Services Provided by the UW Center for Placement Testing
Placement Test Development
The Center coordinates the University of Wisconsin Placement Testing Program and offers a variety of placement testing-related services for UW System institutions. These services are intended to implement and improve the University of Wisconsin Placement Testing Program and to assist individual UW institutions in meeting their placement testing needs.
The University of Wisconsin Placement Testing Program is constantly being evaluated and refined in order to meet the changing placement needs of the students and the institutions involved. The Center facilitates this function by assisting the placement test development committees to evaluate and write test items for the placement tests. The Center staff then constructs test forms from these test items.
Before new items are included in the placement tests, the Center conducts pilot testing of these items. Pilot testing is normally done by embedding the pilot items directly in the operational forms of the placement tests. These items are then examined through item analyses to determine their effectiveness. Items that do not function properly are revised or replaced by the placement test development committees.
The Center also helps establish and monitor standard score scales for each placement test. Standard score scales make it easier to compare various test forms and subtests across different test administrations. They also make cut-off scores easier to maintain and individualize according to institutional needs.
Another service of the Center is to assist individual UW System institutions to develop validity studies of their placement testing program. Validity studies can aid institutions in making better use of their placement testing program and in tailoring them to meet their individual institutional needs.
Finally, the Center expertise is also available to assist groups in the UW System that are interested in developing placement tests in other subject areas.
Placement Test Administration Services
The Regional Testing Program is a cooperative test administration service offered by the Center to UW System institutions. Certain specialized test administration services, such as residual placement testing or placement testing of students with special challenges, are not coordinated through the Center. These functions are the responsibility of the admitting institution. However, the staff of the Center will be available to discuss approaches to meeting these specialized needs.
Placement Test Scoring
The Center offers placement test scoring and processing services to UW System institutions for both regional and residual testing. Regional placement testing is done in the spring at various locations throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. It is coordinated by the Center to accommodate as many students entering UW System institutions as possible. Residual placement testing is conducted by individual UW System institutions to meet their own placement needs. These scoring services are offered through a variety of methods depending upon the needs of each individual institution.
One method of scoring placement tests offered by the Center is through a remote login service. The institution scans the placement tests and then sends the data file to the Center's computer system for scoring. All UW System institutions are connected to WISCNET, a state-wide communications network, which enables high speed access to the Center's computer system. The UW Center for Placement Testing provides a Users' Manual for this remote login service, as well as the training and assistance necessary for effective use of this service. The Center for Placement Testing will also score placement test data sent by E-mail.
UW System institutions can also send their placement test answer sheets to the Center to have them scanned and scored by the Center. The results can then be mailed, or sent by FAX back to the home institution.
The Center supplies UW System institutions with answer sheets, test booklets, answer keys, conversion tables, administration manuals, and copies of all reports for both regional and residual placement testing.