Final report... to the UNC General Administration from the NC EMPT Program Advisory Committee. |
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NC EMPT
Project Summary
2010-2011
(l to r):
Stefanie Smith,
mathematics
teacher at
Alexander
Central High
School;
Adam Eckard,
the 500,000th
participating
student;
Ellen Hilgoe,
NC EMPT
associate
director, and
Crystal Hoke,
assistant
principal
3-23-11.
Half a million participants, a milestone proudly achieved during
the spring of 2011, was the highlight of this fifteenth year of operation for the
North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing (NC EMPT) Program.
Participants include high school students enrolled in Algebra II or any upper-level
mathematics course. Their math teachers are pivotal to the success of the
program and are to be commended for voluntarily registering their students for
this opportunity and finding time in their crowded curriculums to offer NC
EMPT’s “practice” version of a college mathematics placement exam. Students
receive individualized results with eye-opening advice about their current
mathematical strengths and weaknesses, beginning required math courses for
their chosen college major, and the actual math placement testing procedure
used at the NC community college or UNC institution of their choice (see pp. 6-
7). In these difficult economic times, it is incredible that the beneficial and
proactive services provided by the program are absolutely free of charge to
schools and students. The continued strong support by the State of North
Carolina is quite an asset. In the words of a high school math teacher in a year-end
NC EMPT teacher survey:
You provide an invaluable service to secondary level math teachers and their students.
A number of students have informed me of how they were better able to succeed on
their actual college math placement tests because of the awareness brought to them as
a result of their high school experience with NC EMPT.
The 2010-2011 school year was characterized by steady growth: a 7% increase in
the number of public and non-public high schools participating, from 282 in
2009-10 to 302; a 4% increase in the number of students, from 37,434 to 38,969;
and a 3% increase in the number of teachers, from 782 to 801. The amazingly
small staff that operates this statewide program has benefited from the longevity
of its director, Dr. Robert Bernhardt; associate director, Ellen Hilgoe; database
consultant, David Hodges; and webmaster, Brian Manning. In addition, many
NC EMPT Advisory Board members have years of experience on the board. These
include representatives from the mathematics departments of University of
North Carolina (UNC) institutions, North Carolina community colleges, the NC
Department of Public Instruction, and the UNC General Administration (see pp.
21-24). The board corresponds often and meets annually to update the NC EMPT
test to ensure that it remains a facsimile of the math placement tests given on
their own campuses.
Immense changes are on the horizon for K-12 curriculum and instruction across
North Carolina. With the implementation of Common Core mathematics
standards in high schools in the fall of 2012, the North Carolina Standard Course
of Study is evolving quickly (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/). With
Governor Beverly Purdue’s strong emphasis on the New Schools Project and
“successfully preparing every high school student for college, career, and life”
(http://www.newschoolsproject.org), the NC EMPT Program recognizes that it
has a vast quantity of experience in this area and hopes to continue to contribute
towards this goal and ease the transition for many students as they journey from
high school to college-level mathematics.
110 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $736.80 or $6.70 per copy.
Dr.RobertBernhardt,Director
EllenHilgoe,AssociateDirector
Ph:2523286418
Fax:2523282166
Email:ncempt@ncempt.org
Website:www.ncempt.org
Update:August2011
What is NC EMPT? The NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing
Program provides high school students with a nonthreatening, eye
opening,realitycheckoftheirreadinessforcollegelevelmathematics.It
is remarkably a FREE service to high schools and students, and is
sponsoredbytheStateofNorthCarolina.
HighSchoolMath
TeachersParticipatingin
NCEMPTduring201011:
801
FASTFEEDBACK!
Averageturnaroundtimeforthereturnof
testresultsto38,969studentslastyear
was1.1days!!
GradeLevelofParticipatingStudents,20102011
43%seniors37%juniors
16%sophomores3%freshmen
2%didnotrespond
NCEMPThasbeencontinuously
directedbyfacultyandstaffatEast
CarolinaUniversitysincethe
program’sinception.
S tudentsParticip atin gin NCEM PT
33 ,833
38,261 3 8,82 1
33 ,54 9
4 6,4 18
4 3,0 63
23 ,47 6
37 ,43 4
38,969
2 7,45 6
4 1,5 20 43 ,71 4
47,925
2 7,0 30
8,19 5
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
1 99 6-
97
19 9 7 -
98
199 8 -
99
19 99 -
0 0
20 00-
0 1
2001 -
0 2
20 0 2 -
0 3
2 00 3-
0 4
2 00 4-
05
2 00 5-
06
2 00 6-
07
20 0 7 -
08
20 08 -
09
20 09 -
20 1 0
20 10 -
20 11
Number of Students
HighSchoolsParticipating
inNCEMPT
243
243
302
282
285
287
288
189
251
66
205
302
303
292
293
0 100 200 300 400 500
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
NumberofSchools
*Notethattestingduring20082009occurredonlyduringthesecondhalfoftheschoolyear.
Register now at
http://www.ncempt.org
for the 2010-2011 year.
NC EMPT Participation S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-S Across ALL of North Carolina!
Reasons why high school students and their parents like taking the NC EMPT test
It is a reality check of the current readiness for college-level mathematics.
It helps students understand what skills must be improved so the appropriate degree-counting
math course(s) can be taken and passed in college.
It provides eye-opening information about the actual math placement procedure and
required math course(s) for the major and institution of their choice.
Reasons why high school math teachers and administrators like NC EMPT
It is excellent preparation for college-bound students.
It is a non-threatening, up-to-date, “practice” math placement test with all materials
provided FREE, easy administration, and immediate feedback.
It offers current information about expectations and requirements in mathematics
curriculum for fifty-eight community colleges and fifteen UNC institutions.
EYE-OPENING
information
that benefits
everyone!
Note:NC EMPT results are quickly returned to students and teachers ONLY! Results will NOT be shared or compared!
A Survey of 2010-2011 Participating Teachers found. . .
85% strongly agreed or agreed that the NC EMPT Program will accomplish its
goal of helping to reduce the percentage of college freshmen that require
mathematics remediation at the college level.
91% strongly agreed or agreed that their students were attentive and tested
with a serious attitude.
92% strongly agreed or agreed that their students found their NC EMPT
experience helpful and useful for future college plans.
98% strongly agreed or agreed that the NC EMPT Program accomplished its
goal of providing participating high school students with a “reality check” of
their readiness for college-level mathematics.
99% strongly agreed or agreed that test results to students and summary
results to teachers were promptly returned.
100% strongly agreed or agreed that overall the NC EMPT Program provides
a valuable service to high school students, parents, and teachers.
WHO should take the valuable practice
math placement test offered by NC EMPT?
High school students enrolled in:
Algebra II
Integrated Math III
Advanced Functions and
Modeling
Pre-Calculus
Discrete Math
Statistics
and other upper-level
mathematics courses.
during 2010-2011.
Did you know that the NC EMPT Web site has a wealth of information about mathematics
placement testing at colleges and universities statewide?! CHECK IT OUT: www.ncempt.org
Each pushpin in the state map above represents
a participating high school during 2010-2011.
Table of Contents
I. From the Director………………………………………………………………… 1-2
II. From the Associate Director………………………………………………….. 3-4
III. Introduction to the NC EMPT Program……………………………….…. 5-18
IV. Summary of 2010-2011 Testing……………………………………………. 19-48
V. Trends in NC EMPT Data, 1996-2011……………………………………. 49-52
VI. Evaluation of the 2010-2011 Year……………………………………….… 53-60
VII. Appendix A – 2010-2011 Required Background Questions,
Answer Key, and Parent/Guardian Brochure…………………………..
61-68
VIII. Appendix B – Promotion of NC EMPT Participation……………….. 69-74
IX. Appendix C – Top Ten Missed Questions, 2010-2011 Test
Version………………………………………………………………………………..
75-84
NC Early Mathematics
Placement Testing
is making BIG waves!
We welcome your high
school aboard!!
I. From the Director
Dr. Robert Bernhardt, September 2011
This has been a challenging year for the NC EMPT program. On the one hand, we
finally met the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements for our research project to track the
progress of students in college mathematics who took the NC EMPT test in high
school during the years 2001 – 2005. I plan to share a very rough draft of these
initial results of the pilot report, which is limited to East Carolina University
(ECU) students only, with the Advisory Committee at our annual meeting in late
October 2011.
On the other hand, we have been caught in the tides of assessment currently
washing over the ECU campus as a preparation for another Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools (SACS) visit in a few years. This means we needed to set
measurable goals, and then see later if we were able to meet them. One goal was
to conduct a follow-up study of the high school test takers after they graduate and
go to college, which is the subject of the first paragraph. Another goal was to
increase the numbers of high school students participating in the NC EMPT
program. When we changed our test to the current version, we were only able to
test for half a year, and our number of participants suffered thereby. So we are
striving to get back to the numbers of participants we were serving before the
interruption.
Sounds simple and reasonable, doesn’t it? Ah, but there are professional
assessors out there who scrutinize such goals, and find ways to further sharpen
them. It turns out that the NC Department of Commerce divides the counties of
North Carolina into Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The Tier 1 counties are the 40 most
1
economically distressed counties in the state. So we were encouraged to refine
our goal to focus on increasing the high school student participation in Tier 1
counties by 5%. Certainly this is a desirable goal, so the NC EMPT office will
send a specially written letter that targets the high schools in the Tier 1 counties,
in addition to our regular mailings to all the high schools in the state.
Rest assured that we will not decrease our efforts to serve all the high schools in
all the counties of the state. We will just make an extra effort to reach high
schools in Tier 1 counties. May SACS and the assessment gods smile upon us.
2
II. From the Associate Director
Ellen Hilgoe, August 2011
!
We are a small group
with BIG aspirations!
With only two full-time
employees, NC EMPT
harnesses the power of many
helpful, but part-time hands.
From the four student
workers that fill our
workroom each semester for
eight hours each per week; a
webmaster and database
consultant who squeeze my
requests into their busy
worlds; and invaluable help
from East Carolina
University’s Printing and
Graphics, Mail Services, and
Information Technology
gurus, we somehow make it
all work smoothly and
provide a fantastic service to
high school students, their
parents, and teachers. Both
East Carolina University and
the University of North
Carolina General
Administration have been
steadfast and generous in
their support of the program
for the last fifteen years, as
have the hundreds of high
school teachers across the
state that renew their
participation and spread the
word about the program
each year. I am grateful to
every pair of those helping
hands.
(l to r, front row): ECU student workers Jaleesa Minor, Lauren Gerber,
Kathryn Warren, and (back row) Director Robert Bernhardt, Associate
Director Ellen Hilgoe, student worker Bob Longest, administrative
support associate Debby Hodges, student workers Cayleigh Blackwell
and Magen Smith at a Christmas 2010 office luncheon and cookie swap.
Behind every good associate director is a
good assistant! KUDOS to Debby Hodges
for her dedication, hard work, and strong
belief in the NC EMPT Program.
3
5
mathematics placement tests consist primarily of algebra questions. For a closer
look at the North Carolina EMPT Program, please read the documents found in
Appendix A.
Historically, a variety of EMPT programs have been offered, or are currently
being considered, in at least twenty-nine states across the nation since the 1980s.
Unfortunately, many of these have ceased to exist due to several factors including
competition from existing mandated testing and funding problems. Currently,
strong programs exist in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
Organization of the NC EMPT Program
East Carolina University (ECU) operated a four-year pilot early math placement
testing program from fall 1992 to spring 1996. Sixteen area high schools were
involved, and ECU sponsored the pilot. As chair of the ECU Mathematics
Department, Dr. Robert Bernhardt directed the program with the help of Dr.
Sunday Ajose, and secretarial help was provided by the mathematics department
staff. Funding for NC EMPT originated in the NC General Assembly in fall 1996
and was permanently transferred to ECU in spring 1997. A full-time program
manager and office assistant were added to the staff. The program reached out to
all public and non-pubic high schools statewide in 1997-1998. Participation
numbers increased to a high of 47,925 high school students in 2005-2006. The
NC EMPT state headquarters has been located at ECU since the program’s
inception.
NC EMPT has also been very fortunate to be overseen by a diverse and talented
advisory board. Representatives from the UNC General Administration, UNC
institutions, NC Community College System, NC community colleges, and the NC
Department of Public Instruction are included. The members meet annually each
October and correspond often via phone, e-mail, and postal mail throughout the
year.
The following list includes the members of the 2010-2011 Advisory Board:
Appalachian State Univ. William Bauldry Dept. of Mathematical Sciences
Dept. of Public Instruction Barbara Bissell Chief, K-12 Mathematics Educ. Division
Dept. of Public Instruction Carmella Fair Secondary Mathematics Consultant
Dept. of Public Instruction Johannah Maynor Secondary Mathematics Consultant
East Carolina University Robert Bernhardt NC EMPT Director and Dept. of
Mathematics
East Carolina University Ellen Hilgoe NC EMPT Associate Director
Elizabeth City State
University Farrah Chandler Chair, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer
Science
Fayetteville State University Dwight House Interim Chair, Dept. of Mathematics &
Computer Science
NC A&T State University Guoqing Tang Interim Chair, Dept. of Mathematics
NC Community College
System Wanda White Director, Financial Aid & Student
Success
NC Community College
System Elizabeth Spragins Program Coordinator
6
NC Central University Leon Hardy Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Sci.
NC State University Harvey Charlton Dept. of Mathematics
UNC Asheville Peter Kendrick Director, Mathematics Assistance Center
UNC-Chapel Hill Joseph Plante Dept. of Mathematics
UNC Charlotte Mohammad Kazemi Assoc. Chair, Dept. of Mathematics
UNC Greensboro Paul Duvall Department of Mathematics & Statistics
UNC General Administration Bruce Mallette
Senior Associate Vice President for
Academic and Student Affairs
UNC Pembroke Steve Bourquin Chair, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer
Science
UNC Wilmington Kenneth Gurganus Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics
Western Carolina University Nory Prochaska
Director, Mathematics Tutoring Center,
Dept. of Mathematics & Computer
Science
Winston-Salem State Univ. John O. Adeyeye Chair, Dept. of Mathematics
Outreach Efforts of the NC EMPT Program
The following groups are contacted via e-mail, postal mail, and in presentations
at workshops and conferences:
North Carolina public and non-public high school mathematics
department chairs, mathematics teachers, school counseling department
chairs, and principals
North Carolina public school system superintendents, directors of
secondary instruction, and secondary math coordinators
NC community college presidents, mathematics department chairs, and
testing coordinators
University of North Carolina General Administration; institution
chancellors, mathematics department chairs, and directors of admissions
North Carolina State Board of Education
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics
North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Center
directors and Pre-College Program coordinators
North Carolina New Schools Project, Early College High Schools
STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
M(o)ore Math Matters, Moore County, NC
East Carolina University High School Mathematics Contest
National early mathematics placement testing programs and individuals
interested in such programs in the following states: Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada,
Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin
Also see Appendix B: Promotion of the NC EMPT Program.
7
A variety of efforts and media are used throughout the school year to encourage
high school teachers, counselors, and administrators to take advantage of the free
services the NC EMPT Program has to offer. Along with several mailings
throughout the school year, this postcard was disseminated in early October
2010:
Helpful supplementary materials that can be used in the classroom by teachers to
reinforce mathematics skills found on college mathematics placement tests are
created yearly by the associate director. The materials are disseminated via
postal and State courier mail, email, and are posted on the program’s website,
www.ncempt.org, with free downloading available. These include a listing of the
most recent “Top Ten Missed Questions” and the “Top Thirty Missed Question
Puzzle.” Samples of the 2010-2011 versions can be found in Appendix C.
As a token of appreciation to teachers for their time and energy, the associate
director tries each year to provide a helpful gift for the classroom and includes
this with each batch of testing results for each participating teacher. The 2010-
2011 gift was an 18” x 24” colorful wall poster that “targets” the many careers that
require strong mathematics skills. Copies of this popular poster were also
disseminated by the associate director at the many workshops attended and
presentations made throughout the year. A sample of the classroom poster
follows:
Provide your students with the golden opportunity of taking a “practice”
college math placement exam while still in high school. Steer students clear of costly
remedial mathematics at the college level.
NO strings attached.
NO COST to students or high schools.
NO sharing of test scores.
Just purely GOOD advice about each student’s readiness for
college-level mathematics!
The NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing (NC EMPT) Program has not yet received a
registration form from your high school! Don’t delay!!
Our shelves are brimming with testing materials that can be shipped
immediately. For more information and a place to register, visit
www.ncempt.org or call 252-328-6418.
NC EMPT is an early intervention and outreach program sponsored by the State of North Carolina.
Take the Fright
out of
college math
placement Testing!!
8
9
A Quick Look at NC EMPT Participation Numbers
1997-2011
Pilot - Spring 1997:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 80
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 72
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 66
Total Number of Students Tested 8,195
1997-1998:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 376
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 226
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 205
Total Number of Students Tested 27,456
1998-1999:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 357
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 202
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 189
Total Number of Students Tested 27,030
1999-2000:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 637
Pretesting (with the 1998-1999 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 9
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 4
Total Number of Students Pretested 364
Placement Testing (with the new 1999-2000 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 273
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 251
Total Number of Students Tested 33,469
Grand Total of Students Tested in 1999-2000 33,833
2000-2001:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 658
Pretesting (with the 1999-2000 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 58
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 37
Total Number of Students Pretested 3,259
Placement Testing (with the new 2000-2001 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 307
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 280
Total Number of Students Tested 35,002
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 288
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2000-2001 38,261
11
2001-2002:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 650
Pretesting (with the 2000-2001 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 67
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 52
Total Number of Students Pretested 3,716
Placement Testing (with the new 2001-2002 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 299
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 279
Total Number of Students Tested 37,804
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 287
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2001-2002 41,520
2002-2003:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 648
(this includes 358 public and 290 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2001-2002 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 65
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 50
Total Number of Students Pretested 4,422
Placement Testing (with the new 2002-2003 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 311
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 278
Total Number of Students Tested 34,399
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 285
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2002-2003 38,821
2003-2004:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 643
(this includes 370 public and 273 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2002-2003 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 51
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 34
Total Number of Students Pretested 4,084
Placement Testing (with the new 2003-2004 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 266
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 232
Total Number of Students Tested 29,465
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 243
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2003-2004 33,549
12
2004-2005:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 629
(this includes 370 public and 259 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2003-2004 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 69
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 68
Total Number of Students Pretested 6,339
Placement Testing (with the new 2004-2005 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 308
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 244
Total Number of Students Tested 37,375
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 302
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2004-2005 43,714
2005-2006:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 626
(this includes 378 public and 248 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2004-2005 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 78
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 65
Total Number of Students Pretested 5,919
Placement Testing (with the new 2005-2006 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 318
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 285
Total Number of Students Tested 42,006
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 303
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2005-2006 47,925
2006-2007:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 752
(this includes 502 public and 250 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2005-2006 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 87
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 73
Total Number of Students Pretested 7,016
Placement Testing (with the new 2006-2007 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 310
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 274
Total Number of Students Tested 39,402
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 292
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2006-2007 46,418
13
2007-2008:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 780
(this includes 534 public and 246 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2006-2007 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 73
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 52
Total Number of Students Pretested 5,763
Placement Testing (with the new 2007-2008 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 330
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 280
Total Number of Students Tested 37,300
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 293
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2007-2008 43,063
2008-2009: (Note that testing in 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year.)
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 792
(this includes 542 public and 250 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2007-2008 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 33
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 20
Total Number of Students Pretested 1,794
Placement Testing (with the new 2008-2009 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 283
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 233
Total Number of Students Tested 21,682
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 243
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2008-2009 23,476
2009-2010:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 797
(this includes 548 public and 249 non-public schools)
Pretesting (with the 2008-2009 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 61
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 45
Total Number of Students Pretested 4,119
Placement Testing (with the new 2009-2010 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 312
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 266
Total Number of Students Tested 33,315
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 281
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2009-2010 37,434
14
2010-2011:
Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 845
(602 public including 30 charter and 3 federal, and 243 non-public schools)
Option #1: Pretesting (with the 2009-2010 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 92
Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 70
Total Number of Students Pretested 5,955
Option #2: Testing (with the new 2010-2011 version of the NC EMPT test):
Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 317
Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 281
Total Number of Students Tested 33,014
Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 302
Grand Total of Students Tested in 2010-2011 38,969
* A list of the 302 participating schools in 2010-2011 follows.
