ALEKS - Math Placement Testing - General Information and Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated 8/2/19

Beginning July 1, 2019, all new students will be directed to take ALEKs unless they are requesting a retest on Accuplacer. 

Which Math Placement Test will a Student Take? 

1. All new students with no testing history with MC will take ALEKS.
2. All students with ACCUPLACER Math scores more than a year old will take ALEKS.
3. Recent MCPS graduates with Classic ACCU Math scores (less than a year old) who want to retest, will retest with NextGen Math or ALEKS.
4. CE/WDCE students with Classic ACCU Math scores (less than a year old) who want to retest, will retest with NextGen Math or ALEKS.

Information about ALEKS Tests 1 through 5: 

1. Test 1 is a Diagnostic Assessment taken to determine a student’s current math skill. It is not proctored or used for placement.
2. Tests 2 through 5 are proctored placement tests that result in official assessment scores entered into Banner (proctored in Assessment Center).

*Study modules should be completed via ALEKS before each test to improve performance. Three hours of study modules are required before Tests 3 through 5.

ALEKS Placement Testing Process:

1. Students get information about taking ALEKS Test 1 (Diagnostic), in their welcome letter and email.
2. Students complete Test 1 (Diagnostic) on their own as recommended in the Welcome Letter/Email prior to coming to the Assessment Center. Students should be encouraged to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) in one of the Learning Centers. See item # 2 below under Implementation Questions for specific Learning Center locations. If students wish to, they will be permitted to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) in the Assessment Center. However, students must first claim their MYMC Account and set up their ALEKS account prior to coming to the Assessment Center. This is not the preferred location. See item #2 below.   
3. Students immediately receive their Test 1 (Diagnostic) numerical score upon completion of the test. Students also receive a result indicating the highest MC course for which their scores qualify them. For example, if they receive a score of 40 they will be told they are eligible for MATH 050/MATH 117.
4. Students who are satisfied with their Test 1 (Diagnostic) results will wait 48 hours before going to the Assessment Center to take Placement Test 2. Placement Test 2 is the first official placement test score that will be entered into Banner. Assessment Center Staff will direct students to meet with a Counselor after Placement Test 2.
6. Students who are dissatisfied with the Test 1 (Diagnostic) results should complete study modules in ALEKS before taking Placement Test 2. They must also wait 48 hours between Test 1 (Diagnostic) and Placement Test 2. Additional study modules must be completed before taking each subsequent test (Test 3 through 5).
7. There will be a 48-hour wait time between all Tests. Students will also be required to complete a minimum of 3 hours on study modules in ALEKS before taking Test 3, Test 4, and Test 5.
8. A referral from the Math Department will be needed before taking Test 5.
9. See item # 9 below for the specific point of contact in the Math Department at each campus. Referrals will be made via Starfish.
10. Placement test scores from Test 2 through Test 5 are entered in Banner which is loaded into the e-MAP, which gives students math course placement. We will continue to use the highest test score (from Test 2 through Test 5) for course placement.
11. If ALEKS placement results fail to post to Banner overnight, contact the IT Helpdesk and submit a work order.

ALEKS Implementation Questions: 

1. How will students be notified that they need to take the ALEKS Test 1(Diagnostic)?  Will this be in the Welcome Letter, Welcome Email, etc.?  How will students be notified about the study modules?
   • This information will be included in the Welcome Letter & Welcome Email with a link to the Assessment Center webpage.
2. Where are students going to be encouraged to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) (Assessment Center, math lab, at home)?
   • Students will be encouraged to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) in one of the Learning Centers listed below. They can also work on the study modules in these locations.
   
   
   Germantown: MAPEL Center (HT 229) , Science Learning Center (BE 244)
   

   Rockville: Ackerman STEM Learning Center (SW 109)
   

   Takoma Park/Silver Spring: Mathematics Learning Center (P1-101D) Science Learning Center (P1-101A) 
   
   
3. What if a student does not have a computer at home?  Where will the student be encouraged to take Test 1 (Diagnostic)?
   
   • Students will be encouraged to complete Test 1 (Diagnostic) in one of the locations listed above in item # 2. But, students may take it in any location where they can quietly focus for up to 2 hours. Utilizing the Learning Centers listed above is best because the staff in those locations will be able to assist and respond to questions. The Assessment Center staff will not be able to answer questions during testing as this would disturb other testers.
   
4. Will students be able to access Test 1 (Diagnostic) from mobile devices?  What are the recommended settings in which students should take the diagnostic?  For example, is the Welcome Center the best place to take it?
   
