College Readiness in Florida through the Early Assessment Program

1. College Readiness in Florida through the Early Assessment Program Cassandra Brown Cassandra.Brown@fldoe.org Division of Florida Colleges Florida Department of Education

2. Outline • What is the Early Assessment Program? • Legislation history • Development of standards, assessment, and college-readiness courses • Initial results and challenges • The Current Program • Requirements and Components • Identification, Assessment, Coursework, Postsecondary • Current enrollment • New Legislation • Resources

3. Florida’s Early Assessment Program • Florida launched the early assessment program in 2008 with revisions to FL Statute 1008.30. • Early program was voluntary and permitted students interested in college to take a college placement test in the 11th grade. • For those whose scores indicated a need for additional preparation, targeted instruction was to be made available in their senior year, prior to high school graduation.

4. Initial Early Assessment Program • College-readiness standards and assessment were developed for use by high schools and colleges. • Postsecondary Readiness Competencies (PRCs) • Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) • High school courses developed to match highest level of developmental education at the college-level. • Colleges worked collaboratively with school districts and high schools. • Colleges tested eleventh grade students. • High schools offered half-credit College Success elective courses.

5. Results of Initial Early Assessment Program

6. Florida Statute 1008.30 – Revised with 2011 House Bill 1255 • Required high schools to evaluate college-readiness of students in eleventh grade. • High schools will administer the P.E.R.T. (or other approved assessment) starting fall 2011. • Other approved assessments that can be used to demonstrate readiness - ACT, SAT, CPT • Students who do not meet college ready scores will be required to complete postsecondary preparatory instruction before graduation.

7. College Readiness in High School - Mathematics

8. College Readiness in High School – Reading/Writing

9. Enrollment in Current Early Assessment Program

10. New Legislation - Testing & Placement 1008.30 Common placement testing for public postsecondary education 4(a) A student who entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in the 2003-2004 school year, or any year thereafter, and earned a Florida standard high school diploma or a student who is serving as an active duty member of any branch of the United States Armed Services shall not be required to take the common placement test and shall not be required to enroll in developmental education instruction in a Florida College System institution. However, a student who is not required to take the common placement test and is not required to enroll in developmental education under this paragraph may opt to be assessed and to enroll in developmental education instruction, and the college shall provide such assessment and instruction upon the student’s request.

11. Resources • Florida’s Postsecondary Education Readiness Test Website • Florida’s College and Career Readiness Website • Testing Ground: How Florida Schools and Colleges Are Using a New Assessment to Increase College Readiness • Crossing Boundaries - Postsecondary Readiness Assessment in Florida • Florida’s Postsecondary Readiness Test – Zoom Publication

12. College-ready scores