Assessment of Incoming Students

Katherine Mangan reports on how Santa Monica College has improved student retention by having incoming freshmen take the Success Navigator assessment developed by Educational Testing Service.

According to Mangan, "the assessment, which costs colleges $6 per student, provides feedback to students, their advisers, and instructors, on the specific hurdles students may face and links them with campus resources that can help."

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Personality Assessment Tools

Sharon Florentine analyzes personality assessments used in the hiring process, and determines they have a legitimate role.

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Grading with Student Involvement: Specifications Grading

Educator Linda Nilson describes specifications grading and contrasts it with standards-based grading. The first method is designed to increase student involvement in the assessment process and should promote academic rigor, while the second involves the student repeating an assignment as many times as needed to achieve mastery.

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