SP 9-41 – Assessment for College Readiness

Colorado Community College System / System Procedure

APPLICATION

This procedure applies to the Colorado Community College System, including its Colleges (CCCS or System).

PURPOSE

Board Policy (BP) 9-41 authorizes the Chancellor to promulgate procedures necessary to implement assessment for college readiness. Furthermore, this procedure is consistent with the Colorado Commission for Higher Education (CCHE) Statewide Remedial Education Policy.

This procedure provides guidance for implementation of assessment for college readiness in reading, writing, and mathematics of students within CCCS.

DEFINITIONS

“College Readiness” is the determination that a student has the skills necessary to be successful in a college-level course.

“Default Placement” is the practice of direct placement into a college-level course with a paired SAI support course unless the student provides evidence for college-level placement.

“Developmental Education” means courses that are prerequisites to the level of work expected at a postsecondary institution and include academic skills courses and preparatory courses.

“Guided Self-Placement (GSP)” is a locally developed tool or process that allows students, in consultation with advisors and/or faculty, to determine the appropriate starting coursework in mathematics, English, and English as a Second Language (ESL). GSP encourages students’ personal metacognitive evaluation and self-determination as a part of the placement process. GSP tools provide students with basic information about multiple measures and help them, through questions, examples, and course descriptions, determine the appropriate level of placement aligned with the student’s educational goals.

“Supplemental Academic Instruction (SAI)” means co-requisite courses, modified co-requisite courses, and academic support models that use peer or instructor study sessions, or individualized in-class academic support to improve student learning, retention, or success.

PROCEDURE

Requirement for Assessment:
Degree-seeking undergraduate students must be assessed in mathematics, writing, and reading prior to or during the first semester of their college career.

All students (whether degree-seeking, non-degree-seeking, concurrent enrollment, exchange students, etc.) must be assessed in the applicable subject if they enroll in a course that has a specific math, English, or reading prerequisite.

Exemptions from Assessment:
Students who would normally be required to be assessed can demonstrate college readiness or are otherwise exempt from the assessment requirement if the student:

1. Has completed either a college-level transfer mathematics and college-level transfer writing course or a remedial course (if required) in mathematics, writing, and reading;

2. Earned a baccalaureate degree;

3. Earned an associate degree;

4. Is pursuing a vocational certificate, unless the individual college requires assessment of certificate-seekers; or

5. Has a combination of recent high school unweighted GPA and related high school coursework at or above the levels established by CCCS.

Assessment Methods and Minimum College Readiness Standards:
Colleges may use any of the primary indicators of college readiness and cut scores as defined by the CCHE Remedial Education Policy. Colleges may also use GSP and/or Default Placement in lieu of other assessment methods. A student who scores at the indicated score or above, within the five years prior to enrollment, is determined to be college ready and therefore is not in need of college readiness instruction. If students retake an assessment, Colleges will accept the higher of their two testing scores, even if that is the original test score.

For students who come to CCCS as “Ability to Benefit” students, a federally certified assessment should be used to determine college readiness.

If a student, 1) has not taken one of these tests to demonstrate college readiness, 2) brings a college readiness score that falls below the CCHE identified score for a primary indicator of college readiness, or 3) has taken a test that is more than five years old, the student must take a CCCS-approved assessment, which includes GSP and/or Default Placement. Students must score at or above the levels established by CCCS on such assessment in order to be considered college ready.

Supplemental Academic Instruction and Developmental Education:

1. Colleges must advise students in the appropriate level course work upon assessment. Students meeting the specified minimum cut score may enroll in college-level courses and be reported as such.

2. Colleges must advise students to enroll in SAI courses or Developmental Education/remedial skills classes during the first semester following a placement test when assessment scores indicate inadequate college preparation in any or all of these areas. Colleges must advise students of their responsibility to complete SAI courses or Developmental Education/remedial course work within the first 30 credit hours.

3. Colleges must ensure that each enrolled student identified as needing Developmental Education or remedial course work is provided with written notification identifying which state institutions offer such Developmental Education courses, including online courses.

4. All students whose assessment scores do not meet the standards established by CCCS are responsible for completing Developmental Education instruction during their first thirty (30) credit hours of attendance at the College. For students with unmet remedial needs who have completed 30 or more credit hours, Colleges must require that such students meet with an academic advisor on the need to address college readiness deficiencies before registering for additional course work.

Data Collection:

1. CCCS shall collect and report as required by CCHE regarding students who are assessed.

2. Documentation of students’ college readiness assessments must be retained for a minimum of five years after testing.

1. Informal inquiry (new instructors) 

• Ask for instructor qualifications—Kelly Gaer, Kelly.Gaer@CCAurora, will email CE Instructor Qualifications document 

• Instructor emails transcript(s) to Kelly Gaer—unofficial transcript is okay for initial review.  Transcript must indicate conferral of Master’s degree in discipline, or Master’s degree plus 18+ credits of graduate-level courses in discipline. 

