GRCC Updates: SAT Cut Scores & New Placement Test Requirements

In This Issue New SAT Scores New Math Placement  New Placement Policies Please read below regarding two significant changes in our placement policies.  Be in touch if you have questions or need more details. Keep Up With Us Facebook Twitter Instagram

New SAT Cut Scores Our admission and placement test cut scores for the new SAT have been established for fall 2017 applicants.  Like the ACT, they are based on the subject level tests in Math, Reading, and Writing & Language (10-40 point scale). Students who score a 24 or lower on the SAT Math, Reading, or Writing and Language sections will be required to take the corresponding GRCC placement test.  These test will be administered in a proctored environment in either our testing center or at a GRCC hosted off campus event (such as the testing we provide on site for many regional high schools). New Math Placement Policy & Assessment For students who enroll in classes January 1, 2017 or later, a new math placement policy will be in effect. All students will be required to take the ALEKS math placement assessment prior to enrollment in a GRCC math course.   ALEKS Placement, Practice, and Learning (PPL) will be replacing the math section of Accuplacer for GRCC placement (Accuplacer will still be used for writing and reading assessment).  For more information on ALEKS PPL visit, https://www.aleks.com/highered/ppl/what_is_aleks_ppl Students who score 24 or lower on the SAT, 17 or lower on ACT, or have a high school cumulative GPA below 2.0 will be required to take ALEKS PPL in a proctored environment prior to admission to GRCC. For those above those levels, they will be able to log in and take their ALEKS assessment on their own. In addition to being a placement assessment, ALEKS PPL provides customized practice and learning modules to help students improve their math readiness levels. Once a student takes ALEKS PPL they will be provided with their initial GRCC math course placement level.  From the time of the initial assessment, they have 6 months to work within ALEKS PPL, retake the assessment (up to 5 additional time), and improve their placement. The only exception to this policy is if a student has the college level math course pre-requisite established.  For example, if a student may have taken MA 130 - Precalculus as a dual enrollment student they would be eligible to take MA 133 - Calculus with Analytical Geometry without first taking ALEKS. Although this is a significant change in our placement policy, we are excited to provide ALEKS PPL for our students.  Based on wide spread usage in our math course and within our Fast Track developmental education program over the past few years, ALEKS PPL has significantly improved students success within our math curriculum.  This policy will provide all students a free solution to improve their math skills, and potentially bypass lower level math courses (saving time and money).

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