An Evaluation of English Placement Instruments for First Term Freshmen At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

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, 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 · 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.