
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Feedback to Student
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Feedback to Student
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Feedback to Student
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Feedback to Student
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Math Requirements by Major
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Math Requirements by Major
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Math Requirements by Major
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Math Requirements by MajorUW-Madison
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Math Requirements by MajorUW-Madison
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Math Requirements by MajorUW-Madison
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Math Requirements by MajorUW-Stevens Point
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Student Login PP Exam
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Student Login PP Exam
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EMPT Scoring Template
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EMPT Scoring Template
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EMPT Scoring Template
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Same Student Feedback as Before
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After (or During) Testing Window Teacher login
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View or Print Reports
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View or Print Reports
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View or Print Reports (by classroom)
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View or Print Reports (by course type)
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View or Print Reports (by course type)
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Display Placement Chart
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View item analysis (by course type)
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View item analysis (by course type)
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View item analysis (by course type)
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View Student Letters
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EMPT Feedback

• Comments were uniformly very positive
• I really like the flexibility of doing it online
  or on paper or a combination of bothclass time
  spent on this was minimal. I also really liked
  the class printouts of scores and the item
  analysisvery informative and easy to obtain
• My students found the testing very
  helpfulseveral have now completed placement
  tests and appreciated the opportunity for
  practice the juniors now know what to work on so
  theyll be ready.
• I loved the highlighting when inputting the
  answers!
• It is awesome! The students really like the
  feedback.
• We love it at XXX High School. It was very
  easy to use.

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The Future of the EMPT

• Expand to include WI private universities
• Adding a Great Ideas page to website for
  teachers to ask each other questions and check
  out best practices
• Adding a timer that can either be visible or
  hidden during testing, and add a 10-minute
  warning.
• Expand item analysis to report percentage correct
  for all juniors and all students in same course
  (e.g., Algebra II)
• Automating re-assignment of passwords if teachers
  forget
• Exploring the sale of the EMPT to other states
• Evaluation
• Previous EMPT data consistently showed that
  participation reduced remediation by 50 and
  increased calculus placement by 10.

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Thank Youjwollack_at_wisc.eduhttps//testing.exa
ms.wisc.edu/empt/home