15
North Carolina Early Mathematics
Placement Testing Program
Participating High Schools for 2010-2011
A C Reynolds
Alamance Christian School
Alexander Central
Al-Iman School
American Hebrew Academy
Andrews
Anson
Antioch Christian Academy
Apex
Arendell Parrott Academy
Ashe County
Asheville
Asheville School
Athens Drive
Ayden-Grifton
Beaufort County Early College
Bethel Christian Academy (Kinston)
Bible Baptist Christian School
Bishop McGuinness Catholic
Brevard
Bunker Hill
Bunn
Burns
Caldwell Academy
Cape Fear Academy
Cape Fear Christian Academy
Cape Hatteras Secondary
Cardinal Gibbons
Carver
Cary
Cary Christian School
Cedar Ridge
Central Academy @ Lake Park
Central Academy of Technology
and Arts
Central Cabarrus
Charlotte Catholic
Charlotte United Christian Academy
Cherokee
Cherryville
Christian Faith Center Academy
Clyde A Erwin
Coastal Christian School
Columbia
Community Baptist School
Community Christian School
Corinth-Holders
Cornerstone Christian School
Cox Mill
Cramerton Christian Academy
Crest
Crossroads Christian School
(Henderson)
Currituck County
Cuthbertson
D H Conley
David W Butler
Davie County
Dixon
Dore Academy
Douglas Byrd
Dudley
Durham School of the Arts
E E Smith
E T Beddingfield
Early College of Forsyth County
East Carteret
East Davidson
East Duplin
East Forsyth
East Gaston
East Henderson
East Mecklenburg
East Surry
East Wake Academy
East Wake School of Arts
Education & Global Studies
East Wake School of
Engineering Systems
East Wake School of
Integrated Technology
East Wake School of
Health Science
Eastern Wayne
Elkin
Enka
Epiphany School
Eugene Ashley
Faith Christian School (Ramseur)
Falls Rd Baptist Church School
Farmville Central
Fayetteville Christian School
Fike
First Assembly Christian School
(Concord)
Flora MacDonald Academy
Forsyth Country Day School
Franklin
Franklinton
Fred T Foard
Freedom
Garinger School of Math and
Science
Garner Magnet
Gaston Christian School
Gates County Senior
Goldsboro
Grace Christian School (Sanford)
Granville Central
Granville Early College
Greene Central
Greenfield School
Greensboro Day
Grimsley
Halifax Academy
Harding University
Harnett Central
Harrells Christian Academy
Havelock
Hayworth Christian School
Heide Trask
Hendersonville Christian School
Hertford County
Hickory Ridge
Hiwassee Dam
Hobgood Academy
Hoke County
Holly Springs
Hopewell
Hunter Huss
Hyde County Early College
Independence (Charlotte)
J F Webb
J F Webb School of Health
and Life Sciences
Jack Britt
James Hunt
James Kenan
Jay M Robinson
Jesse C Carson
Jimmy C Draughn
17
John T Hoggard
Jones Senior
Kings Mountain
Kinston
Knightdale
Lake Norman
Lakewood
Lawrence Academy
Lee Christian School
Lee County
Lee Early College
Leesville Road
Lejeune
Lincoln Charter
Lincoln University Upward Bound
(Pennsylvania)
Lincolnton
Mallard Creek
Manteo
Marie G. Davis Military &
Global Leadership Academy
Mayland Early College
McDowell
Metrolina Christian Academy
Middle Creek
Millbrook
Mooresville
Mount Tabor
Mountain Heritage
Nantahala
Nash Central
Needham Broughton
Neuse Christian Academy
New Hanover
Newton-Conover
Noble Academy
Norlina Christian School
North Brunswick
North Buncombe
North Edgecombe
North Henderson
North Iredell
North Lenoir
North Lincoln
North Mecklenburg
North Moore
North Pitt
North Raleigh Christian
Academy
North Stokes
Northampton – East
Northeast Academy
Northeast Guilford
Northeastern
Northern
Northern Nash
Northside Christian Academy
Northside (Jacksonville)
Northside (Pinetown)
Northwest Cabarrus
Northwest Guilford
Northwest School of the Arts
Oakwood School
Ocracoke
Olympic School of Biotech, Health,
and Public Admin
Olympic School of Math,
Engineering, and Technology
Orange
Page
Paisley IB Magnet Middle
Pamlico County
Partnership Academy Alternative
Pasquotank County
Pender
Person
Piedmont
Pisgah
Porter Ridge
Princeton
Providence
Providence Grove
PSRC Early College @ RCC
Pungo Christian Academy
Purnell Swett
R B Glenn
R J Reynolds
Randolph Early College
Reagan
Red Springs
Reid Ross Classical
Richlands
Richmond Senior
Ridgecroft School
Riverside (Williamston)
Roanoke Rapids
Robert L Patton
Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount Academy
Rocky Mount Preparatory School
Rocky River
Roxboro Christian Academy
Rutherford Early College
Saint Stephens
Salem Academy
Sampson Early College
Sanderson
School of Inquiry and Life
Sciences @ Asheville
Scotland High of Leadership
and Public Service
Sheets Memorial Christian School
South Brunswick
South Caldwell
South Central
South Creek
South Granville School of
Integ Technology and Leadership
South Granville School of
Health and Life Sciences
South Point
Southeast Raleigh Magnet
Southern Alamance
Southern Guilford
Southern Nash
Southern Vance
Southern Wayne
Southlake Christian Academy
Southside
Southwestern Randolph
Spring Creek
Starmount
Swansboro
T C Roberson
Tabernacle Christian School
(Hickory)
Tri-County Christian School
Trinity
Trinity Prep School
Tuscola
Union Academy
Union Pines
Vandalia Christian School
Victory Christian Center School
Village Christian Academy
Wake Forest/Rolesville
Wakefield
Walter M Williams
Warren County
Warren Early College
Washington
Watauga
Wayne Early/Middle College
Weddington
Wesleyan Christian Academy
West Brunswick
West Caldwell
West Carteret
West Charlotte
West Columbus
West Craven
West Davidson
West Forsyth
West Johnston
West Mecklenburg
West Montgomery
West Stanly
West Stokes
Westchester Country Day School
Western Alamance
Western Guilford
Western Harnett
Wheatmore
White Oak
Wilkes Central
Wilson Christian Academy
Winston-Salem Prep Academy
Woodland Baptist Christian School
Woodlawn School
Zebulon B Vance
August 3, 2011
Everyone benefits: high
school students, teachers,
administrators, and parents:
Visit us at:
www.ncempt.org
for a wealth of information
about college mathematics
placement testing!
18
IV. Summary of 2010-2011 Testing
Two versions of the NC EMPT test were administered during the year. For those
schools interested in pretesting early in a new term for diagnostic and
motivational purposes, the previous 2009-2010 version was used (pretesting data
for Option #1 can be found on page 15). Option #2, used by the vast majority of
schools, involves administering the new 2010-2011 version of the NC EMPT test
later in the term. High schools have the choice to participate in Option #1 or
Option #2, or both. Teachers administered the traditional paper-and-pencil test.
Interesting data is given below:
Participants Using the 2010-2011 Version
of the NC EMPT Test (Option #2):
Time Period Number of Students
Fall 2010 11,723
Spring 2011 21,291
Total for Year 33,014
NC EMPT Levels
Student opscan forms were graded at the NC EMPT office at East Carolina
University. Feedback was returned to the school’s contact person immediately,
within 2-5 days after receipt of the opscans. The average turnaround time during
2010-2011 for the return of Option #1 and Option #2 test results to 38,969
students was 1.1 days, our best in fifteen years! The resulting scores were
classified into one of four EMPT levels. Beginning in 1999-2000, the numeration
of these levels was aligned with the achievement levels designed by the North
Carolina State Board of Education in the ABCs accountability plan. Level 1 is the
lowest level and Level 4 is the highest:
High School Participation in Testing
Options #1 or #2, 2010-2011
Option #1 Option #2
21 51 230
High School Participation in Option #2
2010-2011
Fall 2010 Spring 2011
42 91 148
19
EMPT Level Number of Correct Answers
1 0-11
2 12-16
3 17-24
4 25-32
These scores were then used to advise each student in a personalized letter. Each
letter contained a test score, the test score converted to a percent, a
corresponding EMPT level, a listing of the mathematical objective for each test
question, a listing of each answer given by the student, a listing of each correct
answer, and an interpretation of each student’s readiness to take college-level
mathematics courses. The suggested levels were interpreted as:
Level 1: A Level 1 score indicates the student is not ready for college-level
math courses and must take remedial mathematics.
Level 2: A Level 2 score indicates the student must take remedial
mathematics in some choices of majors.
Level 3: A Level 3 score indicates the student is ready for a beginning-level
college mathematics course. However, a Level 3 score may be
considered borderline at some universities for students planning
to major in math, science, or engineering.
Level 4: A Level 4 score indicates a solid high school preparation for
college-level mathematics. Some universities may allow a student
scoring at Level 4 on their math placement test to skip the first
college math course, depending on that student’s choice of major.
Each student’s results letter also included valuable advice about the beginning
required mathematics courses for their chosen major and the actual mathematics
placement procedure at the NC community college or UNC institution of their
choice. In addition, helpful Web site addresses were provided for the
mathematics department and math course descriptions for the college or
university of choice. Samples of student results letters at two different levels
follow.
The contact person of each participating high school also received a summary, in
various formats, of the test results of all students who participated at the school.
Individual teachers received helpful results by class and period. Each teacher
was provided with a copy of a brochure titled “Mathematics Placement
Procedures at NC Community Colleges and UNC Constituent Institutions, 2010-
2011,” a handy reference tool for their college-bound students. The brochure is
updated each year by the associate director upon the advice of the NC EMPT
Advisory Board members who represent the fifteen UNC campuses and fifty-eight
NC community colleges. A sample of this brochure follows as well.
20
21
22
23
24
UNC Wilmington
All entering freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington take a
mathematics placement test during Orientation. The test results, along with the
student’s intended major, will be used to determine the most appropriate Precalculus,
Calculus, or General Education mathematics course for the student. The student’s
advisor will help in this selection.
The UNCW mathematics placement test covers Algebra I, Algebra II, Advanced Math and some
Trigonometry. Students take the test on a computer (no computer skills are necessary!); it is multiple-choice
Winston-Salem State University
MATH CUT-OFF SCORES AND COURSE PLACEMENT
Placement Test Taken . SCORE Course Placement
Elementary Algebra............................... 0 - 41 ............................... MAT 1306 (Basic Algebra)
Elementary Algebra............................... 42 - ............................... MAT 1311 (College Algebra), or
. MAT 1323 (Fundamentals of Mathematics)
College Level Math................................ 10 - 59 ............................... MAT 1311 (College Algebra)
College Level Math................................ 60 - 75 ............................... MAT 1312 (Precalculus I)
College Level Math................................ 76 - 85 ............................... MAT 1312H (Honors version)
College Level Math................................ 86 - 103 ............................... MAT 1313 (Precalculus II)
College Level Math................................ 104 - ............................... MAT 2317 (Calculus I)
UNC Charlotte
Most entering freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte take
a mathematics placement exam during the SOAR (Student Orientation and
Registration) program prior to their first semester of courses. The 2011-2012
Mathematics Placement Test at UNC Charlotte is non-calculator based and consists
of 25 questions on algebra. A score of 0 – 11 mandates a student to enroll in MATH 0900, a Basic
Mathematics Skills course offered by a local community college on the UNC Charlotte campus. The
student will receive 1 hour college credit for this course. A score of 12-17 means that the student may
register to take MATH 1100 (College Algebra) or MATH 1103 (Precalculus), depending upon the major.
A score of 18 or higher means that the student may register for MATH 1120 (Single Variable Calculus) or
MATH 1241 (Differential and Integral Calculus I). It is very important that students be prepared and not
let their mathematical skills deteriorate prior to the date of the placement test. Students are well advised
to take their mathematics courses as soon as they enroll in college, before they lose the skills that they have
gained in high school. Students who are applying for AP Mathematics (Calculus or Statistics) credit need
not take the placement exam.
For more information about the UNCC Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.math.uncc.edu
For UNCC math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.uncc.edu/undergraduate-catalogs/current/course-description/MATH
UNC Greensboro
All entering students at UNCG may enroll in MAT 112 (Contemporary Topics
in Mathematics), MAT 115 (College Algebra), MAT 150 (Precalculus I), or STA
108 (Elementary Intro. to Probability and Statistics). These courses do not have
prerequisites and hence no student is required to take the Mathematics Placement
Test in order to enroll into one of them. Science or Business majors with very stong background in
precalculus or calculus should consult (at least two months prior to the beginning of a semester via e-mail
address: matplace@uncg.edu) with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in order to discuss the
possibility of taking the Mathematics Placement Test. The Mathematics Placement Test is an hour long,
20-question, non-calculator based test administered on-line (at any time and at any location). Eligibility of
being placed in a more advanced course depends on the performance on this test. Additional information
can be found at http://www.uncg.edu/mat/undergraduate/mathplacetest.html.
For more information about the UNCG Mathematics and Statistics Department, visit: http://www.uncg.edu/mat/index.html
For UNCG math course descriptions, visit: www.uncg.edu/mat/mat/matcour.html
Western Carolina University
First semester freshmen students at WCU are generally not registered for a mathematics
course unless they are planning to major in Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry,
Biology, Physics, Electrical Engineering or Engineering Technologies. Students in other
majors will generally be pre-registered for a mathematics course for their second semester.
Initial mathematics placement is determined by interview with an academic advisor and with the Director of
Mathematics Placement, as needed. In case of questions about placement, a skills assessment is used to confirm
placement. Students are encouraged to take the highest mathematics course for which they are qualified, based on
high school courses taken, SAT score, attitude and aptitude, and skills assessment if needed. The skills assessment
is available on demand and usually administered during early registration. Transfer students may take the skills
assessment by arrangement with the Director of Mathematics Placement. The skills assessment does not generate
course credit for course requirements that are waived as a result of placement. A scientific or graphics calculator
is recommended for taking the assessment and for most mathematics courses. Students who have transferable
credit for college-equivalent courses can be placed into courses for which they satisfy prerequisites. Any student
may take the liberal studies math course, MATH 101. There is no placement requirement for this course, but it
does not satisfy the prerequisite for College Algebra or any other algebra-based course.
For more information about the WCU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.wcu.edu/8462.asp
For WCU math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.wcu.edu (Select "Course Information" in the left column, choose the prefix
"MATH," and then click on "Filter.")
Winston-Salem State University
The majority of entering freshmen at Winston-Salem State University take a
mathematics placement exam during their orientation session prior to their first
semester of college courses. The placement test given for mathematics is the
ACCUPLACER Computerized Placement Test. The students are given the Elementary
Algebra and the College Level Mathematics parts of this placement test, both of which are calculator based.
For more information about the WSSU Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.wssu.edu/college-arts-science/
For WSSU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.wssu.edu/college-arts-science/departments/mathematics/mathematics-course-descriptions.
aspx
NORETHM CARPOLITNA
For more information, contact:
Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT Associate Director
2310 Old Cafeteria Complex, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353
Phone: 252-328-6418 • Fax: 252-328-2166 • E-mail: ncempt@ncempt.org
4,200 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $577.80, or $.1375 per copy. ASC-006215 (rev. 10/11) Printed on recycled paper.
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f(x)
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y <2
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f(x)
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*An early intervention and outreach program of the State of North Carolina.
A North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing* Program
. . . a comprehensive listing
of placement
procedures and
preparation
suggestions for
students preparing
for college entrance testing
UNC Pembroke
Freshmen entering the University of North Carolina at Pembroke take a
departmental-developed mathematics placement test during their orientation session
prior to their fall semester of classes. The 2011-2012 mathematics placement test
at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a revised, calculator optional,
42-question test of two batteries. A score of less than 8 on battery one requires the student to enroll in
Math 104, a remedial mathematics course. Subsequent scores offer recommendations for enrollment rather
than requirements, but statistical data supports our recommendations for placement.
A score range of 8 to 11 on battery one will place students into Math 105 – Math 107 (low), which
means the student has the option of taking either Math 105 (Introduction to College Mathematics) or
Math 107 (College Algebra). We recommend Math 105. A score range of 12 to 15 on battery one will
place students into Math 105 – Math 107 (high), which means the student has the option of taking either
Math 105 or Math 107. We recommend Math 107. A score range of 0 to 3 on battery two will place
students into Math 108 (Plane Trigonometry). A score range of 4 to 7 on battery two will place students
into Math 109 (College Algebra and Trig). A score of over 8 on battery two will place students into
Math 221 (Calculus I). Math 105, 107, 108, 109 and Math 221 satisfy general education mathematics
requirements.
A student cannot receive credit for any mathematics course based on his placement score. Advanced
Placement Testing is available through the University of North Carolina or North Carolina Testing Services.
For more information about the UNCP Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.uncp.edu/mathcs/
For UNCP math course descriptions, visit: http://www.uncp.edu/catalog/pdf/math_cs.pdf (See pages 4-8 of the document.)
continued . . .
and untimed; a non-graphing calculator is available on each computer. For more detailed placement information,
see the web site: http://www.uncw.edu/math.
Most mathematics courses require minimum placement results before a freshman, without appropriate
advanced placement or college transfer credit, can enroll in the course. Progress toward satisfying requirements
for a major can be delayed if a student’s mathematics skills are not brought up to the college level in a timely
manner. It is important that students take a mathematics course during their senior year in high school so that
skills do not become rusty!
For more information about the UNCW Department of Mathematics and Statistics, visit: http://www.uncw.edu/math
For UNCW math course descriptions, visit: http://catalogue.uncw.edu/. (Scroll down on the left and in box labeled "Search Catalogue"
type in "math course descriptions.")
UNC Wilmington, continued
2011-2012
UNC Chapel Hill
Most entering students are required to have results from the SAT Subject Test
– Mathematics Level 2* prior to placement in a math course at UNC-CH. This
calculator based exam is NOT given on campus and should be taken as soon
after a prospective student’s precalculus course as possible, and certainly before
arriving at UNC-CH. A score greater than or equal to 520 is necessary to exempt the student from
Math 110 (College Algebra). Math 110 counts as elective hours towards graduation, but does not fulfill
the mathematics requirement. Scores ranging from 520 through 590 allow the student to enroll in a
number of mathematical science courses, including Math 117 (Finite Mathematics), 118 (Selected
Topics in Mathematics), 152 (Calculus for Business and Social Sciences), 130 (Trigonometry and
Analytic Geometry), Stor 151 (Statistics/Data Analysis), Comp 110 (Introduction to Programming),
and a few others, all of which satisfy the general education requirement. A score of 600 or greater is
needed to place into Math 231 (Calculus I).
For more information about the UNC-CH Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.math.unc.edu/
For UNC-CH math course descriptions, visit: http://www.math.unc.edu/for-undergrads/course-descriptions.html
* For those students who have never had trigonometry, the SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level I is acceptable;
however, the student cannot place into Math 231 with this version of the SAT.
Appalachian State University
Entering students' SAT MAT score will be used for placement into college level
mathematics at ASU. A student wishing to place into a calculus course takes the online
"Calculus Readiness Test" before coming to orientation. A student not placing into
college level mathematics must successfully complete MAT 0010, a 5-day-a-week course
that does not count towards graduation. Not placing into college level mathematics delays a student since
MAT 0010 must be successfully completed before a student can take any course with a ND designator.
For example, a student must place into college level mathematics or successfully complete MAT 0010 to
take introductory courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, General Science, Geology,
Mathematics, Physics/Astronomy, and other departments. Transfer students without SAT scores will be
required to take an online placement test. Keeping your math skills current is critical.
For more information about the ASU Department of Mathematical Sciences, visit: http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu
For ASU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.registrar.appstate.edu/catalogs/11_12_undergrad/11_artsandsciences.pdf. (See pages
108-115 of the document.)
North Carolina Community Colleges
The majority of students entering a community college in North Carolina take a
mathematics placement exam during their summer orientation session or just prior to
their first semester of college courses. There are three different types of math placement
tests given across the state. Each college establishes their own using statewide criteria for
placement into the first college-level math courses. That is, cut-off scores for math placement are standardized
across the community college system. These scores are also transferable among the fifty-eight community
colleges. The NC EMPT practice placement test includes topics from Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II.
Community college math placement exams will also ask students to demonstrate proficiency in arithmetic
skills, such as fractions, decimals, and percents. It is important that students brush up on these skills.
Students may contact the Mathematics Department of their chosen community college for information
about additional math courses that may further prepare them for college.
Elizabeth City State University
ECSU uses Accuplacer, a computer adaptive test, to determine appropriate placement of
students into mathematics courses. The placement test is administered to new freshmen
and transfer students during the summer orientation sessions and at other designated
periods throughout the academic year. Students with SAT (Math) scores greater than
or equal to 500 are exempt from testing. The test items include topics involving arithmetic computations,
algebra, precalculus and trigonometry. A score below 70 requires students to enroll in a developmental
mathematics
course, GE 109 (Introduction to College Mathematics), to further develop their mathematical
abilities. Students scoring 70 or more may enroll in GE 115 (College Algebra). Students scoring 85 or more
may enroll in GE 118 (Pre-Calculus). The calculator-based test contains multiple-choice questions that are
untimed. High school students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a mathematics course during their senior
year to provide a “smooth” transition into college level mathematics.
For more information about the ECSU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.ecsu.edu/mcs
For ECSU math courses descriptions, visit: http://www.ecsu.edu/undergrad_catalog/ (See pages 352-355 of this document.)
Fayetteville State University
Prior to enrollment in a math class, first-time freshmen and certain transfer students
at Fayetteville State University (FSU) take a computer adaptive mathematics profile
exam during their orientation session. University College makes every effort to place
students in courses that correspond to their level of academic preparation. Advisors use
high school Grade Point Average (HS GPA), SAT scores, and scores on the Profile placement examination
(administered during First Steps) as criteria.
NC Central University
Undergraduates admitted to North Carolina Central University take non-calculator based
mathematics placement tests before registering for classes (unless they are transferring in
appropriate credits). Students with a 480 or higher on the SAT-Math section or a 20 or
higher on the ACT are exempt from placement testing. Students with less than 480 on the
SAT-Math section or less than 20 on the ACT take an Accuplacer assessment (untimed) on elementary algebra and
on intermediate algebra. Placement is then made to Introductory College Algebra or to College Algebra. Placement
testing is available at the beginning of each semester, during the Early Orientation Programs, and by appointment.
To prepare for the mathematics placement tests, you should review materials and work problems relating to
the following topics: arithmetic calculations and algebraic operations; algebraic expressions involving polynomials;
exponents and logarithms; graphs of functions; linear and quadratic equations; systems of equations; and
NC State University
Entering freshmen at NC State are strongly encouraged to have taken the
calculator based SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level 2 placement test before
their summer orientation
session prior to their first fall semester. A score of less
than 430 on this test requires that the student enroll in MA 101 (Intermediate
Algebra)*, which does not count towards any degree. A score of 550 or better allows the student to
enroll in MA 141 (Calculus I), which is the first course of the three-semester calculus sequence. In
addition, upon admission and prior to registration each entering freshman must take the NC State
University online skills test. Students who have not taken the SAT Subject Test must use their online
skills test score. The SAT Subject Test is preferred.
Between one-fourth and one-third of the students entering NCSU have taken the AP Calculus
AB exam or the AP Calculus BC exam and have received placement based on their scores. For more
information about placement opportunities, visit http://www.math.ncsu.edu/undergrad/whichclass.
php, and then click "Placement Information." For prerequisites for all courses, see http://www2.acs.
ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/MA.html.
For more information about the NCSU Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.math.ncsu.edu
For NCSU math course descriptions, visit: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/dir_MA.html (Then click on the math
course number for description.)
*MA 101 can only be taken at NCSU during the second summer session.
MAT 161 is an equivalent course offered at NC Community Colleges. NC A&T State University
Starting the fall semester of 2011, all incoming freshmen or transfer students will be initially
placed into an appropriate Math course based on their highest SAT or ACT Math, or SAT
Subject Test – Math Level II scores. A student with an SAT Math score of less than 440, or
SAT Subject Math Level II score of less than 430, or ACT Math Score of less than 16 will
be placed on MATH 099-Intermediate Mathematics, a remedial mathematics course offered by the Center for
Academic Excellence. An SAT Math score between 440 and 480, or SAT Subject Math Level II score between 430
and 460, or ACT Math score between 16 and 18 allows the student to enroll in MATH 101-Fundamental Algebra
and Trigonometry I (for non-STEM majors) or MATH 103-Collge Algebra and Trigonometry for Scientists and
Engineers (for STEM majors) offered by the Mathematics Department. An SAT Math score between 490 and
540, or SAT Subject Math Level II score between 470 and 530, or ACT Math score between 19 and 21 requires
that the student enroll in MATH 110-Precalculus for Engineering Sciences, or MATH 111-College Algebra and
Trigonometry, both of which are offered by the Mathematics Department. An SAT Math score of 550 or higher,
or SAT Subject Math Level II score of 540 or higher, or ACT Math score of 22 or higher allows the student to
enroll in MATH 131-Calculus I also offered by the Mathematics Department.
If a student is not satified with his/her initial math course placement, s/he can take the Mathematics
Department developed Algebra (for placement of MATH 099, 101, 103, and 111) or Precalculus (for placement
of MATH 110 and 131) placement tests. The Algebra placement test contains 35 multiple choice questions, while
the Precalculus placement test contains 30 multiple choice quesitons. The test time for both tests is limited to 50
minutes, and no calculator is allowed in either test. A score of less than 15 in the Math Dept. Algebra placement
test requires that the student enroll in MATH 099. A score between 15 and 19 in the Math Dept. Algebra
placement test allows the student to enroll in MATH 101 if the student is a non-STEM major or MATH 103
if the student is a STEM major. A score of 20 or higher in the Math Dept. Algebra placement test will place the
student in MATH 111. A score beteen 13 and 16 in the Math Dept. Precalculus placement test requires that the
student enroll in MATH 110. A score of 17 or higher allows the student to enroll in MATH 131.
For more information about the NC A&T Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.ncat.edu/~math.
For NC A&T math course descriptions, visit: http://www.ncat.edu/~acdaffrs/Bulletin_2010_2012/departmentofmathematics.htm (Scroll
down to particular courses.)
UNC Asheville
Each incoming UNC-Asheville student is asked to visit the Math Placement
website before his/her summer registration appointment. This can be done at
home or on campus by visiting the Math Department Website: http://www.
math.unca.edu/. Click For Students in the blue menu on the right and then
select Math Placement in the drop down menu. The website gives the answers to important questions
regarding course requirements. It customizes the information needed for students to make the best
course selection for their individual plans by asking students about their intended major and math
background. We expect that the majority of new students will be able to click their way through the
website to determine which math course to take, without ever needing to take a math placement test.
However, there are some individual circumstances where a placement test is crucial. Consequently, a
20-question, multiple-choice, calculator-based exam is built into the site. The website suppliest all
of the placement information directly to the students to help them make the most informed math
course decision possible. Obviously, it is in each student’s best interest to do the website test without
help from anyone else. Calculus course sections will administer pretests at the start of the semester
to check that these students are enrolled in the most appropriate course.
For more information about the UNCA Department of Mathematics, visit: http://math.unca.edu/
For UNCA math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog/unca.edu/ and click on Academic Departments and Programs, then
Mathematics and Statistics.
East Carolina University
Many entering freshmen at East Carolina University take a mathematics placement exam
prior to their first college courses. The 2011-2012 mathematics placement test at ECU
is a 32-question algebra test, which is calculator optional. A four-function calculator
may be used and should be brought by the student to orientation for use on the ECU
math placement exam. A score of 13 or less on this test requires the student to enroll in a remedial math
course. A score of 14 or more allows a student to enroll in MATH 1065 (College Algebra), 1066 (Applied
Mathematics for Decision Making), 1067 (Algebraic Concepts and Relationships), or 2127 (Basic Concepts
of Mathematics I), all of which count toward the general education mathematics requirement. Placement
into freshman mathematics courses can also be based on SAT mathematics scores. For example, no placement
test is required if a student’s SAT I math score is 540 or above, OR if the SAT Subject Test – Mathematics
Level 2 score is 400 or above, OR if the ACT math score is 20 or above. It is very important that students
take a mathematics course during their senior year of high school so that skills are retained.
For more information about the ECU Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/math/
For ECU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/acadprograms/upload/ugcat1112.pdf. (See pages 469-474 of the
document.)
For ECU math placement test review questions, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/math/ (In left column, click on "Math Placement Test." Then
click on "Review Test.")
FSU MATH PLACEMENT CRITERIA AND COURSE PLACEMENT
Placement Criteria Course Placement
SAT-Math (SATM) Score >= 600 and MATH 142 – Calculus and Analytical Geometry I
College-Level Math Score >= 100 Primarily for math, computer science and science majors _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SATM Score >= 600 or MATH 131 – Algebra and Trigonometry
College-Level Math Score >= 80-99 Primarily for math, computer science and science majors _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SATM Score = 500-599 or MATH 129 – Precalculus Mathematics I
Algebra Profile Score >= 71 For math, computer science, biology, and chemistry majors.
MATH 129 and MATH 130 together are equivalent to MATH 131 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SATM Score = 500-599 or MATH 123 – College Algebra
Algebra Profile Score >= 71 Math, computer science, biology, and chemistry majors will not be placed
in this course. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SATM Score < 500 and MATH 121 – Introduction to College Algebra
Algebra Profile Score < 71 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For more information about the FSU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.uncfsu.edu/macsc/
For FSU math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.uncfsu.edu/ug/courses.htm (Scroll down to courses beginning with MATH.)
NC Central University, continued
continued . . .
computation of areas, perimeters, surface areas and volume. It is desirable that students take a mathematics
course in their senior year in high school. Requirements for a college major may be delayed if mathematics
skills are below the expected level.
For more information about the NCCU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.nccu.edu/academics/
sc/scienceandtechnology/mathcompsci/
For NCCU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.nccu.edu/formsdocs/proxy.cfm?file_id=307 (See pages 361-363.)
Graphics Describing Testing Results
from the 2010-2011 Version of the NC EMPT Test
A special thanks is given to David Hodges, our database consultant, for his time,
effort, and wisdom in creating these graphs.
High School Demographics:
Public High School Participation in NC EMPT
2010-2011
Total Number of NC Public High Schools = 602*
61%
39%
(369)
Schools
Non-participating
(233)
Schools
Participating
*The total of 602 public high schools includes 569 public schools, three federal
schools, and thirty charter schools.
Non-Public High School Participation in NC EMPT
2010-2011
Total Number of NC Non-Public High Schools = 243
72%
28%
(69)
Schools
Participating
(174)
Schools
Non-
Participating
27
Student Demographics:
Sex of Participating Students
2010-2011
Not Given
0.5%
(157)
Male
46%
(15,238)
Female
53%
(17,642)
Grade Level of Participating Students
2010-2011
Not Given
2%
(533)
Freshman
3%
(902) Sophomore
16%
(5,354)
Junior
37%
(12,081)
Senior
43%
(14,167)
28
29
2010-2011 Placement Test Results:
NC EMPT Placement Levels - All Students
2010-2011
Level 4
16%
(5,292)
Level 3
38%
(12,627)
Level 2
26%
(8,445)
Level 1
20%
(6,673)
Level 4 (highest) scored
25-32
Level 3 scored 17-24
Level 2 scored 12-16
Level 1 scored 0-11
Type of Calculator Used
2010-2011
None
15%
(4,807)
Four-function
calculator
7%
(2,382)
Scientific calculator
26%
(8,714)
Graphing Calculator
46%
(15,049)
30
31
3%
0.40%
3%
2%
0.01%
0.01%
0.29%
6%
1%
0.01%
13%
1%
9%
2%
0.15%
0.08%
1%
9%
4%
0.05%
10%
1%
7%
0.40%
0.14%
0.06%
0.49%
3%
3%
0.09%
8%
1%
7%
0.13%
0.12%
0.08%
1%
2%
2%
0.3%
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Advanced Functions and Modeling
Advanced Math, or Algebra III, or
Advanced Algebra or Trigonometry
Algebra II or Integrated Math 3
Calculus
I am not currently enrolled in a
math course
Integrated Math 4
Other
Pre-Calculus
Probability, or Statistics, or
Discrete Math
Technical Math II
Number of Students
Placement Level by Current Math Course
2010-2011
Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
32
NC EMPT Score Frequency
2010-2011
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Score
Number of Students
Frequency
2010-2011 Item Analysis
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Question # Percent Correct
33
NC EMPT
2010-2011
All Schools
Question Objective # Correct % Correct
11 evaluate using laws of exponents 28025 78%
18 evaluate function 27696 75%
22 evaluate expression 27314 73%
1 arrange fractions in order by size 27178 73%
6 find zero of linear function 26567 71%
21 solve word problem: percent 26810 71%
2 solve linear equation 26355 69%
7 model linear function 26425 69%
24 find equation of linear function 25507 66%
27 solve quadratic equation 25228 64%
19 solve word problem: coordinate grid 25315 63%
32 solve word problem: linear function 24665 61%
14 identify measure of central tendency 24484 61%
10 apply midpoint formula 24371 60%
25 solve system of two linear equations 23586 56%
15 find quadratic function given zeros 23107 55%
5 find volume of box 23313 54%
3 solve exponential equation 23127 54%
4 solve word problem: circumference 23313 54%
20 simplify using distributive property 23275 54%
31 apply distance formula 23090 53%
8 solve formula for variable 22816 51%
9 apply Pythagorean Theorem 21965 48%
16 solve word problem: ratio and percent 21573 46%
12 compare numbers 14222 45%
23 solve word problem: right triangle trig 21296 44%
30 find angle measure in acute triangle 21002 43%
13 simplify complex fraction 20816 43%
28 subtract rational expressions 20442 40%
17 recognize function given data 15979 40%
26 multiply numbers in scientific notation 19078 34%
29 find equation of line 17721 29%
Item Analysis by Decreasing %, 2010-2011
34
1
NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011
NC EMPT Test Results, 2010-2011 Test Version
Total Students Tested: 33,014 Placement Levels (#1 lowest- #4 highest)
(paper and pencil test) Level 1: 20% Level 3: 38%
Mean Score: 17 out of 32, or 53% Level 2: 26% Level 4: 16%
This test is calculator optional. Calculator usage policy on the actual math placement test for each
UNC institution and NC community colleges is shared with high school math teachers prior to
testing. For this test version: 46% used a graphing calculator, 26% a scientific calculator, 15% no
calculator, and 7% a four-function calculator.
Correct answers are circled below. The percent of students choosing each answer is found in an
italicized font below each answer.
Directions: Select the one best answer to each question. Place each answer on your bubble sheet.
1.
Arrange these in order from smallest to largest:
5 3 2
, ,
8 4 3
A.
2 3 5
, ,
3 4 8
B.
3 2 5
, ,
4 3 8
C.
2 5 3
, ,
3 8 4
D.
5 3 2
, ,
8 4 3
E.
5 2 3
, ,
8 3 4
4.95% 7.60% 4.47% 9.82% 73.12%
2.
Find the solution of the equation 5 a 3 4a 5 2a 4 .
A. 16
11
a B. 14
11
a C. 6
11
a D. 2
11
a E. 24
11
a
7.76% 69.20% 15.10% 4.50% 1.89%
3.
Find the solution of the equation 2.3 5x 2.33 2.3 17
A. 4 B. 1.7 C.
14
5
D. 4 E. 2.34
6.98% 9.56% 15.00% 54.22% 9.50%
4.
A tire has a circumference of 36 inches. Approximately how many revolutions does the tire make
when the tire rolls 1 mile (5,280 ft.)?
A. 147 B. 440 C. 1,760 D. 1,760 E. 15,840
28.29% 6.00% 53.86% 5.52% 4.18%
35
2
NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011
5.
If a rectangular box has sides of length x, x 1, and x 2 (where x 1) , then the volume of the
box can be represented by which of the following expressions?
A. x3 2x B. x3 x2 2x C. x2 x 2
6.41% 54.49% 13.75%
D. x3 2 E. x3 x2 2x
11.60% 9.99%
6.
The function ( ) 2 5
3
f x x has a zero when x has what value?
A. 5 B. 0 C. 10
3
D. 15
2
E. none of these
8.31% 5.93% 4.07% 70.61% 10.01%
7.
In order to make extra money, Nancy decided to make greeting cards in her home. She bought
decorations and blank card stock for $300. She estimates that it costs her $1.75 to make each card.
Customers are charged $4.50 per card. Which of the profit models below must Nancy use to
calculate her profit P for making n greeting cards?
A. P 4.5n 1.75n 300 B. P 2.75n 300 C. P 4.5n 1.75n 300
68.80% 5.36% 12.34%
D. P 1.75n 300 E. P 4.5n 300
2.91% 9.35%
8.
Solve the equation dx ey f for y (where d
0, e
0 ).
A. y f e dx B. y dx f
e
C. y f dx
e
5.23% 10.83% 24.29%
D. y dx f e E. y dx f
e
5.72% 51.19%
9.
How long is the hypotenuse of a right isosceles triangle whose leg measures 7x units
(where x 0) ?
A. 7x B. 7x 2 C. 14x 2
4.65% 47.55% 18.45%
D. 14x E.
7 2
2
x
16.63% 8.95%
7x
36
3
NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011
10.
If the coordinates of one endpoint of a line segment are 2,4 and the midpoint of the segment
is (2,1) , what are the coordinates of the other endpoint of the segment?
A. ( 2,4) B. (7, 2) C. (6, 3) D. ( 3, 2) E. (6, 2)
6.20% 5.91% 18.10% 7.09% 59.57%
11.
The expression 25 26 + 2 2 2 has a value best represented by which number below?
A. 0 B. 1
4
C. 1 D. 4 E. 1,024
2.77% 10.35% 77.56% 6.93% 1.05%
12.
How many of the following five statements are TRUE?
2 5
3 9
3.14159 2 1% 0.225
4
14
13 3 0.38
8
A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 E. 4
1.21% 11.22% 45.37% 33.98% 7.49%
13.
The number
2 5
3
1 8.5
2
is equivalent to
A. 10.3 B. 13
24
C. 0.5417 D. 1.3382 E. 91
68
8.66% 42.56% 41.09% 3.73% 1.54%
14.
A basketball team scored the following points during the first five games: 50,65,40,40,60 .
During the sixth game they scored 110 points. Which of the following will change the most
as a result of the score in the sixth game?
A. the range B. the mean C. the mode
60.80% 25.56% 4.66%
D. the median E. none of these
5.43% 2.37%
37
4
NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011
15.
If the zeros of a quadratic function are 2 and 3 , one possible quadratic function having these
zeros is
A. f (x) x2 x 6 B. f (x) x2 x 6 C. f (x) x 2 x 3
54.54% 14.95% 17.58%
D. f (x) x3 x2 6x E. f (x) 2x2 2x 12
5.81% 4.07%
16.
Professor Ed bought a set of books from Red Bank Publishing for $250 and was charged another
$20 for “shipping and handling.” What is the rate Red Bank Publishing charges for “shipping and
handling”?
A. 0.08% B. 1.25% C. 7.5% D. 8% E. 12.5%
18.00% 7.03% 5.54% 46.15% 21.46%
17.
What kind of function would best model the data below, where x is the independent variable and
y is the dependent variable?
x 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4
y 13.5 4 0.5 0 0.5 4 13.5 32
A. linear B. quadratic C. cubic D. rational E. absolute value
39.80% 24.98% 20.59% 5.85% 5.58%
18.
If g(x) 1 x x 2 , then g( 2) is
A. 0.5 B. 3 C. 2x 2x 4 D. 2(1 x x 2) E. 5
3.28% 74.97% 8.03% 6.09% 5.10%
19.
A hiking team begins at camp and hikes 5 miles north, then 8 miles west, then 6 miles south, and
then 9 miles east. In what direction must they now travel in order to return to camp?
A. Northwest B. Northeast C. North D. West E. They already are
at camp.
63.43% 10.53% 6.43% 6.08% 11.97%
20.
The expression x 3(2x 1) 1 is equivalent to which expression listed below?
A. 5x B. 5x 4 C. 5x 2 D. 5x 4 E. 5x 2
3.68% 53.51% 16.27% 13.50% 9.84%
38
39
40
7
NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011
31.
If you travel a given distance and know your average speed throughout the trip, you can calculate
the time it took to complete the trip with which calculation below?
A. distance speed B. speed distance C. speed distance
15.85% 10.70% 3.77%
D. distance speed E. There is not enough information to find the answer.
52.94% 9.41%
32.
As a thunderstorm approaches, you see lightning as it occurs, but you hear the accompanying
sound of thunder a short time afterward. The mathematical model of this relationship is
d 0.21t (where d is the distance in miles that the sound travels in t seconds). In how many
seconds will you hear thunder from a storm 8.4 miles away?
A. 1.764 sec B. 4 sec C. 8.19 sec D. 8.61 sec E. 40 sec
11.48% 8.66% 6.98% 4.03% 61.01%
41
Plans After High School
2010-2011
4-year university
72%
(23,879)
2-year college
8%
(2,500) trade schools or
apprenticeship program
13%
(4,220)
military service
1%
(287)
none of these
3%
(1,046)
initially attend a 2-year
college and then attend
a 4-year college
1%
(457)
Number of College-Level Math Courses Required
for First College Major
2010-2011
None
3%
(925)
One Course
5%
(1,624)
Two or more courses
20%
(6,506)
I Don't Know
70%
(23,046)
Not Applicable to Me
1%
(361)
43
3705
3232
3151
3121
2943
2898
2598
1751
1630
971
819
687
628
616
565
540
456
443
414
391
355
204
177
168
77
2881
2550
1777
1701
2524
2576
2827
1702
1339
951
1139
865
951
843
738
1086
723
1023
772
755
661
442
334
494
379
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Business, Management and Marketing
Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine or Pharmacy
Engineering
Nursing
Social and Behavior Sciences
Visual and Performing Arts
Medical Technologies and Allied Health Fields
Biology and Biological Sciences
Security and Protective Services
Pre-K and Elementary Education
Humanities
Secondary Education in a Non-Science or Non-
Mathematics Area
Computer Science in a Business Area
Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Computer Science in a Mathematics, Engineering or
Science Area
Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies
Agriculture
Engineering Technologies
Family and Consumer Sciences
Automotive Technology
Architecture and Related Services
Natural Resources and Conservation
Secondary Education in a Science and Mathematica
Area
Middle Grades Education
Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies
Percentage of Students
Anticipated College Major
2010-2011
First Choice
Second Choice
44
45
477
378
15
8
36
21
1332
85
293
144
31
364
1596
141
28
271
1400
1464
79
75
263
161
2136
207
932
540
169
1038
1766
456
188
1522
738
1119
83
78
370
208
932
113
610
399
168
576
734
311
231
1535
454
781
119
130
408
308
558
99
490
353
158
323
417
197
280
1345
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Appalachian State University
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
NC A&T State University
NC Central University
NC State University
UNC Asheville
UNC Chapel Hill
UNC Charlotte
UNC Greensboro
UNC Pembroke
UNC Wilmington
Western Carolina University
Winston-Salem State…
An NC Community College
Placement Level by School Planning to Attend (1)
2010-2011
Level 4
(highest)
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
46
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
Appalachian State University
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
NC A&T State University
NC Central University
NC State University
UNC Asheville
UNC Chapel Hill
UNC Charlotte
UNC Greensboro
UNC Pembroke
UNC Wilmington
Western Carolina University
Winston-Salem State University
An NC Community College
Placement Level by Schools Planning to Attend (2)
2010-2011
Level 4 (highest)
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
47
V. Trends in NC EMPT Data, 1996-2011
The NC EMPT Program has compiled data from a pilot semester and fourteen full years
of testing. Informative trends are already beginning to appear and they are presented in
the following charts and graphs:
NC EMPT Cost Per Student
1997-1998 $4.40 2004-2005 $3.79
1998-1999 $5.46 2005-2006 $3.59
1999-2000 $4.55 2006-2007 $3.86
2000-2001 $4.24 2007-2008 $4.07
2001-2002 $3.62 2008-2009 $7.27
2002-2003 $4.02 2009-2010 $4.78
2003-2004 $4.96 2010-2011 $5.25
Top Anticipated College Majors
Year Major Students Choosing
Major as First Choice
2004-2005 Social and Behavioral Sciences 14%
Engineering 13%
Business/Administrative Sciences 12%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9%
2005-2006 Social and Behavioral Sciences 14%
Business/Administrative Sciences 14%
Engineering 12%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9%
2006-2007 Business/Administrative Sciences 12%
Social and Behavioral Sciences 12%
Engineering 11%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9%
2007-2008 Business/Administrative Sciences 13%
Social and Behavioral Sciences 13%
Engineering 12%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9%
2008-2009 Business, Management, and Marketing 13%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10%
Visual and Performing Arts 9%
Engineering 9%
2009-2010 Business, Management, and Marketing 12%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10%
Engineering 9%
Nursing 9%
2010-2011 Business, Management, and Marketing 11%
Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10%
Engineering 10%
Nursing 9%
Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year.
49
Students Participating in NC EMPT
33,833
38,261 38,821
33,549
46,418
43,063
23,476
38,969
37,434
27,456
41,520 43,714
47,925
27,030
8,195
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
1996-
97
1997-
98
1998-
99
1999-
00
2000-
01
2001-
02
2002-
03
2003-
04
2004-
05
2005-
06
2006-
07
2007-
08
2008-
09
2009-
2010
2010-
2011
Number of Students
High Schools Participating
in NC EMPT
243
243
302
281
285
287
288
189
251
66
205
302
303
292
293
0 100 200 300 400 500
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
Number of Schools
* Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year.
* Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year.
50
EMPT Level of Participating Students
1996-2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Year
Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Grade Level of Participating Students
1996-2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Year
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
51
Average Score Out of 32 Questions
for Participants Each Year
1996-2011
0
5
10
15
20
25
97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Year
Series1
Students Planning to Go to College
After High School Graduation
1996-2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Year
4-year College
2-year College
52
53
Each year, NC EMPT Advisory Board members who represent NC community colleges
and UNC institutions are asked to update information about their particular schools.
This information is unique to each school and includes calculator usage on actual math
placement tests, beginning required math courses for majors, and descriptions of math
placement procedures. The associate director gathers this information and updates a
brochure titled “Mathematics Placement Procedures at NC Community Colleges and
UNC Constituent Institutions.” See pp. 25-26 for a sample of this document. This
important brochure is disseminated each year to each participating teacher and all
public and non-public high school principals, math chairs, and counseling departments.
According to question #9 in the survey, 98% of the teachers responding found this
brochure helpful in advising students. This same valuable information provided by
board members has another important use. Appropriate paragraphs from the brochure
are imbedded in individual student results letters based on the student’s choice of major
and college/university.
Eleven of the fifteen survey questions had equally positive responses or responses within
3 percentage points above or below the same responses last year. This is very reassuring
and illustrates the willingness of the NC EMPT staff to listen to suggestions by teachers,
continue to make improvements, and maintain consistency in service. The response
rate for question #5, regarding the usefulness of the website www.ncempt.org, increased
from 79% to 85%. Recent improvements in the website format and the availability of
information have been noted by teachers.
Two questions received significantly lower ratings from the previous survey and both
are in areas the NC EMPT office cannot control. The response rate for question #6,
“Students were attentive and tested with a serious attitude,” dropped from 97% in 2009-
10 to 91% in 2010-11. However, 91% is still a vast majority of the participating students
and this is encouraging, particularly for a test that is not state mandated. The response
rate for question #10, “Participating teachers took time to review test errors with
students,” dropped from 81% to 75%. The best case scenario would be for teachers to
return a test copy along with each student’s individualized results letter and then take
time to review the missed questions. The NC EMPT website offers many supplementary
worksheets and lists of top missed questions that could then be assigned to students to
reinforce mastery of the highlighted weak skills. However, NC EMPT realizes that
competition for instructional time in the classroom is intense and teachers have to
prioritize.
A sample of the Qualtrics year-end survey and the results follow.
54
55
# Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
N/A or No
Opinion
Responses
7
The NC EMPT office
promptly returned hard
copies of test score
summaries for teachers
and individualized results
letters for students.
124 5 1 0 0 130
8
The test score summary
received by each teacher
for each class period was
helpful.
115 15 0 0 0 130
9
The yellow brochure titled
"Mathematics Placement
Procedures at NC
Community Colleges and
UNC Constituent
Institutions, 2010-2011"
was included in each
teacher's results package.
This brochure was useful to
teachers in advising
college-bound students.
100 28 1 0 1 130
10
Participating teachers took
time to review test errors
with students.
47 51 23 1 8 130
11
Students found their
individualized student
results letters informative
and easy to understand.
82 41 3 0 4 130
12
Students found their NC
EMPT experience helpful
and useful for future
college plans.
53 67 7 0 3 130
13
The NC EMPT Program
accomplished its goal of
providing your participating
high school students with a
"reality check" of their
readiness for college-level
mathematics.
90 35 0 1 1 127
56
# Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
N/A or No
Opinion
Responses
14
The NC EMPT Program will
accomplish its goal of
helping to reduce the
percentage of incoming
college freshmen that
require mathematics
remediation at the college
level (consider the seniors
from your high school that
participated in the program
and plan to attend college
in fall 2011).
51 59 12 1 6 129
15
Overall, the NC EMPT
Program provides a
valuable service to high
school students and
teachers.
103 27 0 0 0 130
Part B: Please type your thoughts about the two questions below:
#16. Each participating teacher receives summary information about their students’
test results by class period. Currently this data is listed for each student in the class:
the score as a percent, the EMPT level (#1-4), and the number of questions answered
correctly out of a total of 32 questions. Are there any other forms of summary
information that would be helpful to teachers for each class period of students??
Number Comments About Teachers’ Summary Information of Test Results
66
No, the summary information you already provide is sufficient, detailed, and very helpful; the
information is broken down adequately; I can’t see any way to improve this; our teachers are
satisfied with the data that is provided; everything that is already provided is amazing!; “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.”
6
I would love to have a summary of the most missed questions in each class period to facilitate a
quick review of those concepts; this list would help direct remediation after test results are returned;
a ranking of the questions in terms of % correct and % incorrect would be very helpful.
6
It would be very helpful to know the number of students in each class period that missed each of
the 32 questions; a summary of how each class did as a whole would also be useful. For example,
tell me if the majority of students missed #4, or list a major concept that was lacking; tell what areas
students did well in and what students struggled with.
57
3
You guys do an awesome job! I greatly appreciate all that we receive; the people in charge were
very helpful and it was nice that they sent reminders.
3
It may be helpful to see how students ranked either statewide or locally in comparison with students
in other high schools.
3
Our school would like to keep up with scores from year to year. For example, if a student took the
EMPT test as a sophomore in Alg 2, again as a junior in PreCal, and as a senior in Calculus, we
want to note how their scores varied; I always bring up the score sheet from the previous year and
show students how much or how little they improved. Is there any way you can keep that
information and show it on the next year’s score sheets?
2
Our students really take the NC EMPT test seriously and gain from the experience; my students
were appreciative of their results.
2
An item analysis not only for all students participating from my school (which you now provide), but
for just my students by class period would be very helpful; I think the information provided to
students in their results letters is PERFECT. In the summary reports to teachers, a brief summary
of strong and weak points for students by class period would be valuable.
2
It would be helpful to have questions classified by content (i.e. quadratics, exponents, etc.) and to
have an overall summary that would allow teachers to quickly spot weaknesses in specific content
areas for each class period; if teachers were provided a report similar to a goal analysis, it would
make it easier to identify trends in areas of strengths and weaknesses.
1 Tell which WRONG answer was given most often. This would help us see the common errors.
1 The students really like the results letters. Keep them coming!
1
For each question, tell students which math class introduced this material. For example, logs are
introduced in Alg 2 and trigonometry is introduced in Geometry. You might also include the level of
difficulty like the PSAT does (easy, medium, hard).
1
I’d like to know the percentage of students that got each question wrong. I can calculate this if I am
given the data, but it would take some time. If I knew this information, I could target the questions
most students got wrong (especially if I didn’t have time to go over the entire test).
#17. THANK YOU for taking time to give us your valuable thoughts. If you have any
other comments or suggestions you’d like us to hear, please write them below.
Number Additional Comments
21
This is a great program that is extremely helpful to students; You provide an invaluable service to
secondary level math teachers and their students. A number of my students have informed me of
how they were better able to succeed on their college math placement tests because of the
awareness brought to them as a result of their experiences with NC Early Math Placement Testing;
For the past couple of years, we have had students who had a math class during fall semester ask if
there was any way they could take the EMPT test again in the spring, one more time, before they
graduate and go to their college orientation to take their “real” math placement test. Now that says
a lot, for the students to value the information enough to work out a way to take the test again of
58
their own accord; The kids are always blown away as to where their math skills are. It is truly an
eye-opener for some. Thanks for making this “reality check” available to students. For some, it
opens their eyes about the importance of learning and retaining math skills; I appreciate that you do
this for our students. It’s a great wake-up call and helps students see what they are lacking and
how they would place in college math at the time; The individual information you give each student
is very helpful to them and me as their teacher; Thank you for all you do to help us inform our
students of the necessary math requirements for college-level math courses; Because of their
EMPT experience, students will take their junior and senior level math classes more seriously; I
really like the comprehensiveness of the questions; This test makes students realize that they need
to retain a wide variety of math skills to succeed, not just the ones in a particular math course.
13
This is for Ellen. It is a pleasure to work with you. You have been helpful whether I sent an email or
made a phone call. You are polite and knowledgeable about your program. I am always amazed at
how quickly things get to me for testing and how quickly results get back. Thank you for making
testing procedures enjoyable; The hardest part is mailing the answer sheets back! You have made
the administration and testing a breeze Thanx again; Thanks for the stickers and smiley faces on
your mail outs. They bring a welcomed smile to a teacher’s face :o); Ellen, you do an excellent job
with EMPT and results; Thank you, Ellen. You are a great coordinator of this program!; I receive
great information from you ALL the time; Ellen Hilgoe is FANTASTIC!; Thanks for your support and
professionalism; I am the one to THANK YOU for this program; Have a great summer, Ellen, and I
will be in contact next fall about tests!
11
The EMPT office staff has always been very helpful (even when I made mistakes in signing up) and
very thorough in all communications; Thank you for helping us even when we needed tests quickly.
Your office did a superb job meeting our deadline. :o); Thanks for the very prompt return of our
scores and the data reports by class; The staff is very efficient in sending out materials and
returning scores; I was again impressed with the quick turnaround time. My students were most
anxious to see how they did; You do an excellent job reminding, informing, and explaining all
processes of the test; Thank you for your organization and timeliness.
9
I appreciate the unique service NC EMPT offers high school students and teachers across North
Carolina; Thanks for the program and all it does to prepare students for higher education; I have
used NC EMPT for many years and will continue to use it..
5
This “reality check” is invaluable to students. It would be worth it to pay a processing fee or an
administration fee per high school in order to keep this testing available for many years to come;
Thank you for making this possible at NO CHARGE to schools or students; I hope that this excellent
program will continue to be available in the future.
4 No suggestions. It’s a great program as is!
1
This was my first year using NC EMPT. I think it was a good experience and helpful for my
students. The communications were excellent and timely. Thank you very much.
1
The EMPT test is a practice test. I would suggest that there be a way to allow the test results to be
sent to the student’s college of choice (only upon request).
1
This is an invaluable tool for senior mathematics students. It is more appropriate to give the test to
an Advanced Functions and Modeling (AFM) or Discrete Math student. There are still many
teachers in my school system and surrounding areas that don’t participate for various reasons. The
issues may be lack of time in the curriculum, teachers aren’t aware of its value, or teachers still
59
60
Appendix A
The 2010-2011
Required Background Questions,
Answer Key, and Parent/Guardian
Brochure
61
The North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program
Required Background Questions
2010-2011, Both Options, #1 and #2
Mark ONLY one answer for each question. Your answers should be placed on the NC EMPT bubble sheet
(opscan form) in the section labeled “Background Questions.”
A) The one school I am most likely to attend is:
(Please answer this question even if you are planning to attend a private or an out-of-state college by marking a choice most
representative of where you plan to enroll.)
001. Appalachian State University
002. East Carolina University
003. Elizabeth City State University
004. Fayetteville State University
005. NC A&T State University
006. NC Central University
007. NC State University
008. UNC Asheville
009. UNC Chapel Hill
010. UNC Charlotte
011. UNC Greensboro
012. UNC Pembroke
013. UNC Wilmington
014. Western Carolina University
015. Winston-Salem State University
016. One of the NC Community Colleges
B) My most-likely college major will be in the following category:
(Please mark only one of the twenty-five choices. Not all universities and colleges offer all of these majors.)
001. Engineering (e.g. aerospace, architectural, biological, chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial,
mechanical, nuclear,…)
002. Social and Behavior Sciences: Public Administration and Social Service Professions (e.g. public administration,
social work, …); Social Sciences (e.g. anthropology, economics, geography, political science and government,
sociology, …); Psychology (general psychology); Communication and Journalism (e.g. advertising, broadcast
journalism, communication studies, mass communications/media studies, radio and television,…)
003. Humanities: English Language and Literature (e.g. English literature, speech studies); Philosophy and Religious
Studies (e.g. philosophy, religion studies); Foreign Languages and Linguistics (e.g. classics and languages, French
language and literature, German language and literature, Spanish language and literature, …); History
004. Engineering Technologies: (preparation of technicians in the various engineering fields) (e.g. electrical technician,
engineering technician, industrial technician, …)
005. Mathematical and Physical Sciences: Mathematics and Statistics (e.g. applied mathematics, mathematics,
statistics,…); Physical Sciences (e.g. chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics,…)
006. Biology and Biomedical Sciences (e.g. biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, botany, ecology, exercise physiology,
marine biology, microbiology,…)
007. Visual and Performing Arts (e.g. art history, art studies, dance, drama and theatre arts, fine/studio arts, graphic
design, interior design, music performance,…)
008. Business, Management, and Marketing (e.g. accounting, business administration, business economics,
construction management, finance, hospitality management, international business, management information
systems, marketing,…)
009. Agriculture (e.g. agricultural business, animal sciences, food science, horticulture,…)
010. Family and Consumer Sciences (e.g. apparel and textiles, child development, family and consumer sciences,
foods/nutrition/wellness, human development,…)
011. Pre-K and Elementary Education (e.g. elementary education and teaching, kindergarten/preschool education,
childhood education,…)
012. Middle Grades Education (e.g. junior high/intermediate/middle school teaching)
013. Secondary Education in a Non-Science or Non-Mathematics Area (e.g. art teacher, business, drama/dance,
English/language arts, family/consumer science, foreign language, health, history, music, physical education,
social studies, special education, industrial arts,…)
014. Secondary Education in a Science or Mathematics Area (e.g. biology, chemistry, mathematics, general science,…)
015. Computer Science in a Mathematics, Engineering, or Science Area (software development, networking, database,…)
016. Computer Science in a Business Area (e.g. animation, simulation and game development, information science,
information technology, quality assurance analysis, webpage/digital/multimedia design,…)
017. Nursing
College majors continued on back…
63
018. Medical Technologies and Allied Health Fields (e.g. athletic trainer, clinical/medical lab technologist, dietitian,
environmental health, health care administrator, occupational therapy, public health, recreational therapy,
vocational rehabilitation counseling,…)
019. Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, or Pharmacy
020. Architecture and Related Services (e.g. city and community planning, environmental design architecture,
landscape architecture,…)
021. Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies (e.g. African-American studies, Native American studies, Latin American
Studies, Women’s studies,…)
022. Natural Resources and Conservation (e.g. environmental science, natural resources management, forest
management,…)
023. Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (e.g. health and physical education, kinesiology and exercise
science, parks recreation and leisure facilities management, sports and fitness management,…)
024. Security and Protective Services (e.g. criminal justice, fire services administration, forensic science,…)
025. Automotive Technology
C) My second choice of a college major is: (Use the list in question B for your selection.)
D) I am presently enrolled in the following math course:
(Please mark only one choice. If you are taking two math courses, mark the higher numbered choice.)
1. Algebra II or Integrated Math 3 6. Probability, or Statistics, or Discrete Math
2. Advanced Functions and Modeling 7. Calculus
3. Advanced Math, or Algebra III, or Advanced 8. Technical Math II
Algebra, or Trigonometry 9. Other
4. Integrated Math 4 10. I am not currently enrolled in a math course.
5. Pre-Calculus
E) Enter the teacher’s ID number for your math class (your teacher will supply this
number to you).
F) Enter the period your math class meets.
G) My plans initially after graduation are:
1. to attend a 4-year college or university 5. to enter military service
2. to attend a 2-year college or community/technical college 6. none of these
3. to initially attend a 2-year college and then attend a 4-year college
4. to attend a trade school or apprenticeship program
H) How many college-level math courses will be required for your first choice of college major?
1. None 4. I don’t know.
2. One course 5. Not applicable to me
3. Two or more courses
I) Please indicate your race/ethnicity. (This question is optional.)
1. American Indian or Alaskan Native 5. Hispanic or Latino
2. Asian, or Asian American, or Pacific Islander 6. Multiracial
3. African American or Black 7. Other
4. White
J) Which calculator will you use on this test?
1. None 3. A scientific calculator
2. A four-function calculator 4. A graphing calculator
K) How many college credits do you expect to have earned when you graduate from high school?
1. 0 3. 16-30 5. 46-60
2. 1-15 4. 31-45 6. 60+
64
Suggested Levels of the NC EMPT Program, 2010-2011
NC EMPT Predicted First
Student Score Level College Course
0-11 1 Remedial Mathematics
12-16 2 Borderline-depends on indicated major
17-24 3 First Course in College Math
25-32 4 Second Course in College Math in some
majors
Explanations:
Level 1: A Level 1 score indicates the student is not ready for college-level math courses and must take
remedial mathematics.
Level 2: A level 2 score indicates the student must take remedial mathematics in some choices of major.
Level 3: A Level 3 score indicates the student is ready for a beginning-level college mathematics course.
However, a Level 3 score may be considered borderline at some universities for students planning
to major in math, science, or engineering.