   • Yes, Test 1 (Diagnostic) can be accessed from any platform that supports MyMC login. The math department recommends that students take Test 1 (Diagnostic) anywhere they can sit and concentrate on mathematics for up to 2 hours. The Learning Centers listed above in item # 2 are the best locations to take the Test 1 Diagnostic.  The diagnostic is important because it will determine the content students are given to prepare for all future tests.
   
5. How long will it take to upload scores into Banner after the student has completed ALEKS at the Assessment Center?
   
   • Currently, this is an overnight process.
   
6. Can students access their own test scores? Do the score reports include placements?
   
   • Yes and yes. The raw score and the highest MC course placement will be given to students immediately upon completion.
   
7. How soon will students have access to their results and in what form will they receive these results?
   
   The raw scores for each test and the highest MC course placement will be given the students immediately upon test completion.  A student can log into ALEKS at any time and see all their previous attempts.
   
8. Will the student need to see a counselor in between each Test to know his or her placement?
   
   • Students must see a counselor after taking proctored Test 2 for interpretation and advising on appropriate course selection for their Program of Study. They will receive a course placement sheet.
   
   • If a student has questions about placement after taking additional Tests 3-5, counselors can provide assistance.
   
9. Will the student need a referral to take Tests 2-5?
   
   • No referrals are required for Test 2 – Test 4. A referral from the Math Department will be required prior to taking Test 5. Referrals will be posted in Starfish. Direct students to the designated Math Department contacts below for approval to take Test 5:
   
   Germantown:  Nafeesa Azizi - (HT 138), nafeesa.azizi@montgomerycollege.edu
   Rockville: Scott Poese - (SC354C), scott.poese@montgomerycollege.edu
   Takoma Park/Silver Spring: Lori Christy - (SN 102), Lori.christy@montgomercollege.edu
   
10.  What happens after taking Test 5?  Will there be an exception for students to take it for a sixth time?
    
    • Placement testing options end after Test 5. No exceptions can be made during the same testing cycle. Currently our P&P has 1-year life span for math assessment scores as long as the math sequence has not been started. This remains in effect for ALEKS.
    
11.  Are students allowed to retake Test 1 (Diagnostic)?
    
    No. Test 1 (Diagnostic) cannot be retaken.
    
12. Will placement scores be available in Starfish?
    
    • Placement scores will be available in Starfish, just like other placement scores.
    
13. Since students will have the opportunity to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) and Tests 2 through 5, should we stop offering the test "X" number of days before the start of the semester so that students can fully take advantage of all of their Tests as needed?
    
    • ALEKS allows each student a Diagnostic plus four test attempts; five total tests.
    
    All placement testing will pause one week before the first day of classes. Note the last day for testing in the Assessment Centers before the Fall 2019 semester begins is August 24, 2019.
    
14. Is there an amount of time that students must wait between each test attempt?
    
    Yes, there is a 48-hour wait time between each test. Students must also complete 3 hours of study modules within ALEKS before taking Test 3, Test 4, and Test 5. A referral from the Math Department is also needed to take Test 5. See item # 9 for Math Dept. points of contact. 
    
15.  Does the Test 1 (Diagnostic) allow MC to insert a survey, like ACCUPLACER, to ask the student questions about his or her study habits (StAMP initiative)?
    
    • Yes.  We have currently been asking a few questions.
    
16. What is the average time that it should take the student to complete the assessment?
    
    • Students should be able to complete the assessment in less than 2 hours; 65 minutes was the average during the pilot. For each individual student, the time needed to take Test 1 (Diagnostic) will be a good indicator of time needed to complete the proctored tests
    
17. At which point should recruiters be talking about ALEKS in the high schools?
    
    • Recruiters should be talking about ALEKS in the high schools now. ALEKS implementation starts July 1, 2019.
    
18. Will counseling faculty be able to access scores on the same day by logging into an "ALEKS admin site" like with ACCUPLACER or will they need to wait for Banner?
    
    No.  This information is in Banner. For students who have taken the test but their score has not yet uploaded into Banner, the student can log into ALEKS and show that score (or print it out) to a counselor.
    
19. Has this information been updated in the academic orientations?
    
    • Yes, the e-MAP contains ALEKS information and course placements.
    
20. When off-campus students have login or technical issues (code doesn't work, computer froze, etc.) with Test 1 (Diagnostic), whom should they contact?
    
    • They can contact the ALEKS help line at: 1-800-258-2374 or https://mhedu.force.com/aleks/s/alekscontactsupport
    
    • The login and username will be the same for students as their MyMC credentials.  Therefore, if a student forgets his/her information, the MC helpdesk is available for support as well.
    
21. Are students able to use a calculator during testing?
    
    • The only calculator allowed is the one built into the ALEKS test, and it does not appear for all questions. Students can learn more about the embedded calculator in the ALEKS tutorial available in their account.
    
