The Repository @ St. Cloud State

Open Access Knowledge and Scholarship

Date of Award

5-1993

Culminating Project Type

Thesis

Degree Name

English: M.A.

Department

English

College

College of Liberal Arts

First Advisor

Donna Gorrell

Second Advisor

David Sebberson

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Keywords and Subject Headings

composition, first year composition, test-out

Abstract

The English 162 and English 163 test-out exams at St. Cloud State University were revised to reflect recent trends in equivalency testing. When the revised tests were used for the first time during the 1992-93 year, students scored consistently with prior year's performances.

Researchers suggest there is no theoretical base for most assessment methods; in response, hermeneutics provides English departments with a base for holistic rating. Definitions of other types of assessment programs are also necessary in deciding what methods match desired program outcomes. The methods available for designing and evaluating assessment programs may assist the English Composition program.

The work conducted to revise the English 162 and English 163 test-out exams at SCSU illustrates current research and practices. In particular, suggestions are provided for essay prompt design and pre-testing, reader training, test administration, and program evaluation.

The research conducted for determining English 162 interrater reliability suggests that readers should be trained using sample essays on the same topics they will rate for the test-out. Research employing a stepwise multiple regression shows a positive relationship between ACT scores and student success on the English 162 test-out. However, because the results do not account for a sufficient portion of essay score variability, current student advising practices should remain in use. Suggestions for future research are also provided.

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