Incoming Student Assessment

PURPOSE:

Riverland uses the College Board Accuplacer Assessment to evaluate all incoming students seeking academic award in accordance with Minnesota State Board Policy 3.3 Assessment for Course Placement. The purpose of this policy is to support students’ success at Riverland by determining appropriate course placement for students. In addition, the policy establishes standards for incoming student assessment. Cut scores for placement in Math, English, and English as a Second Language Academic (ESLA) courses are noted. Finally, assessment waivers, retesting guidelines, testing accommodations, Ability to Benefit admission cut scores, and testing exemptions from ESLA courses are outlined.

APPLICABILITY:

Riverland students enrolled in credit-based courses that lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate are required to take the Accuplacer. The Accuplacer combines student background information with test results in English, reading, and mathematics to identify students’ current levels of ability and is used to aid in course placement.

There are other general provisions associated with Accuplacer:

The Accuplacer must be completed after a student is admitted to the college but before course registration.
The Assessment Policy will apply to all students enrolled in credit courses including on-line enrollees, PSEO, and concurrent enrollment students.
Accuplacer scores are valid for three (3) years.
A student’s score report is maintained in their electronic file.
Riverland has established certain cut scores for course planning. Refer to the Accuplacer Advising Guide on the Accuplacer web page.

Accuplacer Waivers

Waivers from completing the Accuplacer assessment may be granted in the following situations:

Students, who have taken an Accuplacer at another college in the last three (3) years and have provided a copy of the test scores to the College.
Students transferring from an accredited college to Riverland Community College who have successfully completed college-level English and math. An official college transcript must be sent to the Registrar for evaluation.
Recent high school graduates who have taken the ACT assessment and achieved the following subtest scores:
- Reading: subject area test score of 21 or higher
- Writing: English subject area test score of 18 or higher
- Mathematics: subject area test score of 22 or higher.
Enrollment in English as a Second Language Academic courses (see ESLA policy)
Enrollment in hourly Riverland Training and Development offerings
Enrollment in Farm Business Management courses. The student must have a high school diploma or GED.

Retesting

Students are eligible to retest twice within a twelve (12) month period. The initial test and retests include Accuplacer assessments taken at another Minnesota State College and University System (MnSCU) institution or high school. The retest must be a minimum of two (2) weeks after the initial test. A retest fee of $20 is required.

If the student wishes to test a third time, they are eligible to retest three (3) months after the date of the first test if they have documentation of remediation. Remediation includes:

Current enrollment in or completion of developmental or ENAP coursework.
Completion of MyFoundations Lab units.
Documentation of participation in Adult Basic Education (ABE) refresher labs or courses.
Documentation of participation in other remedial coursework.

Permission may be granted by a Counselor or the Dean of Student Affairs to waive the number of retests and the retest timeframe for extenuating circumstances.

Accommodations

Riverland Community College offers Accuplacer testing accommodations for students with a documented disability. The Accuplacer assessment is not timed and all campus Accuplacer sessions are physically accessible. Students who need other testing accommodations must complete the online Request for Accuplacer Accommodations form located on the Accuplacer and New Student Registration webpage. Students are required to submit documentation of their disability. Specific information concerning the type of documentation needed is located on the Disability Services webpage and stated in the confirmation email upon submitting the online request form.

Ability to Benefit

Applicants seeking admissions to the college and consideration for state financial aid who do not have a high school diploma or GED must pass an “Ability to Benefit” assessment that has been approved by the U.S.

Department of Education.

The Accuplacer is the approved “Ability to Benefit” test offered at Riverland. An applicant must meet or exceed the following minimum scores on each of the three approved subtests in a single testing session:

Reading Comprehension - 55
Sentence Structure - 60
Arithmetic - 34

Applicants not meeting or exceeding one (1) or all these scores may request to retest. There is a minimum two (2) weeks waiting period between test administrations. Applicants must retake and pass all three subtests during that administration. One (1) retest is allowed in a three (3) month period.

After the second assessment, applicants may request another retest. They may file a written appeal to the Dean of Student Affairs, who will respond within five (5) business days. The written appeal must be on the Retest Appeal Form and must include evidence of instructional intervention that would suggest that score improvement would be possible. Each retesting session is $20.00.

Test Score Reports

Riverland students taking the Accuplacer at Riverland will receive their Accuplacer Score Report and a Course Placement Guide upon completion of their test.

Students planning to attend another college or university may take their Accuplacer assessment at Riverland during regularly scheduled sessions. They will receive a copy of their test scores to submit to the college of their choice.

ACCUPLACER - English as a Second Lanuage as a Second Language Academic (ESLA) English as a Second Language Academic (ESLA)

All students who enroll only in ESLA courses are required to take the ACCUPLACER ESL Reading Skills, Language Use and Sentence Meaning tests to ensure proper course placement by assessing proficiency in speaking/listening, writing, and reading English as a Second Language.

English Language Proficiency

A student whose primary language is not English and is seeking admittance to degree and diploma granting programs will be required to take the ENAP courses. To be exempt from the English as a Second Language Academic (ESLA) courses students must meet one of the following criteria:

TOEFL- Paper based test- score of 500 or higher
TOEFL-IBT- Internet based test score of 61 or higher
CELSA raw score of 68-75 plus a writing sample
CASAS scaled score of 245-250 plus a writing sample
Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) average score of 75 or greater
Acuplacer score of 63 or higher in Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills
ASAP score of 23 or higher
IELTS minimum score of 2.0 4.5 (Pillsbury) 5.5-6.0 (MnSCU college ready)
ACT sub-score of 18 or higher in English.

Students failing to meet one of these criteria will be required to complete appropriate ESLA courses.

DEFINITIONS: N/A

DOES THIS POLICY HAVE A PROCEDURE? NO

LIST RELATED POLICIES, PROCEDURES OR PLANS HERE: MnSCU Board Policy 3.3

Date Implemented: 4/9/2015

Date of Initial Review by President’s Cabinet: 12/11/14

AASC Review (if applicable):

FSGC Review (if applicable): 3/11/2015

Date & Subject of Revisions: