Policy 2.21: Alternative Measures for College Placement
Original Date of Issue: 2/15/23
Revised:
This policy is for the College to formally accept the use of the additional educational measures listed below, in concert with the College’s established measures such as SAT, ACT, and Placement Test scores, for the purposes of waiving the English, Reading, and Mathematics placement tests and determining the appropriate placement level for incoming students:
For ENG 100 placement, students may use any of the following additional measures:
- Minimum PSAT score of 500 in English, taken within the last 5 years.
- Minimum Keystone score (or a score from an equivalent state-wide standardized test) of "Proficient" or Advanced" in Literature, taken within the last 5 years.
- A high school transcript with a GPA of 3.25 or greater for 3 years from an accredited U.S. high school with grades in all English classes of a "B" or higher.
For MAT 120, MAT 121, MAT 125, MAT 128 placement, students may use any of the following additional measures:
- Minimum PSAT score of 530 in Mathematics, taken within the last 5 years.
- Minimum Keystone score (or a score from an equivalent state-wide standardized test) of "Proficient" or Advanced" in in Algebra 1, taken within the last 5 years.
- A high school transcript with GPA of 3.00 or greater for 3 years from an accredited U.S. high school with grades in Algebra II (or equivalent) and all other Mathematics classes of "B" or higher.
For MAT 135 or MAT 151 placement, students may use a minimum PSAT score of 560 in Mathematics, taken within the last 5 years.
For MAT 152 placement, students may use a minimum PSAT score of 590 in Mathematics, taken within the last 5 years.
For MAT 160 placement, students may use a high school transcript with a GPA of 3.00 or greater for 3 or more years from an accredited U.S. high school with grades in Pre-Calculus (or equivalent) and all other Mathematics classes of "B" or higher. All measures should be within 5 years of the student starting classes.
The use of high school transcripts and GPAs for English and Mathematics placement will be evaluated and, if warranted, adjusted on an annual basis by the Director of Assessment Services in consultation with the English, Reading, and Mathematics faculty coordinators. If modified, an addendum will be submitted.