    • Any accommodations for a handheld calculator would go through DSS.

Added Indication of College-Readiness Beginning Fall 2019

To:	Montgomery College Community
From:	Dr. Monica Brown, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Subject:	Added Indication of College-Readiness Beginning Fall 2019
Date:	July 10, 2019

In August 2018, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and the Public-School Superintendents Association of Maryland revised their Memorandum of Understanding to expand the criteria used to determine college-readiness to include high school grade point average (GPA). This change was a recommendation of the Maryland Council of Community College Chief Academic Officers (M4CAOs), who studied the use of high school GPA as an alternative measure of college-readiness with the assistance of a statewide committee. The recommendation aligns with research findings, which demonstrate that high school GPAs are useful predictors of students’ college performance (Belfield and Crosta 2012).  The revised Memorandum of Understanding indicates that in addition to PARCC, SAT, ACT, AP, IB, ACCUPLACER scores, and dual enrollment, Maryland community colleges will accept: •    The verified, cumulative, unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or better to signify the college-readiness of the applicant; the GPA will have an expiration date of no less than 5 years, regarding its utility as a metric for college-readiness. As such, the applicant would not have to take the ACCUPLACER exam, or otherwise, be restricted from registering for credit classes. •    This measure does not apply to grades earned in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. •    The use of the recommended 3.0 or higher high school GPA as an alternative measure for college-readiness at all Maryland community colleges will be in place by Fall 2019. ·         This measure applies only to Maryland public high school students beginning with Spring 2019 graduates. •    A review of the metric will occur within three years of the implementation of the new alternative measure. It is important to note that from a faculty perspective, these changes will not affect educational practices. This new criterion will appear in Banner in the same way that the Alternative Placement Program information does, permitting registration accordingly. We would sincerely like to thank the following members of the implementation team who worked diligently to seamlessly integrate this new assessment. 3.0 GPA Implementation Team Elena Saenz Akima Rogers Ernest Cartledge Guillermo Laya Jamin Bartolomeo John Hamman Joshua Messite Katie Mount Kimberly Kelley Kimberly McNair Mohamed El Muwaqqat Patricia Cooper Phong Banh Rodney Redmond Tonya Mason Usha Venkatesh Veronica Banh Reference Belfield, C.R. & Crosta, P.M. (2012). Predicting success in college: The importance of placement tests and high school transcripts. (Community College Research Center Working Paper No. 42.) Retrieved from https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/predicting-success- placement-tests-transcripts.html

Classic & Next Gen Accuplacer - No Combined Scores for Placement

Per Dean Redmond: Students cannot mix Classic Accuplacer and Next Generation Accuplacer scores for reading and English. Students would need to have both their reading and English scores come from the same test source to count. If they only have one score from each test, they will need to retest for that particular section using Next Generation Accuplacer.  

-Example A: Classic Accuplacer: Reading 53; Next Gen Accuplacer: English 238- Student would need to retest in reading using Next Gen Accuplacer. Scores incomplete.

-Example B: Classic Accuplacer: Reading 66; Classic Accuplacer: English 88- Student can use these scores for placement.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Banner is currently programmed to not accept a mix of Classic and Next Gen Accuplacer scores.

APP Placement - Alternative Placement is not listed in Banner, what should I do?

Counselor Informed Potential APP Students

Counseling and advising is reporting conversations with students who claim to be eligible for APPE or APPM. In the instances where there is no APP code in Banner to confirm the students’ eligibility for APP, the counselor or advising cadre member has been sending a request to Elizabeth Benton, indicating the students’ potential APP eligibility, for confirmation. The process that has been engaged is as follows:

1. Counselor sends email with student name and M# to Elizabeth Benton, indicating student may be eligible for APPE or APPM;

2. Elizabeth Benton compiles list of names and M# from counselors;

3. Elizabeth Benton sends list to Josh Messite each Thursday morning;

4. Josh confirms APP status with MCPS, adding APP score when applicable;

5. Josh replies to Elizabeth Benton with status of the list after confirmation from MCPS

Students on Campus with Transcripts

In the event that a student brings an unofficial transcript to campus for an advising session, the transcript may be used for advising purpose. Students eligible for APPE must have earned a final grade of “B” or higher in AP Language and Composition, Honors English 12 or Modern World History. APPM students must have earned a final grade of “B” or higher in Algebra 2.

