Assessing an Academic Readiness Model in a Community College Occupational Program

ABSTRACT

This study assessed a localized academic readiness model that measures academic skills relevant to an occupational program and the institutional context. Enrollment in the program’s mandatory gateway course is contingent upon establishing academic readiness either: (1) possess an associate-level or higher degree; (2) achieve placement test scores that permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading; or (3) complete developmental education prerequisites to permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading. Using the gateway course performance for 112 students, the study explored whether any of the model’s criterions are significantly related to success in the gateway course and whether there is any significant difference across the three criterions in their relationship to success in the gateway course. The study examined whether there is a significant difference in gateway course success rates between students that had ever been identified as needing developmental education based on a placement test and those that never tested into a developmental education course. Finally, the study examined whether there is a significant difference in gateway course success rates based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Results showed that all of the model’s academic readiness criterions are significantly related to success in the gateway course and are statistically equivalent to each other in their relationship to success. The results showed that students succeeded at the same rate regardless of their developmental education placement history. Male, Black, and Hispanic students succeeded at a significantly lower rate regardless of how they established academic readiness. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.