Office of the Senior Vice President for Student Services

MONTGOMERY COLLEGE Office of the Senior Vice President for Student Services

January 9, 2014

MEMORANDUM

To: The College Community

From: Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, Senior Vice President for Student Services

Subject: Information on Assessment and Placement of Students

In order to promote student success and retention, students need to enroll in courses for which they demonstrate the appropriate academic readiness. This memorandum is a reminder of the College’s procedures regarding assessment and placement of students, including retesting and appealing placement. Information on assessment testing may be found at http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/tertiary2.aspx?urlid=58.

Most students are placed into reading, English, and math courses based on their placement test, SAT, ACT, IB, or AP scores, or based on coursework completed at another college. In addition, most college-level courses at Montgomery College list assessment levels for reading, English, and math, as appropriate for the courses. For such courses, students must place at the designated assessment level(s) or higher in order to enroll. There is also a placement test for students who intend to take CH 101 (general chemistry). Students who have not passed CH 099A and who wish to take CH 101 should take the chemistry placement test at one of the campus assessment centers at least one day before they plan to register for CH 101. Students who have passed CH 099A (C or better) do not need to take the chemistry placement test.

New students whose first language is American English or who attended at least 10 years of school (elementary, middle, and high school) in the United States take the English, reading, and math sections of the Accuplacer. Everyone else who is required to be assessed must take the ESL Accuplacer plus writing sample.

Students who believe that their Accuplacer scores do not reflect their knowledge and skills, based on prior coursework and achievement, should be referred to a counselor or adviser to determine whether or not they meet the criteria for a retake.

If a student has taken the assessment test at a Montgomery College campus or at a high school (using the Academic Initiatives code), this counts as his or her first Accuplacer attempt. These scores will be on SOATEST in Banner with a campus or Academic Initiatives designation. Students in this category may retest at Montgomery College one time only and should not retest sooner than 24 hours after the initial test session.

When a student takes the assessment test in a high school, using the MCPS Accuplacer code, only scores that permit enrollment in college-level courses have been sent by MCPS electronically to Montgomery College and entered in Banner. Paper or informal results are not accepted. When a student who has tested at MCPS has both college-level and developmental placement scores, only the college-level scores have been sent to Montgomery College and will appear on SOATEST.

Note: All Accuplacer attempts that count towards a student’s total MC attempts will be on SOATEST.

English and reading Accuplacer scores are valid for two years. Math Accuplacer scores are valid for one year. If a student’s request for a retake is approved, the student should be encouraged to review the online information about Accuplacer Test preparation with links to review problems and test-taking tips. This may be found at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/AssessCtr/accuplacer.htm .

Students who take the ESL Accuplacer plus writing sample may not retake the test during the current semester. However, during the first week that they are enrolled in an AELP course, students are given a diagnostic test. In some instances, based on their diagnostic test score, they may be permitted to enroll in a higher-level course.

Students who are dissatisfied with their course placements after two Accuplacer attempts may consider a review of placement, but the Accuplacer will not be given a third time.

Students who wish a review of placement in English should go to the English Department on their campus and ask to see the department chair or designee. These individuals are:

· Germantown English o Dr. Christina Devlin – Office: Paul Peck Academic and Innovation Building (PK) 139

· Rockville English o Professor Elizabeth Benton – Office: Macklin Tower (MT) 526

· Takoma Park/Silver Spring English o Professor Angela Nissing – Office: Pavilion Three (P3) 215

Students who wish a review of placement in reading should go to the Reading Department on their campus to see the department chair, coordinator, or designee.

· Germantown Reading o Dr. Mary Robinson – Office: Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HS) 130

· Rockville Reading o Professor Teri Hurst – Office: MT 503 o Dr. Mary Owens – Office: MT 512 o Professor Susan Simpson – Office: Science West (SW) 108-2 · Takoma Park/Silver Spring Reading o Professor Windy Jefferson-Jackson – Office: P3 218

Students who wish a review of placement in math should go to the Mathematics Department on their campus to see the department chair or designee.

· Germantown Math o Professor John Hamman – Office: High Technology and Science Center (HT) 133 o Professor Kathryn Linehan – Office: HT 221

· Rockville Math o Professor Susan King – Office: SW 031 o Dr. Ben Nicholson – Office: SW 025 o Professor Stephanie Pepin – Office: SW 033

· Takoma Park/Silver Spring Math o Dr. Sharon Hauge – Office: Mathematics Pavilion (MP) 247

Students who wish a review of placement in chemistry should go to the Chemistry Department on their campus to see the department chair or designee.

· Germantown Chemistry o Dr. Don Newlin – Office: Sciences and Applied Studies Building (SA) 265

· Rockville Chemistry o Professor Abner Mintz – Office: Science Center (SC) 331D

· Takoma Park/Silver Spring Math o Dr. Adel Halli – Office: Science North (SN) 316

Students who wish a review of placement in AELP should go to the Department where AELP is located on their campus to see the department chair, coordinator, or designee.

· Germantown AELP o Professor Page Whittenburg – Office: HS 106

· Rockville AELP o Professor Ray Gonzales – Office: MT 512A

· Takoma Park/Silver Spring AELP o Professor Angela Nissing – Office: P3 12

If the department designee determines, by using relevant information, that the student should be placed in a course other than one based on the Accuplacer score, this action must be entered in Banner as an override in the SFASRPO screen with a brief comment on the rationale for the override in the comment screen, SPACMNT. Thank you for promoting student success by adhering to our assessment and placement procedures.

Looking Forward.