1. Counselor or cadre member should advise the student of his/her eligibility for APPE or APPM, based on the transcript;

2. Counselor should place an override into Banner, allowing the student to register for the appropriate course;

3. Counselor adds comment in Banner “Student APP (E or M, as appropriate) eligible via transcript”, indicating that the student presented a copy of the transcript to the counselor for advising purpose;

4. Counselor sends an email with the student’s name and M# to Elizabeth Benton, indicating the course and grade on transcript that qualifies the student for APPE or APPM (crucial for tracking/evaluating the students’ success)

5. Elizabeth Benton will compile list and send to Josh each Thursday morning, indicating which APP code should be added to each student’s record;

6. Josh will add the appropriate APP code to the student’s record.

Lifting WDCE Bridge Hold for APP Process

1. Counselor meets with a student who has a WDCE Bridge Hold on his/her record. Student cannot register for either APPE course (ENGL 101A) or the APPM course (either MATH 110 or MATH 117).

2. Counselor sends request to lift the hold along with the student’s name and M#, APP E or APPM indicator to Deborah Crutchfield in WDCE with a copy to Rodney.

3. Deborah removes the hold and replies to all that the hold has been removed, so the student can register.

4. Rodney send the student’s name and M# to Christine Hunt to add to her list so that the student’s progress can be tracked.

5. Counselor notifies the student that the hold has been lifted and s/he can now register for the appropriate APPE or APPM.

Placement Testing Deadline - Fall 2019

Assessment centers will have ACCU ESL appointments from Monday through Friday, starting August 5 and including Saturday, August 10. 

The last day for ACCU ESL is scheduled to be Wed, August 21. For NextGen and ALEKS, the last day of testing will be Saturday, August 24. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1.  The SAP Appeal form has changed.  
2. You are NO LONGER REQUIRED to complete the academic plan form and/or attach any additional documentation. 
3. You will need to certify that you met with the student by signing page 
4. You will need to document your work with the student in Starfish. 
5. The documentation in Starfish must include your recommendations for actions steps the student should take to improve their standing/pace.    
6. Documentation may take the form of 1) SPEEDNOTES 2) Academic Plan, 3) Success Plan or any/all of the above.

From: "Mount, Katie C" <katie.mount@montgomerycollege.edu>
Date: June 5, 2019 at 4:26:50 PM EDT
Subject: SAP forms

Hi everyone,

As we discussed at our last Counseling meeting, there is a new SAP process (much easier). Please see an example of the attached form. As you will notice, students will need to:

1.        Meet with an Academic Counselor or a Program Advisor to develop or re-evaluate the student’s Academic Plan. To make an appointment with an Academic Counselor or Program Advisor, contact the campus counseling office or department. A counselor or advisor will develop a Satisfactory Academic Progress Success Plan.

Before the deadline:

Fall 2019- July 15, 2019

Spring 2020- November 15, 2019

Summer 2020- April 15, 2020

The Counselor will need to document recommended actions (that the student should take in order to improve academic performance) in Starfish utilizing Speednotes, Comments and/or Starfish Satisfactory Academic Progress Success Plan. If you are interested in using the Starfish Satisfactory Academic Progress Success Plan, please let me know and I can give you a quick tutorial.  After meeting with and advising the student, please sign the bottom of page 3.

Thanks,

Katie Mount 

Updating of Online Counseling Resources

Counselors,

As the college transitions to the new website, you will notice several changes to the look of the online Counseling Resources.

1.        The new website highlights the Program Advising Guides (https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/academics/program-advising/advising-guides.html) and Program Advisor pages (https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/academics/program-advising/index.html)

2.       You will notice the Advising Worksheets have been removed from the Program Advising Guides.  This is to reduce duplicating work on the part of the curriculum staff.  The Program Advising Guides now draw there catalog information directly from the current college catalog.  Every Program Advising Guide has a link on them that corresponds to the program’s Advising Worksheet which are still maintained by Counseling.

Example: EVERY Program Advising Guide has a link on page 1: To view the Advising Worksheet, please visit https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/_documents/counseling-andadvising/advising-worksheets/current-catalog/608.pdf

This change is to encourage counselors, program advisors, and staff to provide EVERY student a print out of the Program Advising Guide for their desired major and then click the link to the Advising Worksheet on the Program Advising Guide and also print out the Advising Worksheet.

3.       The Advising Worksheet index is being completely overhauled in the month of June so you may notice some glitches.  The links that currently work reliably are the ones on the Program Advising Guide.  You can preview the new Advising Worksheet index at: https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/counseling-and-advising/advising-worksheets/index.html

4.       The new Advising Worksheet index will replace the old one (http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/EDU/plain.aspx?id=15000) sometime before July 1^st.

5.       After July 1^st, if you locate any “glitches” please email them to me so that they can be fixed.

Thanks to everyone for their patience during this transition.

Anthony Solano, MA, LCPC

Distance Counselor/Professor

Co-Chair, Collegewide Curriculum Committee