Level 4: A Level 4 score indicates a solid high school preparation for college-level mathematics. Some
universities may allow a student scoring at Level 4 on their math placement test to skip the first
college math course, depending on that student’s choice of major.
Note: The level numbers have been reversed from the order used in 1996-1999 so that NC EMPT levels
will more closely align with the NC Department of Public Instruction goals for public school
children. Level 4 is now the highest level.
NC EMPT Placement Exam Answer Key, 2010-2011, Option #2
Question # Correct
Answer
Question # Correct
Answer
1 E 17 C
2 B 18 B
3 D 19 A
4 C 20 B
5 B 21 D
6 D 22 E
7 A 23 A
8 E 24 B
9 B 25 C
10 E 26 D
11 C 27 C
12 B 28 D
13 B 29 E
14 A 30 C
15 A 31 D
16 D 32 E
65
inequalities • function • a bsolute value
(x,y)
f(x)
| x |
bo
2_x_
3
log d
_ n_
n+2
y <2
b4
√–c
(x,y)
f(x)
| x |
y <2
n __
n+2
2x__
3
f(x) b4
bo log d
√–c
rational expressions • graphing lines and curves
quadratic equations • parabolic functions • factoring
Actual college mathematics placement tests are often given during
summer orientation sessions, just before college enrollment. Students
should be warned not to let their mathematical skills “get rusty” and
be reminded to study their algebra and geometry skills just prior to the
date of their actual college mathematics placement test.
A Guide for Parents and Guardians
2011 - 2012
. . . a reality check
of your child’s
readiness
for college-level
mathematics
Printed on recycled paper. ASC-009456 (Rev. 8/11) 55,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,206.18 or $.040 per copy.
Visit our web site for a wealth of information
about mathematics placement testing at
nc community colleges and unc institutions.
For more information about NC EMPT, please contact your child’s
mathematics teacher or:
Ellen Hilgoe, Associate Director
NC EMPT Program
2310 Old Cafeteria Complex
Mail Stop 145
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
Phone: 252-328-6418
Fax: 252-328-2166
E-mail: ncempt@ncempt.org
North Carolina
Early Mathematics
Placement Testing
The retention of mathematical skills is critical to t h e hcoisr roerc th perla ficermste nsetm oefs tae rs toufd ceonltl edgeu rcoinugrsework.
“
”
NC EMPT has been continuously directed by the faculty and staff at East Carolina University since the
program’s inception in 1996.
A program sponsored by
the State of North Carolina
What is an early mathematics placement test?
The vast majority of high school graduates, upon entering The University
of North Carolina (UNC) at one of the fifteen universities or the fifty-eight
community colleges, will be given a mathematics placement test. Many
non-public universities and colleges also require that a math placement test
be taken.This test will determine the student’s entry level for enrollment in
collegiate mathematics. The North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Test-ing
(NC EMPT) Program
hopes to better prepare
high school students for
collegiate mathematics
placement. By having high
school students experi-ence
a test that is similar
in content to the actual
math placement test, the
NC EMPT Program pro-vides
each student with a
realistic early warning of
their current mathemati-cal
level.
The thirty-two NC EMPT
test questions are based
on Algebra I, Geometry,
and Algebra II objectives.
Participation by NC high
schools, public and non-public,
is voluntary.
Does this test
benefit my child?
Yes! One of the major goals of the program is to
reduce the percentage of entering freshmen that
require mathematics remediation at the college
level. By offering students a “snapshot” of their
mathematical standing while still in high school,
the NC EMPT Program hopes to give students the
motivation to retain skills, or take corrective action,
while there is still time and help available.
What is the cost?
There is no cost to participating high schools or students for NC EMPT
testing! The State of North Carolina sponsors the NC EMPT Program.
However, the need to take remedial mathematics at the college level is very
costly in both time and money! Parents and students need to realize that
tuition for remedial mathematics courses at the college level has to be paid,
but that credit hours for these courses towards a major or towards gradua-tion
are often not received.
Students spending time
in remedial mathemat-ics
courses lose valuable
time and are delayed in
the completion of other
coursework with math-ematics
prerequisites. The
student is often unable to
complete degree require-ments
within four years of
college.
When will
my child take the
NC EMPT test?
The early placement test
is a one-hour test that
is usually given during a
high school class period.
Students close to complet-ing
Algebra II, as well as
students in higher-level
mathematics courses, are
eligible to be tested. The tests are graded at the NC EMPT testing center at
East Carolina University and results are returned within two weeks. Each par-ticipating
student will receive an individualized letter that states their score,
current placement level, and a list of which test questions were answered
correctly or incorrectly. In addition, each student will be provided information
about required math courses for their chosen major and placement proce-dures
at their chosen UNC institution or NC Community College.
*Note: The level numbers have been reversed from the order used in 1996 -1999 so that NC EMPT levels will more closely
align with the NC Department of Public Instruction ABC’s Plan. Level 4 is now the highest level.
Student Score
(32 questions)
NC EMPT
Level*
Predicted First
College Course
Explanation
Remedial
Mathematics
Borderline - depends
on indicated major
First Course in
College Math
Second Course in
College Math
in some majors
Score indicates the student is not ready for
college level math courses and must take
remedial mathematics.
Score indicates the student must take remedial
mathematics in some choices of major.
Score indicates the student is ready for a
beginning-level college mathematics course.
However, a Level 3 score may be considered
borderline at some universities for students plan-ning
to major in math, science or engineering.
Score indicates a solid high school preparation
for college-level mathematics. Some universities
may allow a student scoring at Level 4 on their
Math Placement test to skip the first college
math course, depending on the student’s choice
of major.
0 - 11
12 - 16
17 - 24
25 - 32
1
2
3
4
Suggested Levels of the NC EMPT Program / 2011 - 2012
mathematics courses during each year of high school and to be sure that these skills
are increased and maintained.
We strongly
advise ALL
students
to continue
to take
Appendix B
Promotion of NC EMPT Participation
69
A face-to-face rendezvous with high school math teachers is a powerful tool in
spreading the word about the amazing early intervention services offered to
students in high schools across North Carolina. By staying abreast of workshop
and staff development offerings, the associate director reaches out to math
teachers on their home turfs. By conferring with the mathematics staff at the NC
Department of Public Instruction, public school secondary math coordinators,
and the Mathematics and Science Education Centers at UNC campuses, the
associate director searches for opportunities to present the NC EMPT Program
and to provide a platform for teachers to learn, question, and make suggestions.
NC EMPT has a history of fifteen years of service and it is a fact that many of the
original high school contact persons are beginning to retire. Therefore,
continued longevity of the program must be lead by a younger generation of high
school math teachers. In addition to presentations made by the director and
associate director at regional and state NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics
conferences, the following list includes the outreach efforts made by the associate
director during spring and summer of 2011:
Early College High Principals’ Networking Webinar with Fay Agar,
director of the Early College High School Initiative, NC New Schools
Project, January 26, 2011.
Raleigh Convention Center; 2011 Many Voices, One Goal Conference:
Every North Carolina Child Graduates Ready; organized by sixteen
partners including NC New Schools Project, NC State Board of Education,
and NC STEM Community Collaborative; March 24, 2011.
East Carolina University, ECU High School Mathematics Contest, March
29, 2011.
East Carolina University; ECU Center for Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Education; (STEM) 2 Girls’ Conference; a Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics initiative, April 1, 2011.
Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, M(o)ore Math Matters, a Moore
County Schools/Sandhills Community College Consortium, April 27, 2011.
EFFORTS MADE TO PROMOTE THE
NC EMPT PROGRAM STATEWIDE
71
Appalachian State University, State Institute for Teaching Excellence
(SITE) Geometry Workshop: A Common Core Approach to Geometric
Thinking and SITE Algebra Workshop: A Common Core Approach to
Algebraic Thinking, June 28-29, 2011.
Fayetteville State University and Cross Creek Early College High School,
SITE Algebra: Pedagogical Strategies for the NC Standard Course of Study
for Algebra I, June 30 and July 1, 2011.
Winston-Salem State University and the North Carolina School of Math
and Science, Common Core Topics for Functions and Statistics, July 21,
22, 2011.
Photos from Promotional Travels in 2010-2011
(l to r): Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT
associate director, and Dr. Robert
Bernhardt, NC EMPT director,
met between sessions at the North
Carolina Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCCTM)
Conference in Greensboro on
October 28, 2010.
(l to r): Emogene Kernodle, math
chair at Western Alamance High;
Becky Caison, math teacher at Cedar
Ridge High and the proud winner of
the prestigious 2010 W. W. Rankin
Award; Bill Scott, secondary math
specialist, Charlotte/Mecklenburg
Schools; and Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT
associate director, gathered to
celebrate with the award winner at
the NCCTM Conference in
Greensboro on October 28, 2010.
The Rankin Award recognizes and
honors individuals for their
outstanding contributions to NCCTM
and to mathematics education in
North Carolina. All four educators
have been involved with the NC
EMPT Program for many, many
years. :o)
72
(l to r) (back row): Rose Anna
Wade, retired math teacher from
Watauga High and workshop
instructor; Dr. Mary Beth Searcy,
ASU Dept. of Mathematical
Sciences and workshop instructor;
Stephen Haas, math teacher at
Alexander Central High; and (front
row): Heather Ollis, math teacher at
West Caldwell High; Marcus
Bowen, math teacher at Alexander
Central High; and Jack Long, math
teacher at Southern Vance High,
collaborated at the Appalachian
State University SITE Geometry
Workshop on July 1, 2011.
(l to r) (back row): Math teachers
Sheila Brown, East Bladen High;
Renee Gmiter, Pine Forest High; Jenn
Odle, Pine Forest High; Pandora
Matthews, Dunn Middle School;
Camille Leverett, Westover High;
Steven Harker, Seventy-First High;
and (front row) Sherman Sumpter,
Cross Creek Early College High,
participated in a SITE Algebra
Institute at FSU the week of June 27-
30, 2011. Sherman was the instructor
and his classroom is located on the
campus of Fayetteville State
University.
(front center and then clockwise): Math
teachers Martha Marshall, Ragsdale
High; Lynn Church, Caldwell Academy;
Rebecca Manley, Winston-Salem Prep
Academy; Tyler Tillman, preservice
teacher at WSSU; Mary Wilkerson,
teacher at WSSU; Julie Graves, NC
School of Science and Math and workshop
instructor; Maria Hernandez, NC School
of Science and Math and workshop
instructor; Joel Elliott, Yadkin Success
Academy, practiced new statistics
techniques at a Common Core workshop
held at Winston-Salem State University on
July 21-22, 2011.
73
Appendix C
Helpful Resources for High School
Teachers and Students:
2009-2010 Top Ten Missed Questions
And
Top Thirty Missed Questions Puzzle
75
1
North Carolina Early Mathematics
Placement Testing Program –
Providing a Timely Reality Check of Readiness for College-Level Mathematics
2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version
33,014 high school student participants
Top
Ten
Missed
Students
Answering
INCORRECTLY
Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version
1. 71% Which equation represents a line that is perpendicular to
the line 1 4
2
y x and passes through the point (1,2)?
A. x 2y 3 0 B. 2x y 4 0
C. x 2y 5 0 D. 2x y 3 0
E. 2x y 0
These questions are typical of those found on actual college math placement exams
throughout the UNC System, NC community colleges, and other private colleges and
universities. The questions are formatted for use on an overhead projector or document
camera as a quick review or warm-up exercise for high school students in Algebra II,
Integrated Math III, Advanced Functions and Modeling, Pre-Calculus, Discrete Math,
Statistics, and other upper-level math courses. Practice Makes Perfect!!
77
2
Top
Ten
Missed
Students
Answering
INCORRECTLY
Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version
2. 66% If P 10m is multiplied by Q 10n, the product is
equivalent to
A. PQ 10mn B. P Q 100mn
C. P Q 10mn D. PQ 10mn
E. PQ 100mn
3. 60% What kind of function would best model the data below,
where x is the independent variable and y is the
dependent variable?
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y -13.5 -4 -0.5 0 0.5 4 13.5
A. linear B. quadratic C. cubic
D. rational E. absolute value
4. 60% Which expression below is an equivalent form of
2 1
x 2x
(where x 0) ?
A. 1x
B. 2
3
2x
C. 3x
D. 3
2x E. 5
2x
Need more information about the FREE services provided by the NC EMPT Program?
Contact Ellen Hilgoe, Associate Director, at 252-328-6418 OR e-mail at ncempt@ncempt.org.
NC EMPT is sponsored by the State of North Carolina and is proudly housed at East Carolina Univ.
78
3
Top
Ten
Missed
Students
Answering
INCORRECTLY
Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version
5. 57%
The number
23 5
1 8.5 2
is equivalent to
A. 10.3 B. 13
24
C. 0.5417
D. 1.3382 E. 91
68
6. 57% Figure FGH is an acute triangle with angle measures of
2x , 3x 5 , 5x 15 . Find the measure of the
smallest angle.
A. 19 B. 34 C. 38
D. 62 E. 80
7. 56% A ladder 30 feet long leans against a building and makes
an angle of 72 with the ground. In the diagram, AB
represents the ladder and mABC 72 The distance
CA represents is how high the ladder reaches on the side
of the building. CA, in feet, equals
A. 30sin72 B. 30
sin72 C. 30
cos72
D. 30tan72 E. 30cos72
F
G
H
Everyone benefits: high school students, teachers, administrators, and parents:
Visit us at: www.ncempt.org
for a wealth of information about college mathematics placement testing!
C
A
B
79
4
Top
Ten
Missed
Students
Answering
INCORRECTLY
Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version
8. 55% How many of the following five statements are TRUE?
2 5
3 9
3.14159 2 1% 0.225
4
14 13 3 0.38
8
A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 E. 4
9. 54% Professor Ed bought a set of books from Red Bank
Publishing for $250 and was charged another $20 for
“shipping and handling.” What is the rate Red Bank
Publishing charges for “shipping and handling”?
A. 0.08% B. 1.25% C. 7.5%
D. 8% E. 12.5%
10. 52% How long is the hypotenuse of a right isosceles triangle
whose leg measures 7x units
(where x 0) ?
A. 7x B. 7x 2 C. 14x 2
D. 14x E. 7 2
2
x
The average score for the 33,014 high school participants on the 2010-2011
NC EMPT test version was 17 out of 32 questions, or 53%. This test version
has 32 questions and requires 55 minutes to administer.
Correct Answers to the Top Ten Missed Questions, 2010-2011:
1. E 2. D 3. C 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. D 10. B
7x
80
North Carolina Early Mathematics
Placement Testing Program
1
December 2010
www.ncempt.org
These mathematics questions were most often answered incorrectly by high school students across North
Carolina on NC EMPT practice placement test versions (2008-2009 and 2009-2010). The questions are typical
of those found on actual college math placement
Object Description
Description
| Title | Final report... to the UNC General Administration from the NC EMPT Program Advisory Committee. |
| Other Title | North Carolina Early Mathematics Testing Program; North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program; Final report... to the UNC Office of the President from the NC EMPT Program Advisory Committee |
| Date | 2011 |
| Description | 2010/2011 |
| Digital Characteristics-A | 7965 KB; 79 p. |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Full Text | NC EMPT Project Summary 2010-2011 (l to r): Stefanie Smith, mathematics teacher at Alexander Central High School; Adam Eckard, the 500,000th participating student; Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT associate director, and Crystal Hoke, assistant principal 3-23-11. Half a million participants, a milestone proudly achieved during the spring of 2011, was the highlight of this fifteenth year of operation for the North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing (NC EMPT) Program. Participants include high school students enrolled in Algebra II or any upper-level mathematics course. Their math teachers are pivotal to the success of the program and are to be commended for voluntarily registering their students for this opportunity and finding time in their crowded curriculums to offer NC EMPT’s “practice” version of a college mathematics placement exam. Students receive individualized results with eye-opening advice about their current mathematical strengths and weaknesses, beginning required math courses for their chosen college major, and the actual math placement testing procedure used at the NC community college or UNC institution of their choice (see pp. 6- 7). In these difficult economic times, it is incredible that the beneficial and proactive services provided by the program are absolutely free of charge to schools and students. The continued strong support by the State of North Carolina is quite an asset. In the words of a high school math teacher in a year-end NC EMPT teacher survey: You provide an invaluable service to secondary level math teachers and their students. A number of students have informed me of how they were better able to succeed on their actual college math placement tests because of the awareness brought to them as a result of their high school experience with NC EMPT. The 2010-2011 school year was characterized by steady growth: a 7% increase in the number of public and non-public high schools participating, from 282 in 2009-10 to 302; a 4% increase in the number of students, from 37,434 to 38,969; and a 3% increase in the number of teachers, from 782 to 801. The amazingly small staff that operates this statewide program has benefited from the longevity of its director, Dr. Robert Bernhardt; associate director, Ellen Hilgoe; database consultant, David Hodges; and webmaster, Brian Manning. In addition, many NC EMPT Advisory Board members have years of experience on the board. These include representatives from the mathematics departments of University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions, North Carolina community colleges, the NC Department of Public Instruction, and the UNC General Administration (see pp. 21-24). The board corresponds often and meets annually to update the NC EMPT test to ensure that it remains a facsimile of the math placement tests given on their own campuses. Immense changes are on the horizon for K-12 curriculum and instruction across North Carolina. With the implementation of Common Core mathematics standards in high schools in the fall of 2012, the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is evolving quickly (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/). With Governor Beverly Purdue’s strong emphasis on the New Schools Project and “successfully preparing every high school student for college, career, and life” (http://www.newschoolsproject.org), the NC EMPT Program recognizes that it has a vast quantity of experience in this area and hopes to continue to contribute towards this goal and ease the transition for many students as they journey from high school to college-level mathematics. 110 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $736.80 or $6.70 per copy. Dr.RobertBernhardt,Director EllenHilgoe,AssociateDirector Ph:2523286418 Fax:2523282166 Email:ncempt@ncempt.org Website:www.ncempt.org Update:August2011 What is NC EMPT? The NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program provides high school students with a nonthreatening, eye opening,realitycheckoftheirreadinessforcollegelevelmathematics.It is remarkably a FREE service to high schools and students, and is sponsoredbytheStateofNorthCarolina. HighSchoolMath TeachersParticipatingin NCEMPTduring201011: 801 FASTFEEDBACK! Averageturnaroundtimeforthereturnof testresultsto38,969studentslastyear was1.1days!! GradeLevelofParticipatingStudents,20102011 43%seniors37%juniors 16%sophomores3%freshmen 2%didnotrespond NCEMPThasbeencontinuously directedbyfacultyandstaffatEast CarolinaUniversitysincethe program’sinception. S tudentsParticip atin gin NCEM PT 33 ,833 38,261 3 8,82 1 33 ,54 9 4 6,4 18 4 3,0 63 23 ,47 6 37 ,43 4 38,969 2 7,45 6 4 1,5 20 43 ,71 4 47,925 2 7,0 30 8,19 5 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 1 99 6- 97 19 9 7 - 98 199 8 - 99 19 99 - 0 0 20 00- 0 1 2001 - 0 2 20 0 2 - 0 3 2 00 3- 0 4 2 00 4- 05 2 00 5- 06 2 00 6- 07 20 0 7 - 08 20 08 - 09 20 09 - 20 1 0 20 10 - 20 11 Number of Students HighSchoolsParticipating inNCEMPT 243 243 302 282 285 287 288 189 251 66 205 302 303 292 293 0 100 200 300 400 500 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 NumberofSchools *Notethattestingduring20082009occurredonlyduringthesecondhalfoftheschoolyear. Register now at http://www.ncempt.org for the 2010-2011 year. NC EMPT Participation S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-S Across ALL of North Carolina! Reasons why high school students and their parents like taking the NC EMPT test It is a reality check of the current readiness for college-level mathematics. It helps students understand what skills must be improved so the appropriate degree-counting math course(s) can be taken and passed in college. It provides eye-opening information about the actual math placement procedure and required math course(s) for the major and institution of their choice. Reasons why high school math teachers and administrators like NC EMPT It is excellent preparation for college-bound students. It is a non-threatening, up-to-date, “practice” math placement test with all materials provided FREE, easy administration, and immediate feedback. It offers current information about expectations and requirements in mathematics curriculum for fifty-eight community colleges and fifteen UNC institutions. EYE-OPENING information that benefits everyone! Note:NC EMPT results are quickly returned to students and teachers ONLY! Results will NOT be shared or compared! A Survey of 2010-2011 Participating Teachers found. . . 85% strongly agreed or agreed that the NC EMPT Program will accomplish its goal of helping to reduce the percentage of college freshmen that require mathematics remediation at the college level. 91% strongly agreed or agreed that their students were attentive and tested with a serious attitude. 92% strongly agreed or agreed that their students found their NC EMPT experience helpful and useful for future college plans. 98% strongly agreed or agreed that the NC EMPT Program accomplished its goal of providing participating high school students with a “reality check” of their readiness for college-level mathematics. 99% strongly agreed or agreed that test results to students and summary results to teachers were promptly returned. 100% strongly agreed or agreed that overall the NC EMPT Program provides a valuable service to high school students, parents, and teachers. WHO should take the valuable practice math placement test offered by NC EMPT? High school students enrolled in: Algebra II Integrated Math III Advanced Functions and Modeling Pre-Calculus Discrete Math Statistics and other upper-level mathematics courses. during 2010-2011. Did you know that the NC EMPT Web site has a wealth of information about mathematics placement testing at colleges and universities statewide?! CHECK IT OUT: www.ncempt.org Each pushpin in the state map above represents a participating high school during 2010-2011. Table of Contents I. From the Director………………………………………………………………… 1-2 II. From the Associate Director………………………………………………….. 3-4 III. Introduction to the NC EMPT Program……………………………….…. 5-18 IV. Summary of 2010-2011 Testing……………………………………………. 19-48 V. Trends in NC EMPT Data, 1996-2011……………………………………. 49-52 VI. Evaluation of the 2010-2011 Year……………………………………….… 53-60 VII. Appendix A – 2010-2011 Required Background Questions, Answer Key, and Parent/Guardian Brochure………………………….. 61-68 VIII. Appendix B – Promotion of NC EMPT Participation……………….. 69-74 IX. Appendix C – Top Ten Missed Questions, 2010-2011 Test Version……………………………………………………………………………….. 