The study by Mark A. Perkins, Jonathan W. Carrier, and Joseph M. Schaffer examines how effective traditional placement measures like high school GPA and ACT scores are for non-traditional community college students—those who return to education years after completing high school. It focuses on how these measures predict success in college-level courses, emphasizing that non-traditional students often face different challenges that may affect their academic performance.
Main Takeaways:
- Effectiveness of High School GPA and ACT Scores: High school GPA is a stronger predictor of college success compared to ACT scores for both traditional and non-traditional students. However, the time elapsed since high school graduation significantly impacts the predictability of these measures for non-traditional students.
- Impact of Non-Traditional Status: Non-traditional students, defined as those starting college five or more years after high school, often perform as well or better than traditional students despite potentially lower high school GPAs or older age.
- Placement Challenges: Placement tests based on outdated academic records may misplace non-traditional students into developmental courses that do not count toward graduation, unnecessarily extending their time in college.
- Recommendations for Placement Practices: The study suggests adopting guided self-placement strategies, which involve students in the decision-making process about their course placement based on their current skills rather than just historical academic performance.