Current Search: Cunningham, James Michael (x)
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Title
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An Evaluation of English Placement Instruments for First Term Freshmen At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
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Creator
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Cunningham, James Michael, Dziuban, Charles D., Cook, Joseph B., Florida Atlantic University
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Abstract/Description
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The purposes of this study were the assessment of written language skills of Embry-Riddle freshmen, the development of appropriate English placement criteria and the evaluation of the existing remedial English course. Data for the statistical analyses were collected during the 1982 calendar year and describe the test scores and course performances of 418 freshman students. T~irteen variables, two nominal,_ seven predictor and four criterion, were intercorreiated using frequency distributions,...
Show moreThe purposes of this study were the assessment of written language skills of Embry-Riddle freshmen, the development of appropriate English placement criteria and the evaluation of the existing remedial English course. Data for the statistical analyses were collected during the 1982 calendar year and describe the test scores and course performances of 418 freshman students. T~irteen variables, two nominal,_ seven predictor and four criterion, were intercorreiated using frequency distributions, Pearson product moment correlations, stepwise multiple regression analyses and analysis of variance calculations. Final grades in regular and remedial English along with end-of-course essay and objective test scores were interrelated with high school grade point averages (HS GPA), Scholastic Aptitude TestVerbal (SAT-V) scores, Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) scores, S~bry-Riddle English placement .exam (EPE) essay and objective scores, and precourse ยท essay and objective test (Pretest-E, Pretest-G) scores. Statistically significant correlations were obtained between 86% of the paired variables; higher coefficients appeared between tests of the same genre (essay or objective) than between tests of different genres. Regression analysis results indicate that writing samples predict essay exam scores best, but that standardized tests and high school averages predict final grades in freshman English better than University prepared measures of writing skills. Final grades in first term English appear to be less dependent upon demonstrated writing proficiency than had been initially hypothesized. Student gains in end-of-course test scores over precourse levels were significantly greater among students taking remedial English than among students in regular English .. Inconsistencies among instructors in the assignment af course graaes proved to be significant, especia!Jy between faculty of different academic ranks; this common reliability limitation in the grading of individual - students by individual instructors was taken into account in the interpretation of results. Recognizing that English placement errors inhibit both individual student progress and the overall educational process, it is recommended that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University adopt an optimally weighted combination of writing skills measures, consistent with the findings of this research, to replace its current placement model.
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Date Issued
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1983
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000659
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Subject Headings
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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--Freshmen, Educational tests and measurements, English language--Ability testing
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Format
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Document (PDF)