75-84 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing is making BIG waves! We welcome your high school aboard!! I. From the Director Dr. Robert Bernhardt, September 2011 This has been a challenging year for the NC EMPT program. On the one hand, we finally met the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements for our research project to track the progress of students in college mathematics who took the NC EMPT test in high school during the years 2001 – 2005. I plan to share a very rough draft of these initial results of the pilot report, which is limited to East Carolina University (ECU) students only, with the Advisory Committee at our annual meeting in late October 2011. On the other hand, we have been caught in the tides of assessment currently washing over the ECU campus as a preparation for another Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) visit in a few years. This means we needed to set measurable goals, and then see later if we were able to meet them. One goal was to conduct a follow-up study of the high school test takers after they graduate and go to college, which is the subject of the first paragraph. Another goal was to increase the numbers of high school students participating in the NC EMPT program. When we changed our test to the current version, we were only able to test for half a year, and our number of participants suffered thereby. So we are striving to get back to the numbers of participants we were serving before the interruption. Sounds simple and reasonable, doesn’t it? Ah, but there are professional assessors out there who scrutinize such goals, and find ways to further sharpen them. It turns out that the NC Department of Commerce divides the counties of North Carolina into Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The Tier 1 counties are the 40 most 1 economically distressed counties in the state. So we were encouraged to refine our goal to focus on increasing the high school student participation in Tier 1 counties by 5%. Certainly this is a desirable goal, so the NC EMPT office will send a specially written letter that targets the high schools in the Tier 1 counties, in addition to our regular mailings to all the high schools in the state. Rest assured that we will not decrease our efforts to serve all the high schools in all the counties of the state. We will just make an extra effort to reach high schools in Tier 1 counties. May SACS and the assessment gods smile upon us. 2 II. From the Associate Director Ellen Hilgoe, August 2011 ! We are a small group with BIG aspirations! With only two full-time employees, NC EMPT harnesses the power of many helpful, but part-time hands. From the four student workers that fill our workroom each semester for eight hours each per week; a webmaster and database consultant who squeeze my requests into their busy worlds; and invaluable help from East Carolina University’s Printing and Graphics, Mail Services, and Information Technology gurus, we somehow make it all work smoothly and provide a fantastic service to high school students, their parents, and teachers. Both East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina General Administration have been steadfast and generous in their support of the program for the last fifteen years, as have the hundreds of high school teachers across the state that renew their participation and spread the word about the program each year. I am grateful to every pair of those helping hands. (l to r, front row): ECU student workers Jaleesa Minor, Lauren Gerber, Kathryn Warren, and (back row) Director Robert Bernhardt, Associate Director Ellen Hilgoe, student worker Bob Longest, administrative support associate Debby Hodges, student workers Cayleigh Blackwell and Magen Smith at a Christmas 2010 office luncheon and cookie swap. Behind every good associate director is a good assistant! KUDOS to Debby Hodges for her dedication, hard work, and strong belief in the NC EMPT Program. 3 5 mathematics placement tests consist primarily of algebra questions. For a closer look at the North Carolina EMPT Program, please read the documents found in Appendix A. Historically, a variety of EMPT programs have been offered, or are currently being considered, in at least twenty-nine states across the nation since the 1980s. Unfortunately, many of these have ceased to exist due to several factors including competition from existing mandated testing and funding problems. Currently, strong programs exist in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Organization of the NC EMPT Program East Carolina University (ECU) operated a four-year pilot early math placement testing program from fall 1992 to spring 1996. Sixteen area high schools were involved, and ECU sponsored the pilot. As chair of the ECU Mathematics Department, Dr. Robert Bernhardt directed the program with the help of Dr. Sunday Ajose, and secretarial help was provided by the mathematics department staff. Funding for NC EMPT originated in the NC General Assembly in fall 1996 and was permanently transferred to ECU in spring 1997. A full-time program manager and office assistant were added to the staff. The program reached out to all public and non-pubic high schools statewide in 1997-1998. Participation numbers increased to a high of 47,925 high school students in 2005-2006. The NC EMPT state headquarters has been located at ECU since the program’s inception. NC EMPT has also been very fortunate to be overseen by a diverse and talented advisory board. Representatives from the UNC General Administration, UNC institutions, NC Community College System, NC community colleges, and the NC Department of Public Instruction are included. The members meet annually each October and correspond often via phone, e-mail, and postal mail throughout the year. The following list includes the members of the 2010-2011 Advisory Board: Appalachian State Univ. William Bauldry Dept. of Mathematical Sciences Dept. of Public Instruction Barbara Bissell Chief, K-12 Mathematics Educ. Division Dept. of Public Instruction Carmella Fair Secondary Mathematics Consultant Dept. of Public Instruction Johannah Maynor Secondary Mathematics Consultant East Carolina University Robert Bernhardt NC EMPT Director and Dept. of Mathematics East Carolina University Ellen Hilgoe NC EMPT Associate Director Elizabeth City State University Farrah Chandler Chair, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science Fayetteville State University Dwight House Interim Chair, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science NC A&T State University Guoqing Tang Interim Chair, Dept. of Mathematics NC Community College System Wanda White Director, Financial Aid & Student Success NC Community College System Elizabeth Spragins Program Coordinator 6 NC Central University Leon Hardy Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Sci. NC State University Harvey Charlton Dept. of Mathematics UNC Asheville Peter Kendrick Director, Mathematics Assistance Center UNC-Chapel Hill Joseph Plante Dept. of Mathematics UNC Charlotte Mohammad Kazemi Assoc. Chair, Dept. of Mathematics UNC Greensboro Paul Duvall Department of Mathematics & Statistics UNC General Administration Bruce Mallette Senior Associate Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs UNC Pembroke Steve Bourquin Chair, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science UNC Wilmington Kenneth Gurganus Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics Western Carolina University Nory Prochaska Director, Mathematics Tutoring Center, Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science Winston-Salem State Univ. John O. Adeyeye Chair, Dept. of Mathematics Outreach Efforts of the NC EMPT Program The following groups are contacted via e-mail, postal mail, and in presentations at workshops and conferences: North Carolina public and non-public high school mathematics department chairs, mathematics teachers, school counseling department chairs, and principals North Carolina public school system superintendents, directors of secondary instruction, and secondary math coordinators NC community college presidents, mathematics department chairs, and testing coordinators University of North Carolina General Administration; institution chancellors, mathematics department chairs, and directors of admissions North Carolina State Board of Education North Carolina Department of Public Instruction North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Center directors and Pre-College Program coordinators North Carolina New Schools Project, Early College High Schools STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) M(o)ore Math Matters, Moore County, NC East Carolina University High School Mathematics Contest National early mathematics placement testing programs and individuals interested in such programs in the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin Also see Appendix B: Promotion of the NC EMPT Program. 7 A variety of efforts and media are used throughout the school year to encourage high school teachers, counselors, and administrators to take advantage of the free services the NC EMPT Program has to offer. Along with several mailings throughout the school year, this postcard was disseminated in early October 2010: Helpful supplementary materials that can be used in the classroom by teachers to reinforce mathematics skills found on college mathematics placement tests are created yearly by the associate director. The materials are disseminated via postal and State courier mail, email, and are posted on the program’s website, www.ncempt.org, with free downloading available. These include a listing of the most recent “Top Ten Missed Questions” and the “Top Thirty Missed Question Puzzle.” Samples of the 2010-2011 versions can be found in Appendix C. As a token of appreciation to teachers for their time and energy, the associate director tries each year to provide a helpful gift for the classroom and includes this with each batch of testing results for each participating teacher. The 2010- 2011 gift was an 18” x 24” colorful wall poster that “targets” the many careers that require strong mathematics skills. Copies of this popular poster were also disseminated by the associate director at the many workshops attended and presentations made throughout the year. A sample of the classroom poster follows: Provide your students with the golden opportunity of taking a “practice” college math placement exam while still in high school. Steer students clear of costly remedial mathematics at the college level. NO strings attached. NO COST to students or high schools. NO sharing of test scores. Just purely GOOD advice about each student’s readiness for college-level mathematics! The NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing (NC EMPT) Program has not yet received a registration form from your high school! Don’t delay!! Our shelves are brimming with testing materials that can be shipped immediately. For more information and a place to register, visit www.ncempt.org or call 252-328-6418. NC EMPT is an early intervention and outreach program sponsored by the State of North Carolina. Take the Fright out of college math placement Testing!! 8 9 A Quick Look at NC EMPT Participation Numbers 1997-2011 Pilot - Spring 1997: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 80 Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 72 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 66 Total Number of Students Tested 8,195 1997-1998: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 376 Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 226 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 205 Total Number of Students Tested 27,456 1998-1999: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 357 Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 202 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 189 Total Number of Students Tested 27,030 1999-2000: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 637 Pretesting (with the 1998-1999 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 9 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 4 Total Number of Students Pretested 364 Placement Testing (with the new 1999-2000 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 273 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 251 Total Number of Students Tested 33,469 Grand Total of Students Tested in 1999-2000 33,833 2000-2001: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 658 Pretesting (with the 1999-2000 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 58 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 37 Total Number of Students Pretested 3,259 Placement Testing (with the new 2000-2001 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 307 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 280 Total Number of Students Tested 35,002 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 288 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2000-2001 38,261 11 2001-2002: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 650 Pretesting (with the 2000-2001 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 67 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 52 Total Number of Students Pretested 3,716 Placement Testing (with the new 2001-2002 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 299 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 279 Total Number of Students Tested 37,804 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 287 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2001-2002 41,520 2002-2003: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 648 (this includes 358 public and 290 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2001-2002 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 65 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 50 Total Number of Students Pretested 4,422 Placement Testing (with the new 2002-2003 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 311 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 278 Total Number of Students Tested 34,399 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 285 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2002-2003 38,821 2003-2004: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 643 (this includes 370 public and 273 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2002-2003 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 51 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 34 Total Number of Students Pretested 4,084 Placement Testing (with the new 2003-2004 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 266 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 232 Total Number of Students Tested 29,465 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 243 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2003-2004 33,549 12 2004-2005: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 629 (this includes 370 public and 259 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2003-2004 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 69 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 68 Total Number of Students Pretested 6,339 Placement Testing (with the new 2004-2005 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 308 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 244 Total Number of Students Tested 37,375 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping) 302 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2004-2005 43,714 2005-2006: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 626 (this includes 378 public and 248 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2004-2005 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 78 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 65 Total Number of Students Pretested 5,919 Placement Testing (with the new 2005-2006 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 318 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 285 Total Number of Students Tested 42,006 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 303 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2005-2006 47,925 2006-2007: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 752 (this includes 502 public and 250 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2005-2006 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 87 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 73 Total Number of Students Pretested 7,016 Placement Testing (with the new 2006-2007 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 310 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 274 Total Number of Students Tested 39,402 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 292 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2006-2007 46,418 13 2007-2008: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 780 (this includes 534 public and 246 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2006-2007 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 73 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 52 Total Number of Students Pretested 5,763 Placement Testing (with the new 2007-2008 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 330 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 280 Total Number of Students Tested 37,300 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 293 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2007-2008 43,063 2008-2009: (Note that testing in 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year.) Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 792 (this includes 542 public and 250 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2007-2008 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 33 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 20 Total Number of Students Pretested 1,794 Placement Testing (with the new 2008-2009 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 283 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 233 Total Number of Students Tested 21,682 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 243 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2008-2009 23,476 2009-2010: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 797 (this includes 548 public and 249 non-public schools) Pretesting (with the 2008-2009 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 61 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 45 Total Number of Students Pretested 4,119 Placement Testing (with the new 2009-2010 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 312 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 266 Total Number of Students Tested 33,315 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 281 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2009-2010 37,434 14 2010-2011: Total Number of NC High Schools Solicited 845 (602 public including 30 charter and 3 federal, and 243 non-public schools) Option #1: Pretesting (with the 2009-2010 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools that Signed-Up 92 Total Number of NC High Schools that Actually Tested 70 Total Number of Students Pretested 5,955 Option #2: Testing (with the new 2010-2011 version of the NC EMPT test): Total Number of NC High Schools That Signed-Up For Testing 317 Total Number of NC High Schools That Actually Tested 281 Total Number of Students Tested 33,014 Grand Total of Participating High Schools (nonoverlapping)* 302 Grand Total of Students Tested in 2010-2011 38,969 * A list of the 302 participating schools in 2010-2011 follows. 15 North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program Participating High Schools for 2010-2011 A C Reynolds Alamance Christian School Alexander Central Al-Iman School American Hebrew Academy Andrews Anson Antioch Christian Academy Apex Arendell Parrott Academy Ashe County Asheville Asheville School Athens Drive Ayden-Grifton Beaufort County Early College Bethel Christian Academy (Kinston) Bible Baptist Christian School Bishop McGuinness Catholic Brevard Bunker Hill Bunn Burns Caldwell Academy Cape Fear Academy Cape Fear Christian Academy Cape Hatteras Secondary Cardinal Gibbons Carver Cary Cary Christian School Cedar Ridge Central Academy @ Lake Park Central Academy of Technology and Arts Central Cabarrus Charlotte Catholic Charlotte United Christian Academy Cherokee Cherryville Christian Faith Center Academy Clyde A Erwin Coastal Christian School Columbia Community Baptist School Community Christian School Corinth-Holders Cornerstone Christian School Cox Mill Cramerton Christian Academy Crest Crossroads Christian School (Henderson) Currituck County Cuthbertson D H Conley David W Butler Davie County Dixon Dore Academy Douglas Byrd Dudley Durham School of the Arts E E Smith E T Beddingfield Early College of Forsyth County East Carteret East Davidson East Duplin East Forsyth East Gaston East Henderson East Mecklenburg East Surry East Wake Academy East Wake School of Arts Education & Global Studies East Wake School of Engineering Systems East Wake School of Integrated Technology East Wake School of Health Science Eastern Wayne Elkin Enka Epiphany School Eugene Ashley Faith Christian School (Ramseur) Falls Rd Baptist Church School Farmville Central Fayetteville Christian School Fike First Assembly Christian School (Concord) Flora MacDonald Academy Forsyth Country Day School Franklin Franklinton Fred T Foard Freedom Garinger School of Math and Science Garner Magnet Gaston Christian School Gates County Senior Goldsboro Grace Christian School (Sanford) Granville Central Granville Early College Greene Central Greenfield School Greensboro Day Grimsley Halifax Academy Harding University Harnett Central Harrells Christian Academy Havelock Hayworth Christian School Heide Trask Hendersonville Christian School Hertford County Hickory Ridge Hiwassee Dam Hobgood Academy Hoke County Holly Springs Hopewell Hunter Huss Hyde County Early College Independence (Charlotte) J F Webb J F Webb School of Health and Life Sciences Jack Britt James Hunt James Kenan Jay M Robinson Jesse C Carson Jimmy C Draughn 17 John T Hoggard Jones Senior Kings Mountain Kinston Knightdale Lake Norman Lakewood Lawrence Academy Lee Christian School Lee County Lee Early College Leesville Road Lejeune Lincoln Charter Lincoln University Upward Bound (Pennsylvania) Lincolnton Mallard Creek Manteo Marie G. Davis Military & Global Leadership Academy Mayland Early College McDowell Metrolina Christian Academy Middle Creek Millbrook Mooresville Mount Tabor Mountain Heritage Nantahala Nash Central Needham Broughton Neuse Christian Academy New Hanover Newton-Conover Noble Academy Norlina Christian School North Brunswick North Buncombe North Edgecombe North Henderson North Iredell North Lenoir North Lincoln North Mecklenburg North Moore North Pitt North Raleigh Christian Academy North Stokes Northampton – East Northeast Academy Northeast Guilford Northeastern Northern Northern Nash Northside Christian Academy Northside (Jacksonville) Northside (Pinetown) Northwest Cabarrus Northwest Guilford Northwest School of the Arts Oakwood School Ocracoke Olympic School of Biotech, Health, and Public Admin Olympic School of Math, Engineering, and Technology Orange Page Paisley IB Magnet Middle Pamlico County Partnership Academy Alternative Pasquotank County Pender Person Piedmont Pisgah Porter Ridge Princeton Providence Providence Grove PSRC Early College @ RCC Pungo Christian Academy Purnell Swett R B Glenn R J Reynolds Randolph Early College Reagan Red Springs Reid Ross Classical Richlands Richmond Senior Ridgecroft School Riverside (Williamston) Roanoke Rapids Robert L Patton Rocky Mount Rocky Mount Academy Rocky Mount Preparatory School Rocky River Roxboro Christian Academy Rutherford Early College Saint Stephens Salem Academy Sampson Early College Sanderson School of Inquiry and Life Sciences @ Asheville Scotland High of Leadership and Public Service Sheets Memorial Christian School South Brunswick South Caldwell South Central South Creek South Granville School of Integ Technology and Leadership South Granville School of Health and Life Sciences South Point Southeast Raleigh Magnet Southern Alamance Southern Guilford Southern Nash Southern Vance Southern Wayne Southlake Christian Academy Southside Southwestern Randolph Spring Creek Starmount Swansboro T C Roberson Tabernacle Christian School (Hickory) Tri-County Christian School Trinity Trinity Prep School Tuscola Union Academy Union Pines Vandalia Christian School Victory Christian Center School Village Christian Academy Wake Forest/Rolesville Wakefield Walter M Williams Warren County Warren Early College Washington Watauga Wayne Early/Middle College Weddington Wesleyan Christian Academy West Brunswick West Caldwell West Carteret West Charlotte West Columbus West Craven West Davidson West Forsyth West Johnston West Mecklenburg West Montgomery West Stanly West Stokes Westchester Country Day School Western Alamance Western Guilford Western Harnett Wheatmore White Oak Wilkes Central Wilson Christian Academy Winston-Salem Prep Academy Woodland Baptist Christian School Woodlawn School Zebulon B Vance August 3, 2011 Everyone benefits: high school students, teachers, administrators, and parents: Visit us at: www.ncempt.org for a wealth of information about college mathematics placement testing! 