The Comparative Validity of the California State University and Colleges English Placement Test (CSUC-EPT) in the Prediction of Fall Semester Grade Point Average and English Course Grades of First-Semester Entering Freshmen

Abstract

The California State University and Colleges English Placement Test (CSUC-EPT) was designed to provide information about the performance levels in both reading and writing skills of newly admitted students (mostly freshmen) to any one of the campuses of the California State University and Colleges system (beginning with the Fall 1977 semester or quarter) (Educational Testing Service, 1977a, b). For a total sample of several hundred entering freshmen at one campus who had completed the CSUC-EPT and who had elected to take the general English Composition course (English 155) during the first semester as well as for nearly equal size subsamples of males and females, the major purpose of the investigation was to determine the comparative validity of the CSUC-EPT and of other measures in the prediction of each of two specific criterion variables—1977 Fall Semester Grade Point Average (GPA) and English 155 Grades.For the total sample as well as for subsamples of females and males, intercorrelations among 11 predictor variables and the two identified criterion measures were found, and several multiple regression analyses were carried out to ascertain which particular combinations of predictor variables were the most valid indicators of success on each criterion measure.The evidence provided by the findings led to these conclusions: (1) high school GPA is the most valid predictor of college GPA for males and females; (2) the CSUC-EPT offers slightly greater promise than does high school GPA in predicting grades in a basic English composition course; (3) future success of females in this course can be forecast with a higher degree of validity than can that of males; and (4) among several possible composites of predictor variables an

A Comparison of the Validity of the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) and of the California State University and Colleges English Placement Test (Csuc-Ept) in the Prediction of Grades in a Basic English Composition Course and of Overall Freshman-Year Grade Point Average

“…IN a previous paper Michael and Shaffer (1978) examined the predictive validity of the California State University and Colleges English Placement Test (CSUC-EPT) (Educational Testing Service, 1977a, b) and of several other measures for a sample of several hundred firstsemester entering freshmen at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) with respect to each of two criterion measures: (a) Fall Semester 1977 Grade Point Average (GPA) and (b) English 155 Grades (the English 155 offering being a basic or general composition course emphasizing improvement of writing skills). Briefly, their findings indicated that (1) the CSUC-EPT (a nearly three-hour four-part examination with three subtests dealing with reading, sentence construction, and logic and organization of expression and with one subtest requiring the writing of an essay) did afford slightly greater validity than did GPA earned in high school in predicting performance for freshmen in the basic English composition course, (2) high school GPA was the most valid of the predictor variables studied in forecasting first-semester college GPA for either males or females (many of whom did not take English 155), (3) success in the basic English composition course could be more accurately predicted for the subgroup of females than for that of males, and (4) use of an optimally weighted combination of high school GPA and standing on one or more of the CSUC-EPT measures typically did furnish a more accurate prediction.…”

“…of success on either one of the two criterion measures than did employment of high school GPA or one of the CSUC-EPT measures alone or than did application of combinations of other predictor variables. Additional predictor variables included in the initial investigation were the Verbal and Mathematics parts of the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (CEEB-SAT-Verbal and CEEB-SAT-M athematics) (Educational Testing Service, 1948-1978 and the CSUN In-Class Essay Test administered early in the semester by several of the English Department faculty members as an essay examination modeled after the one in the CSUC-EPT and scored in essentially the same way.…”

The Direct Assessment of Writing Skill: A Measurement Review

“…The Breland (1977) and Michael and Shaffer (1978) studies, reviewed earlier for concurrent correlations, also examined data on student English course grades and on writing samples collected toward the end of courses. The Werts et al (1980) article represented a refinement of the same data of the Breland (1977) study through analyses of a complete but smaller data sample.…”

“…The final study of Thble 10, that of Michael and Shaffer (1978), also used two criteria. The first criterion was fall semester OPA and the second, grades in a freshman English course.…”

Group Comparisons for Basic Skills Measures

“…Some questions were raised concerning the cost-effectiveness of the EPT as a result of high observed correlations between EPT and other measures available. Michael and Shaffer (1978) collected data at the Northridge campus of CSUC and conducted extensive analyses. The purpose of these analyses was to examine comparative validities of the EPT and other measures available for placement as well as comparative validities for different groups.…”