Embracing Change: A More Equitable Statewide Approach to College Placement in Arkansas

Historically, community college students’ readiness for college has been assessed primarily through standardized tests, which can lead to misplacements, particularly for marginalized students. Multiple measures assessment (MMA), incorporating factors like high school GPA and transcript data, offers a more equitable alternative. Since 2021, researchers at the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) have assisted colleges and states across the nation in adopting and integrating MMA practices to increase the placement and enrollment of students into college-level courses and enhance their chances of success.

This session brings together researchers from CAPR, representatives from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE), and a practitioner from NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) to share experiences supporting, implementing, and researching MMA as a more equitable approach to college placement. Participants can learn about the latest statewide MMA implementation research and acquire insightful perspectives on navigating policy change at both the institutional and state levels.

Participants

Hollie Daniels Sarica, Community College Research Center
Dan Cullinan, MDRC
Sharon Fox, NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Mason Campbell, Arkansas Division of Higher Education
Tracy Harrell, Arkansas Division of Higher Education

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