• If you are requesting approval to teach a career and technical (CTE) course, you will have to apply for a post-secondary CTE credential within 60 days from the day of hire. This document lists CCA’s CTE courses and the educational and occupational experience requirements for a post-secondary CTE credential. 

• Initial review by department chair is done 

• If approved, Kelly Gaer will email instructor with syllabus template(s) for intended course(s), along with the HR packet and instructions. 

2. Course Request via JotForm, by instructor 

• Deadlines to submit request: March 31 (returning instructors) and May 31 (new instructors) 

• Requirements for course requests: For new instructors—credentials, resume, OFFICIAL transcripts, completed syllabus.  For returning instructors—updated syllabus. 

• JotForm link:  

https://form.jotform.com/CCACE/ce-new-instructor-request-to-teach 

3. Review of syllabi 

• Syllabi are initially reviewed by Kelly Gaer for accurate information reflecting the term of intended instruction, current course description, course learning outcomes, topical outline and Student Course Learning Map.  Syllabus must include all components laid out in the syllabus template.  If course is a Guaranteed Transfer course, there is a separate document with the required GT language that must accompany the instructor’s syllabus to the students.  This will be provided to instructor by Kelly Gaer. 

• Syllabus is then emailed to the respective department chair, by Kelly Gaer, for final review.  Department Chair has the authority to change or give advice regarding the syllabus and gives final approval.  This can take up to 2 weeks. 

4. Approvals/pending approvals/denials are emailed to instructors, CE point person in high school, and the district liaisons 

5. For new instructors, Kelly Gaer will email the HR packet with instructions on how to complete.  Instructor will complete packet and return to HR department, Carmelina Mejia, Carmelina.Mejia@CCAurora.edu .  Once received in HR, this process can take up to 6 weeks.  Once instructor is processed, the HR department sends an email with the instructor’s S number and additional information to the instructor, Kelly Gaer, and other CCA staff that need to know. 

6. Instructor should watch for correspondence via email containing information regarding orientation, professional development, procedures and policies, etc. 

While the Community College of Aurora strives to minimize course cancellations, at times classes must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment causing decreased rigor, cancellation of a degree or certificate, or other factors that make it impossible to offer a particular course as originally planned.

Nonrenewal of Adjunct Instructor – Adjunct instructors may be placed on probation or not renewed should CCA determine course misalignment with CCA counterpart courses, or noncompliance with the CE Instructor Agreement as outlined on the Course Request Submission. Course assessments, student work, and observations will be used to determine rigor within the course and an instructor’s ability to teach the course to CCA’s expectations.

Nonrenewal of Course – Courses may be canceled should an adjunct instructor fail to meet the course rigor expectations, as determined by end of semester assessments, and an alternate adjunct instructor is not approved to teach the course at the high school.

Nonrenewal of Pathways – Nonrenewal of a course could adversely affect pathway designation, should the course be a required component of said pathway. Schools will be provided with a one- year notice concerning the closure of a designated pathway.

The substitution policy is applicable when an approved CCA adjunct-instructor is absent from the classroom for one or more consecutive days. School principals or assistant principals must inform CCA CE staff and their district liaison immediately in all cases of an absence for review.

Short-Term Absence: CCA considers a short-term absence as an adjunct instructor missing 15% or fewer consecutive days of the academic term. If this occurs, CCA must be informed immediately by the school's administration and a substitute teacher may be chosen from the rotation the school uses.

Long-Term Absence: CCA considers a long-term absence as an adjunct instructor missing more than 15% consecutive days of the academic term. If this occurs, CCA must be notified immediately by the school's administration so a plan can be developed in consultation with CE Department, CCA Department Chair and/or Dean. In cases of a long-term absence, a substitute adjunct instructor who meets the minimum qualifications of the college, is approved by CCA and completes the CCA hiring process must be used. The responsibility of locating a qualified adjunct instructor lies with the high school, but CCA may assist in the process. No student teachers or teaching interns can be assigned to Concurrent Enrollment classes. If the long-term substitute is a high school employee, no changes will be made regarding billing. If the long-term substitute is a CCA-paid adjunct instructor, the cost for that adjunct instructor will be passed to the high school through the billing process. If a qualified substitute cannot be identified to teach the college course, CCA reserves the right to cancel the course for college credit. If a course is canceled for college credit, it may still be offered for high school credit.

CCA Paid Adjunct Instructor: If a CCA-paid adjunct instructor will have an extended absence of more than 15% consecutive days of the academic term at a high school location, it is the responsibility of the college to provide a substitute adjunct instructor approved by the college. CCA does not provide substitute teachers for short-term absences at high school locations.