18 IV. Summary of 2010-2011 Testing Two versions of the NC EMPT test were administered during the year. For those schools interested in pretesting early in a new term for diagnostic and motivational purposes, the previous 2009-2010 version was used (pretesting data for Option #1 can be found on page 15). Option #2, used by the vast majority of schools, involves administering the new 2010-2011 version of the NC EMPT test later in the term. High schools have the choice to participate in Option #1 or Option #2, or both. Teachers administered the traditional paper-and-pencil test. Interesting data is given below: Participants Using the 2010-2011 Version of the NC EMPT Test (Option #2): Time Period Number of Students Fall 2010 11,723 Spring 2011 21,291 Total for Year 33,014 NC EMPT Levels Student opscan forms were graded at the NC EMPT office at East Carolina University. Feedback was returned to the school’s contact person immediately, within 2-5 days after receipt of the opscans. The average turnaround time during 2010-2011 for the return of Option #1 and Option #2 test results to 38,969 students was 1.1 days, our best in fifteen years! The resulting scores were classified into one of four EMPT levels. Beginning in 1999-2000, the numeration of these levels was aligned with the achievement levels designed by the North Carolina State Board of Education in the ABCs accountability plan. Level 1 is the lowest level and Level 4 is the highest: High School Participation in Testing Options #1 or #2, 2010-2011 Option #1 Option #2 21 51 230 High School Participation in Option #2 2010-2011 Fall 2010 Spring 2011 42 91 148 19 EMPT Level Number of Correct Answers 1 0-11 2 12-16 3 17-24 4 25-32 These scores were then used to advise each student in a personalized letter. Each letter contained a test score, the test score converted to a percent, a corresponding EMPT level, a listing of the mathematical objective for each test question, a listing of each answer given by the student, a listing of each correct answer, and an interpretation of each student’s readiness to take college-level mathematics courses. The suggested levels were interpreted as: Level 1: A Level 1 score indicates the student is not ready for college-level math courses and must take remedial mathematics. Level 2: A Level 2 score indicates the student must take remedial mathematics in some choices of majors. Level 3: A Level 3 score indicates the student is ready for a beginning-level college mathematics course. However, a Level 3 score may be considered borderline at some universities for students planning to major in math, science, or engineering. Level 4: A Level 4 score indicates a solid high school preparation for college-level mathematics. Some universities may allow a student scoring at Level 4 on their math placement test to skip the first college math course, depending on that student’s choice of major. Each student’s results letter also included valuable advice about the beginning required mathematics courses for their chosen major and the actual mathematics placement procedure at the NC community college or UNC institution of their choice. In addition, helpful Web site addresses were provided for the mathematics department and math course descriptions for the college or university of choice. Samples of student results letters at two different levels follow. The contact person of each participating high school also received a summary, in various formats, of the test results of all students who participated at the school. Individual teachers received helpful results by class and period. Each teacher was provided with a copy of a brochure titled “Mathematics Placement Procedures at NC Community Colleges and UNC Constituent Institutions, 2010- 2011,” a handy reference tool for their college-bound students. The brochure is updated each year by the associate director upon the advice of the NC EMPT Advisory Board members who represent the fifteen UNC campuses and fifty-eight NC community colleges. A sample of this brochure follows as well. 20 21 22 23 24 UNC Wilmington All entering freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington take a mathematics placement test during Orientation. The test results, along with the student’s intended major, will be used to determine the most appropriate Precalculus, Calculus, or General Education mathematics course for the student. The student’s advisor will help in this selection. The UNCW mathematics placement test covers Algebra I, Algebra II, Advanced Math and some Trigonometry. Students take the test on a computer (no computer skills are necessary!); it is multiple-choice Winston-Salem State University MATH CUT-OFF SCORES AND COURSE PLACEMENT Placement Test Taken . SCORE Course Placement Elementary Algebra............................... 0 - 41 ............................... MAT 1306 (Basic Algebra) Elementary Algebra............................... 42 - ............................... MAT 1311 (College Algebra), or . MAT 1323 (Fundamentals of Mathematics) College Level Math................................ 10 - 59 ............................... MAT 1311 (College Algebra) College Level Math................................ 60 - 75 ............................... MAT 1312 (Precalculus I) College Level Math................................ 76 - 85 ............................... MAT 1312H (Honors version) College Level Math................................ 86 - 103 ............................... MAT 1313 (Precalculus II) College Level Math................................ 104 - ............................... MAT 2317 (Calculus I) UNC Charlotte Most entering freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte take a mathematics placement exam during the SOAR (Student Orientation and Registration) program prior to their first semester of courses. The 2011-2012 Mathematics Placement Test at UNC Charlotte is non-calculator based and consists of 25 questions on algebra. A score of 0 – 11 mandates a student to enroll in MATH 0900, a Basic Mathematics Skills course offered by a local community college on the UNC Charlotte campus. The student will receive 1 hour college credit for this course. A score of 12-17 means that the student may register to take MATH 1100 (College Algebra) or MATH 1103 (Precalculus), depending upon the major. A score of 18 or higher means that the student may register for MATH 1120 (Single Variable Calculus) or MATH 1241 (Differential and Integral Calculus I). It is very important that students be prepared and not let their mathematical skills deteriorate prior to the date of the placement test. Students are well advised to take their mathematics courses as soon as they enroll in college, before they lose the skills that they have gained in high school. Students who are applying for AP Mathematics (Calculus or Statistics) credit need not take the placement exam. For more information about the UNCC Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.math.uncc.edu For UNCC math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.uncc.edu/undergraduate-catalogs/current/course-description/MATH UNC Greensboro All entering students at UNCG may enroll in MAT 112 (Contemporary Topics in Mathematics), MAT 115 (College Algebra), MAT 150 (Precalculus I), or STA 108 (Elementary Intro. to Probability and Statistics). These courses do not have prerequisites and hence no student is required to take the Mathematics Placement Test in order to enroll into one of them. Science or Business majors with very stong background in precalculus or calculus should consult (at least two months prior to the beginning of a semester via e-mail address: matplace@uncg.edu) with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in order to discuss the possibility of taking the Mathematics Placement Test. The Mathematics Placement Test is an hour long, 20-question, non-calculator based test administered on-line (at any time and at any location). Eligibility of being placed in a more advanced course depends on the performance on this test. Additional information can be found at http://www.uncg.edu/mat/undergraduate/mathplacetest.html. For more information about the UNCG Mathematics and Statistics Department, visit: http://www.uncg.edu/mat/index.html For UNCG math course descriptions, visit: www.uncg.edu/mat/mat/matcour.html Western Carolina University First semester freshmen students at WCU are generally not registered for a mathematics course unless they are planning to major in Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Electrical Engineering or Engineering Technologies. Students in other majors will generally be pre-registered for a mathematics course for their second semester. Initial mathematics placement is determined by interview with an academic advisor and with the Director of Mathematics Placement, as needed. In case of questions about placement, a skills assessment is used to confirm placement. Students are encouraged to take the highest mathematics course for which they are qualified, based on high school courses taken, SAT score, attitude and aptitude, and skills assessment if needed. The skills assessment is available on demand and usually administered during early registration. Transfer students may take the skills assessment by arrangement with the Director of Mathematics Placement. The skills assessment does not generate course credit for course requirements that are waived as a result of placement. A scientific or graphics calculator is recommended for taking the assessment and for most mathematics courses. Students who have transferable credit for college-equivalent courses can be placed into courses for which they satisfy prerequisites. Any student may take the liberal studies math course, MATH 101. There is no placement requirement for this course, but it does not satisfy the prerequisite for College Algebra or any other algebra-based course. For more information about the WCU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.wcu.edu/8462.asp For WCU math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.wcu.edu (Select "Course Information" in the left column, choose the prefix "MATH," and then click on "Filter.") Winston-Salem State University The majority of entering freshmen at Winston-Salem State University take a mathematics placement exam during their orientation session prior to their first semester of college courses. The placement test given for mathematics is the ACCUPLACER Computerized Placement Test. The students are given the Elementary Algebra and the College Level Mathematics parts of this placement test, both of which are calculator based. For more information about the WSSU Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.wssu.edu/college-arts-science/ For WSSU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.wssu.edu/college-arts-science/departments/mathematics/mathematics-course-descriptions. aspx NORETHM CARPOLITNA For more information, contact: Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT Associate Director 2310 Old Cafeteria Complex, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353 Phone: 252-328-6418 • Fax: 252-328-2166 • E-mail: ncempt@ncempt.org 4,200 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $577.80, or $.1375 per copy. ASC-006215 (rev. 10/11) Printed on recycled paper. inequalities • function • a bsolute value (x,y) f(x) | x | bo 2_x_ 3 log d _ n_ n+2 y <2 b4 √–c (x,y) f(x) | x | y <2 n __ n+2 2x__ 3 f(x) b4 bo log d √–c rational expressions • graphing lines and curves quadratic equations • parabolic functions • factoring *An early intervention and outreach program of the State of North Carolina. A North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing* Program . . . a comprehensive listing of placement procedures and preparation suggestions for students preparing for college entrance testing UNC Pembroke Freshmen entering the University of North Carolina at Pembroke take a departmental-developed mathematics placement test during their orientation session prior to their fall semester of classes. The 2011-2012 mathematics placement test at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a revised, calculator optional, 42-question test of two batteries. A score of less than 8 on battery one requires the student to enroll in Math 104, a remedial mathematics course. Subsequent scores offer recommendations for enrollment rather than requirements, but statistical data supports our recommendations for placement. A score range of 8 to 11 on battery one will place students into Math 105 – Math 107 (low), which means the student has the option of taking either Math 105 (Introduction to College Mathematics) or Math 107 (College Algebra). We recommend Math 105. A score range of 12 to 15 on battery one will place students into Math 105 – Math 107 (high), which means the student has the option of taking either Math 105 or Math 107. We recommend Math 107. A score range of 0 to 3 on battery two will place students into Math 108 (Plane Trigonometry). A score range of 4 to 7 on battery two will place students into Math 109 (College Algebra and Trig). A score of over 8 on battery two will place students into Math 221 (Calculus I). Math 105, 107, 108, 109 and Math 221 satisfy general education mathematics requirements. A student cannot receive credit for any mathematics course based on his placement score. Advanced Placement Testing is available through the University of North Carolina or North Carolina Testing Services. For more information about the UNCP Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.uncp.edu/mathcs/ For UNCP math course descriptions, visit: http://www.uncp.edu/catalog/pdf/math_cs.pdf (See pages 4-8 of the document.) continued . . . and untimed; a non-graphing calculator is available on each computer. For more detailed placement information, see the web site: http://www.uncw.edu/math. Most mathematics courses require minimum placement results before a freshman, without appropriate advanced placement or college transfer credit, can enroll in the course. Progress toward satisfying requirements for a major can be delayed if a student’s mathematics skills are not brought up to the college level in a timely manner. It is important that students take a mathematics course during their senior year in high school so that skills do not become rusty! For more information about the UNCW Department of Mathematics and Statistics, visit: http://www.uncw.edu/math For UNCW math course descriptions, visit: http://catalogue.uncw.edu/. (Scroll down on the left and in box labeled "Search Catalogue" type in "math course descriptions.") UNC Wilmington, continued 2011-2012 UNC Chapel Hill Most entering students are required to have results from the SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level 2* prior to placement in a math course at UNC-CH. This calculator based exam is NOT given on campus and should be taken as soon after a prospective student’s precalculus course as possible, and certainly before arriving at UNC-CH. A score greater than or equal to 520 is necessary to exempt the student from Math 110 (College Algebra). Math 110 counts as elective hours towards graduation, but does not fulfill the mathematics requirement. Scores ranging from 520 through 590 allow the student to enroll in a number of mathematical science courses, including Math 117 (Finite Mathematics), 118 (Selected Topics in Mathematics), 152 (Calculus for Business and Social Sciences), 130 (Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry), Stor 151 (Statistics/Data Analysis), Comp 110 (Introduction to Programming), and a few others, all of which satisfy the general education requirement. A score of 600 or greater is needed to place into Math 231 (Calculus I). For more information about the UNC-CH Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.math.unc.edu/ For UNC-CH math course descriptions, visit: http://www.math.unc.edu/for-undergrads/course-descriptions.html * For those students who have never had trigonometry, the SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level I is acceptable; however, the student cannot place into Math 231 with this version of the SAT. Appalachian State University Entering students' SAT MAT score will be used for placement into college level mathematics at ASU. A student wishing to place into a calculus course takes the online "Calculus Readiness Test" before coming to orientation. A student not placing into college level mathematics must successfully complete MAT 0010, a 5-day-a-week course that does not count towards graduation. Not placing into college level mathematics delays a student since MAT 0010 must be successfully completed before a student can take any course with a ND designator. For example, a student must place into college level mathematics or successfully complete MAT 0010 to take introductory courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, General Science, Geology, Mathematics, Physics/Astronomy, and other departments. Transfer students without SAT scores will be required to take an online placement test. Keeping your math skills current is critical. For more information about the ASU Department of Mathematical Sciences, visit: http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu For ASU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.registrar.appstate.edu/catalogs/11_12_undergrad/11_artsandsciences.pdf. (See pages 108-115 of the document.) North Carolina Community Colleges The majority of students entering a community college in North Carolina take a mathematics placement exam during their summer orientation session or just prior to their first semester of college courses. There are three different types of math placement tests given across the state. Each college establishes their own using statewide criteria for placement into the first college-level math courses. That is, cut-off scores for math placement are standardized across the community college system. These scores are also transferable among the fifty-eight community colleges. The NC EMPT practice placement test includes topics from Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Community college math placement exams will also ask students to demonstrate proficiency in arithmetic skills, such as fractions, decimals, and percents. It is important that students brush up on these skills. Students may contact the Mathematics Department of their chosen community college for information about additional math courses that may further prepare them for college. Elizabeth City State University ECSU uses Accuplacer, a computer adaptive test, to determine appropriate placement of students into mathematics courses. The placement test is administered to new freshmen and transfer students during the summer orientation sessions and at other designated periods throughout the academic year. Students with SAT (Math) scores greater than or equal to 500 are exempt from testing. The test items include topics involving arithmetic computations, algebra, precalculus and trigonometry. A score below 70 requires students to enroll in a developmental mathematics course, GE 109 (Introduction to College Mathematics), to further develop their mathematical abilities. Students scoring 70 or more may enroll in GE 115 (College Algebra). Students scoring 85 or more may enroll in GE 118 (Pre-Calculus). The calculator-based test contains multiple-choice questions that are untimed. High school students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a mathematics course during their senior year to provide a “smooth” transition into college level mathematics. For more information about the ECSU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.ecsu.edu/mcs For ECSU math courses descriptions, visit: http://www.ecsu.edu/undergrad_catalog/ (See pages 352-355 of this document.) Fayetteville State University Prior to enrollment in a math class, first-time freshmen and certain transfer students at Fayetteville State University (FSU) take a computer adaptive mathematics profile exam during their orientation session. University College makes every effort to place students in courses that correspond to their level of academic preparation. Advisors use high school Grade Point Average (HS GPA), SAT scores, and scores on the Profile placement examination (administered during First Steps) as criteria. NC Central University Undergraduates admitted to North Carolina Central University take non-calculator based mathematics placement tests before registering for classes (unless they are transferring in appropriate credits). Students with a 480 or higher on the SAT-Math section or a 20 or higher on the ACT are exempt from placement testing. Students with less than 480 on the SAT-Math section or less than 20 on the ACT take an Accuplacer assessment (untimed) on elementary algebra and on intermediate algebra. Placement is then made to Introductory College Algebra or to College Algebra. Placement testing is available at the beginning of each semester, during the Early Orientation Programs, and by appointment. To prepare for the mathematics placement tests, you should review materials and work problems relating to the following topics: arithmetic calculations and algebraic operations; algebraic expressions involving polynomials; exponents and logarithms; graphs of functions; linear and quadratic equations; systems of equations; and NC State University Entering freshmen at NC State are strongly encouraged to have taken the calculator based SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level 2 placement test before their summer orientation session prior to their first fall semester. A score of less than 430 on this test requires that the student enroll in MA 101 (Intermediate Algebra)*, which does not count towards any degree. A score of 550 or better allows the student to enroll in MA 141 (Calculus I), which is the first course of the three-semester calculus sequence. In addition, upon admission and prior to registration each entering freshman must take the NC State University online skills test. Students who have not taken the SAT Subject Test must use their online skills test score. The SAT Subject Test is preferred. Between one-fourth and one-third of the students entering NCSU have taken the AP Calculus AB exam or the AP Calculus BC exam and have received placement based on their scores. For more information about placement opportunities, visit http://www.math.ncsu.edu/undergrad/whichclass. php, and then click "Placement Information." For prerequisites for all courses, see http://www2.acs. ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/MA.html. For more information about the NCSU Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.math.ncsu.edu For NCSU math course descriptions, visit: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/dir_MA.html (Then click on the math course number for description.) *MA 101 can only be taken at NCSU during the second summer session. MAT 161 is an equivalent course offered at NC Community Colleges. NC A&T State University Starting the fall semester of 2011, all incoming freshmen or transfer students will be initially placed into an appropriate Math course based on their highest SAT or ACT Math, or SAT Subject Test – Math Level II scores. A student with an SAT Math score of less than 440, or SAT Subject Math Level II score of less than 430, or ACT Math Score of less than 16 will be placed on MATH 099-Intermediate Mathematics, a remedial mathematics course offered by the Center for Academic Excellence. An SAT Math score between 440 and 480, or SAT Subject Math Level II score between 430 and 460, or ACT Math score between 16 and 18 allows the student to enroll in MATH 101-Fundamental Algebra and Trigonometry I (for non-STEM majors) or MATH 103-Collge Algebra and Trigonometry for Scientists and Engineers (for STEM majors) offered by the Mathematics Department. An SAT Math score between 490 and 540, or SAT Subject Math Level II score between 470 and 530, or ACT Math score between 19 and 21 requires that the student enroll in MATH 110-Precalculus for Engineering Sciences, or MATH 111-College Algebra and Trigonometry, both of which are offered by the Mathematics Department. An SAT Math score of 550 or higher, or SAT Subject Math Level II score of 540 or higher, or ACT Math score of 22 or higher allows the student to enroll in MATH 131-Calculus I also offered by the Mathematics Department. If a student is not satified with his/her initial math course placement, s/he can take the Mathematics Department developed Algebra (for placement of MATH 099, 101, 103, and 111) or Precalculus (for placement of MATH 110 and 131) placement tests. The Algebra placement test contains 35 multiple choice questions, while the Precalculus placement test contains 30 multiple choice quesitons. The test time for both tests is limited to 50 minutes, and no calculator is allowed in either test. A score of less than 15 in the Math Dept. Algebra placement test requires that the student enroll in MATH 099. A score between 15 and 19 in the Math Dept. Algebra placement test allows the student to enroll in MATH 101 if the student is a non-STEM major or MATH 103 if the student is a STEM major. A score of 20 or higher in the Math Dept. Algebra placement test will place the student in MATH 111. A score beteen 13 and 16 in the Math Dept. Precalculus placement test requires that the student enroll in MATH 110. A score of 17 or higher allows the student to enroll in MATH 131. For more information about the NC A&T Department of Mathematics, visit: http://www.ncat.edu/~math. For NC A&T math course descriptions, visit: http://www.ncat.edu/~acdaffrs/Bulletin_2010_2012/departmentofmathematics.htm (Scroll down to particular courses.) UNC Asheville Each incoming UNC-Asheville student is asked to visit the Math Placement website before his/her summer registration appointment. This can be done at home or on campus by visiting the Math Department Website: http://www. math.unca.edu/. Click For Students in the blue menu on the right and then select Math Placement in the drop down menu. The website gives the answers to important questions regarding course requirements. It customizes the information needed for students to make the best course selection for their individual plans by asking students about their intended major and math background. We expect that the majority of new students will be able to click their way through the website to determine which math course to take, without ever needing to take a math placement test. However, there are some individual circumstances where a placement test is crucial. Consequently, a 20-question, multiple-choice, calculator-based exam is built into the site. The website suppliest all of the placement information directly to the students to help them make the most informed math course decision possible. Obviously, it is in each student’s best interest to do the website test without help from anyone else. Calculus course sections will administer pretests at the start of the semester to check that these students are enrolled in the most appropriate course. For more information about the UNCA Department of Mathematics, visit: http://math.unca.edu/ For UNCA math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog/unca.edu/ and click on Academic Departments and Programs, then Mathematics and Statistics. East Carolina University Many entering freshmen at East Carolina University take a mathematics placement exam prior to their first college courses. The 2011-2012 mathematics placement test at ECU is a 32-question algebra test, which is calculator optional. A four-function calculator may be used and should be brought by the student to orientation for use on the ECU math placement exam. A score of 13 or less on this test requires the student to enroll in a remedial math course. A score of 14 or more allows a student to enroll in MATH 1065 (College Algebra), 1066 (Applied Mathematics for Decision Making), 1067 (Algebraic Concepts and Relationships), or 2127 (Basic Concepts of Mathematics I), all of which count toward the general education mathematics requirement. Placement into freshman mathematics courses can also be based on SAT mathematics scores. For example, no placement test is required if a student’s SAT I math score is 540 or above, OR if the SAT Subject Test – Mathematics Level 2 score is 400 or above, OR if the ACT math score is 20 or above. It is very important that students take a mathematics course during their senior year of high school so that skills are retained. For more information about the ECU Mathematics Department, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/math/ For ECU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/acadprograms/upload/ugcat1112.pdf. (See pages 469-474 of the document.) For ECU math placement test review questions, visit: http://www.ecu.edu/math/ (In left column, click on "Math Placement Test." Then click on "Review Test.") FSU MATH PLACEMENT CRITERIA AND COURSE PLACEMENT Placement Criteria Course Placement SAT-Math (SATM) Score >= 600 and MATH 142 – Calculus and Analytical Geometry I College-Level Math Score >= 100 Primarily for math, computer science and science majors _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SATM Score >= 600 or MATH 131 – Algebra and Trigonometry College-Level Math Score >= 80-99 Primarily for math, computer science and science majors _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SATM Score = 500-599 or MATH 129 – Precalculus Mathematics I Algebra Profile Score >= 71 For math, computer science, biology, and chemistry majors. MATH 129 and MATH 130 together are equivalent to MATH 131 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SATM Score = 500-599 or MATH 123 – College Algebra Algebra Profile Score >= 71 Math, computer science, biology, and chemistry majors will not be placed in this course. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SATM Score < 500 and MATH 121 – Introduction to College Algebra Algebra Profile Score < 71 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For more information about the FSU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.uncfsu.edu/macsc/ For FSU math course descriptions, visit: http://catalog.uncfsu.edu/ug/courses.htm (Scroll down to courses beginning with MATH.) NC Central University, continued continued . . . computation of areas, perimeters, surface areas and volume. It is desirable that students take a mathematics course in their senior year in high school. Requirements for a college major may be delayed if mathematics skills are below the expected level. For more information about the NCCU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, visit: http://www.nccu.edu/academics/ sc/scienceandtechnology/mathcompsci/ For NCCU math course descriptions, visit: http://www.nccu.edu/formsdocs/proxy.cfm?file_id=307 (See pages 361-363.) Graphics Describing Testing Results from the 2010-2011 Version of the NC EMPT Test A special thanks is given to David Hodges, our database consultant, for his time, effort, and wisdom in creating these graphs. High School Demographics: Public High School Participation in NC EMPT 2010-2011 Total Number of NC Public High Schools = 602* 61% 39% (369) Schools Non-participating (233) Schools Participating *The total of 602 public high schools includes 569 public schools, three federal schools, and thirty charter schools. Non-Public High School Participation in NC EMPT 2010-2011 Total Number of NC Non-Public High Schools = 243 72% 28% (69) Schools Participating (174) Schools Non- Participating 27 Student Demographics: Sex of Participating Students 2010-2011 Not Given 0.5% (157) Male 46% (15,238) Female 53% (17,642) Grade Level of Participating Students 2010-2011 Not Given 2% (533) Freshman 3% (902) Sophomore 16% (5,354) Junior 37% (12,081) Senior 43% (14,167) 28 29 2010-2011 Placement Test Results: NC EMPT Placement Levels - All Students 2010-2011 Level 4 16% (5,292) Level 3 38% (12,627) Level 2 26% (8,445) Level 1 20% (6,673) Level 4 (highest) scored 25-32 Level 3 scored 17-24 Level 2 scored 12-16 Level 1 scored 0-11 Type of Calculator Used 2010-2011 None 15% (4,807) Four-function calculator 7% (2,382) Scientific calculator 26% (8,714) Graphing Calculator 46% (15,049) 30 31 3% 0.40% 3% 2% 0.01% 0.01% 0.29% 6% 1% 0.01% 13% 1% 9% 2% 0.15% 0.08% 1% 9% 4% 0.05% 10% 1% 7% 0.40% 0.14% 0.06% 0.49% 3% 3% 0.09% 8% 1% 7% 0.13% 0.12% 0.08% 1% 2% 2% 0.3% 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 Advanced Functions and Modeling Advanced Math, or Algebra III, or Advanced Algebra or Trigonometry Algebra II or Integrated Math 3 Calculus I am not currently enrolled in a math course Integrated Math 4 Other Pre-Calculus Probability, or Statistics, or Discrete Math Technical Math II Number of Students Placement Level by Current Math Course 2010-2011 Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 32 NC EMPT Score Frequency 2010-2011 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Score Number of Students Frequency 2010-2011 Item Analysis 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Question # Percent Correct 33 NC EMPT 2010-2011 All Schools Question Objective # Correct % Correct 11 evaluate using laws of exponents 28025 78% 18 evaluate function 27696 75% 22 evaluate expression 27314 73% 1 arrange fractions in order by size 27178 73% 6 find zero of linear function 26567 71% 21 solve word problem: percent 26810 71% 2 solve linear equation 26355 69% 7 model linear function 26425 69% 24 find equation of linear function 25507 66% 27 solve quadratic equation 25228 64% 19 solve word problem: coordinate grid 25315 63% 32 solve word problem: linear function 24665 61% 14 identify measure of central tendency 24484 61% 10 apply midpoint formula 24371 60% 25 solve system of two linear equations 23586 56% 15 find quadratic function given zeros 23107 55% 5 find volume of box 23313 54% 3 solve exponential equation 23127 54% 4 solve word problem: circumference 23313 54% 20 simplify using distributive property 23275 54% 31 apply distance formula 23090 53% 8 solve formula for variable 22816 51% 9 apply Pythagorean Theorem 21965 48% 16 solve word problem: ratio and percent 21573 46% 12 compare numbers 14222 45% 23 solve word problem: right triangle trig 21296 44% 30 find angle measure in acute triangle 21002 43% 13 simplify complex fraction 20816 43% 28 subtract rational expressions 20442 40% 17 recognize function given data 15979 40% 26 multiply numbers in scientific notation 19078 34% 29 find equation of line 17721 29% Item Analysis by Decreasing %, 2010-2011 34 1 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Results, 2010-2011 Test Version Total Students Tested: 33,014 Placement Levels (#1 lowest- #4 highest) (paper and pencil test) Level 1: 20% Level 3: 38% Mean Score: 17 out of 32, or 53% Level 2: 26% Level 4: 16% This test is calculator optional. Calculator usage policy on the actual math placement test for each UNC institution and NC community colleges is shared with high school math teachers prior to testing. For this test version: 46% used a graphing calculator, 26% a scientific calculator, 15% no calculator, and 7% a four-function calculator. Correct answers are circled below. The percent of students choosing each answer is found in an italicized font below each answer. Directions: Select the one best answer to each question. Place each answer on your bubble sheet. 1. Arrange these in order from smallest to largest: 5 3 2 , , 8 4 3 A. 2 3 5 , , 3 4 8 B. 3 2 5 , , 4 3 8 C. 2 5 3 , , 3 8 4 D. 5 3 2 , , 8 4 3 E. 5 2 3 , , 8 3 4 4.95% 7.60% 4.47% 9.82% 73.12% 2. Find the solution of the equation 5 a 3 4a 5 2a 4 . A. 16 11 a B. 14 11 a C. 6 11 a D. 2 11 a E. 24 11 a 7.76% 69.20% 15.10% 4.50% 1.89% 3. Find the solution of the equation 2.3 5x 2.33 2.3 17 A. 4 B. 1.7 C. 14 5 D. 4 E. 2.34 6.98% 9.56% 15.00% 54.22% 9.50% 4. A tire has a circumference of 36 inches. Approximately how many revolutions does the tire make when the tire rolls 1 mile (5,280 ft.)? A. 147 B. 440 C. 1,760 D. 1,760 E. 15,840 28.29% 6.00% 53.86% 5.52% 4.18% 35 2 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011 5. If a rectangular box has sides of length x, x 1, and x 2 (where x 1) , then the volume of the box can be represented by which of the following expressions? A. x3 2x B. x3 x2 2x C. x2 x 2 6.41% 54.49% 13.75% D. x3 2 E. x3 x2 2x 11.60% 9.99% 6. The function ( ) 2 5 3 f x x has a zero when x has what value? A. 5 B. 0 C. 10 3 D. 15 2 E. none of these 8.31% 5.93% 4.07% 70.61% 10.01% 7. In order to make extra money, Nancy decided to make greeting cards in her home. She bought decorations and blank card stock for $300. She estimates that it costs her $1.75 to make each card. Customers are charged $4.50 per card. Which of the profit models below must Nancy use to calculate her profit P for making n greeting cards? A. P 4.5n 1.75n 300 B. P 2.75n 300 C. P 4.5n 1.75n 300 68.80% 5.36% 12.34% D. P 1.75n 300 E. P 4.5n 300 2.91% 9.35% 8. Solve the equation dx ey f for y (where d 0, e 0 ). A. y f e dx B. y dx f e C. y f dx e 5.23% 10.83% 24.29% D. y dx f e E. y dx f e 5.72% 51.19% 9. How long is the hypotenuse of a right isosceles triangle whose leg measures 7x units (where x 0) ? A. 7x B. 7x 2 C. 14x 2 4.65% 47.55% 18.45% D. 14x E. 7 2 2 x 16.63% 8.95% 7x 36 3 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011 10. If the coordinates of one endpoint of a line segment are 2,4 and the midpoint of the segment is (2,1) , what are the coordinates of the other endpoint of the segment? A. ( 2,4) B. (7, 2) C. (6, 3) D. ( 3, 2) E. (6, 2) 6.20% 5.91% 18.10% 7.09% 59.57% 11. The expression 25 26 + 2 2 2 has a value best represented by which number below? A. 0 B. 1 4 C. 1 D. 4 E. 1,024 2.77% 10.35% 77.56% 6.93% 1.05% 12. How many of the following five statements are TRUE? 2 5 3 9 3.14159 2 1% 0.225 4 14 13 3 0.38 8 A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 E. 4 1.21% 11.22% 45.37% 33.98% 7.49% 13. The number 2 5 3 1 8.5 2 is equivalent to A. 10.3 B. 13 24 C. 0.5417 D. 1.3382 E. 91 68 8.66% 42.56% 41.09% 3.73% 1.54% 14. A basketball team scored the following points during the first five games: 50,65,40,40,60 . During the sixth game they scored 110 points. Which of the following will change the most as a result of the score in the sixth game? A. the range B. the mean C. the mode 60.80% 25.56% 4.66% D. the median E. none of these 5.43% 2.37% 37 4 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011 15. If the zeros of a quadratic function are 2 and 3 , one possible quadratic function having these zeros is A. f (x) x2 x 6 B. f (x) x2 x 6 C. f (x) x 2 x 3 54.54% 14.95% 17.58% D. f (x) x3 x2 6x E. f (x) 2x2 2x 12 5.81% 4.07% 16. Professor Ed bought a set of books from Red Bank Publishing for $250 and was charged another $20 for “shipping and handling.” What is the rate Red Bank Publishing charges for “shipping and handling”? A. 0.08% B. 1.25% C. 7.5% D. 8% E. 12.5% 18.00% 7.03% 5.54% 46.15% 21.46% 17. What kind of function would best model the data below, where x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable? x 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 y 13.5 4 0.5 0 0.5 4 13.5 32 A. linear B. quadratic C. cubic D. rational E. absolute value 39.80% 24.98% 20.59% 5.85% 5.58% 18. If g(x) 1 x x 2 , then g( 2) is A. 0.5 B. 3 C. 2x 2x 4 D. 2(1 x x 2) E. 5 3.28% 74.97% 8.03% 6.09% 5.10% 19. A hiking team begins at camp and hikes 5 miles north, then 8 miles west, then 6 miles south, and then 9 miles east. In what direction must they now travel in order to return to camp? A. Northwest B. Northeast C. North D. West E. They already are at camp. 63.43% 10.53% 6.43% 6.08% 11.97% 20. The expression x 3(2x 1) 1 is equivalent to which expression listed below? A. 5x B. 5x 4 C. 5x 2 D. 5x 4 E. 5x 2 3.68% 53.51% 16.27% 13.50% 9.84% 38 39 40 7 NC Early Mathematics Placement Testing 2010-2011 31. If you travel a given distance and know your average speed throughout the trip, you can calculate the time it took to complete the trip with which calculation below? A. distance speed B. speed distance C. speed distance 15.85% 10.70% 3.77% D. distance speed E. There is not enough information to find the answer. 52.94% 9.41% 32. As a thunderstorm approaches, you see lightning as it occurs, but you hear the accompanying sound of thunder a short time afterward. The mathematical model of this relationship is d 0.21t (where d is the distance in miles that the sound travels in t seconds). In how many seconds will you hear thunder from a storm 8.4 miles away? A. 1.764 sec B. 4 sec C. 8.19 sec D. 8.61 sec E. 40 sec 11.48% 8.66% 6.98% 4.03% 61.01% 41 Plans After High School 2010-2011 4-year university 72% (23,879) 2-year college 8% (2,500) trade schools or apprenticeship program 13% (4,220) military service 1% (287) none of these 3% (1,046) initially attend a 2-year college and then attend a 4-year college 1% (457) Number of College-Level Math Courses Required for First College Major 2010-2011 None 3% (925) One Course 5% (1,624) Two or more courses 20% (6,506) I Don't Know 70% (23,046) Not Applicable to Me 1% (361) 43 3705 3232 3151 3121 2943 2898 2598 1751 1630 971 819 687 628 616 565 540 456 443 414 391 355 204 177 168 77 2881 2550 1777 1701 2524 2576 2827 1702 1339 951 1139 865 951 843 738 1086 723 1023 772 755 661 442 334 494 379 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% Business, Management and Marketing Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine or Pharmacy Engineering Nursing Social and Behavior Sciences Visual and Performing Arts Medical Technologies and Allied Health Fields Biology and Biological Sciences Security and Protective Services Pre-K and Elementary Education Humanities Secondary Education in a Non-Science or Non- Mathematics Area Computer Science in a Business Area Mathematical and Physical Sciences Computer Science in a Mathematics, Engineering or Science Area Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies Agriculture Engineering Technologies Family and Consumer Sciences Automotive Technology Architecture and Related Services Natural Resources and Conservation Secondary Education in a Science and Mathematica Area Middle Grades Education Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies Percentage of Students Anticipated College Major 2010-2011 First Choice Second Choice 44 45 477 378 15 8 36 21 1332 85 293 144 31 364 1596 141 28 271 1400 1464 79 75 263 161 2136 207 932 540 169 1038 1766 456 188 1522 738 1119 83 78 370 208 932 113 610 399 168 576 734 311 231 1535 454 781 119 130 408 308 558 99 490 353 158 323 417 197 280 1345 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Appalachian State University East Carolina University Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University NC A&T State University NC Central University NC State University UNC Asheville UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte UNC Greensboro UNC Pembroke UNC Wilmington Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State… An NC Community College Placement Level by School Planning to Attend (1) 2010-2011 Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 46 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 Appalachian State University East Carolina University Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University NC A&T State University NC Central University NC State University UNC Asheville UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte UNC Greensboro UNC Pembroke UNC Wilmington Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State University An NC Community College Placement Level by Schools Planning to Attend (2) 2010-2011 Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 47 V. Trends in NC EMPT Data, 1996-2011 The NC EMPT Program has compiled data from a pilot semester and fourteen full years of testing. Informative trends are already beginning to appear and they are presented in the following charts and graphs: NC EMPT Cost Per Student 1997-1998 $4.40 2004-2005 $3.79 1998-1999 $5.46 2005-2006 $3.59 1999-2000 $4.55 2006-2007 $3.86 2000-2001 $4.24 2007-2008 $4.07 2001-2002 $3.62 2008-2009 $7.27 2002-2003 $4.02 2009-2010 $4.78 2003-2004 $4.96 2010-2011 $5.25 Top Anticipated College Majors Year Major Students Choosing Major as First Choice 2004-2005 Social and Behavioral Sciences 14% Engineering 13% Business/Administrative Sciences 12% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9% 2005-2006 Social and Behavioral Sciences 14% Business/Administrative Sciences 14% Engineering 12% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9% 2006-2007 Business/Administrative Sciences 12% Social and Behavioral Sciences 12% Engineering 11% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9% 2007-2008 Business/Administrative Sciences 13% Social and Behavioral Sciences 13% Engineering 12% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 9% 2008-2009 Business, Management, and Marketing 13% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10% Visual and Performing Arts 9% Engineering 9% 2009-2010 Business, Management, and Marketing 12% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10% Engineering 9% Nursing 9% 2010-2011 Business, Management, and Marketing 11% Pre-Med/ Pre-Vet/ Pharmacy 10% Engineering 10% Nursing 9% Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year. 49 Students Participating in NC EMPT 33,833 38,261 38,821 33,549 46,418 43,063 23,476 38,969 37,434 27,456 41,520 43,714 47,925 27,030 8,195 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 1996- 97 1997- 98 1998- 99 1999- 00 2000- 01 2001- 02 2002- 03 2003- 04 2004- 05 2005- 06 2006- 07 2007- 08 2008- 09 2009- 2010 2010- 2011 Number of Students High Schools Participating in NC EMPT 243 243 302 281 285 287 288 189 251 66 205 302 303 292 293 0 100 200 300 400 500 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Number of Schools * Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year. * Note that testing during 2008-2009 occurred only during the second half of the school year. 50 EMPT Level of Participating Students 1996-2011 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 Year Level 4 (highest) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Grade Level of Participating Students 1996-2011 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 Year Sophomore Junior Senior 51 Average Score Out of 32 Questions for Participants Each Year 1996-2011 0 5 10 15 20 25 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 Year Series1 Students Planning to Go to College After High School Graduation 1996-2011 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 Year 4-year College 2-year College 52 53 Each year, NC EMPT Advisory Board members who represent NC community colleges and UNC institutions are asked to update information about their particular schools. This information is unique to each school and includes calculator usage on actual math placement tests, beginning required math courses for majors, and descriptions of math placement procedures. The associate director gathers this information and updates a brochure titled “Mathematics Placement Procedures at NC Community Colleges and UNC Constituent Institutions.” See pp. 25-26 for a sample of this document. This important brochure is disseminated each year to each participating teacher and all public and non-public high school principals, math chairs, and counseling departments. According to question #9 in the survey, 98% of the teachers responding found this brochure helpful in advising students. This same valuable information provided by board members has another important use. Appropriate paragraphs from the brochure are imbedded in individual student results letters based on the student’s choice of major and college/university. Eleven of the fifteen survey questions had equally positive responses or responses within 3 percentage points above or below the same responses last year. This is very reassuring and illustrates the willingness of the NC EMPT staff to listen to suggestions by teachers, continue to make improvements, and maintain consistency in service. The response rate for question #5, regarding the usefulness of the website www.ncempt.org, increased from 79% to 85%. Recent improvements in the website format and the availability of information have been noted by teachers. Two questions received significantly lower ratings from the previous survey and both are in areas the NC EMPT office cannot control. The response rate for question #6, “Students were attentive and tested with a serious attitude,” dropped from 97% in 2009- 10 to 91% in 2010-11. However, 91% is still a vast majority of the participating students and this is encouraging, particularly for a test that is not state mandated. The response rate for question #10, “Participating teachers took time to review test errors with students,” dropped from 81% to 75%. The best case scenario would be for teachers to return a test copy along with each student’s individualized results letter and then take time to review the missed questions. The NC EMPT website offers many supplementary worksheets and lists of top missed questions that could then be assigned to students to reinforce mastery of the highlighted weak skills. However, NC EMPT realizes that competition for instructional time in the classroom is intense and teachers have to prioritize. A sample of the Qualtrics year-end survey and the results follow. 54 55 # Question Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A or No Opinion Responses 7 The NC EMPT office promptly returned hard copies of test score summaries for teachers and individualized results letters for students. 124 5 1 0 0 130 8 The test score summary received by each teacher for each class period was helpful. 115 15 0 0 0 130 9 The yellow brochure titled "Mathematics Placement Procedures at NC Community Colleges and UNC Constituent Institutions, 2010-2011" was included in each teacher's results package. This brochure was useful to teachers in advising college-bound students. 100 28 1 0 1 130 10 Participating teachers took time to review test errors with students. 47 51 23 1 8 130 11 Students found their individualized student results letters informative and easy to understand. 82 41 3 0 4 130 12 Students found their NC EMPT experience helpful and useful for future college plans. 53 67 7 0 3 130 13 The NC EMPT Program accomplished its goal of providing your participating high school students with a "reality check" of their readiness for college-level mathematics. 90 35 0 1 1 127 56 # Question Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A or No Opinion Responses 14 The NC EMPT Program will accomplish its goal of helping to reduce the percentage of incoming college freshmen that require mathematics remediation at the college level (consider the seniors from your high school that participated in the program and plan to attend college in fall 2011). 51 59 12 1 6 129 15 Overall, the NC EMPT Program provides a valuable service to high school students and teachers. 103 27 0 0 0 130 Part B: Please type your thoughts about the two questions below: #16. Each participating teacher receives summary information about their students’ test results by class period. Currently this data is listed for each student in the class: the score as a percent, the EMPT level (#1-4), and the number of questions answered correctly out of a total of 32 questions. Are there any other forms of summary information that would be helpful to teachers for each class period of students?? Number Comments About Teachers’ Summary Information of Test Results 66 No, the summary information you already provide is sufficient, detailed, and very helpful; the information is broken down adequately; I can’t see any way to improve this; our teachers are satisfied with the data that is provided; everything that is already provided is amazing!; “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” 6 I would love to have a summary of the most missed questions in each class period to facilitate a quick review of those concepts; this list would help direct remediation after test results are returned; a ranking of the questions in terms of % correct and % incorrect would be very helpful. 6 It would be very helpful to know the number of students in each class period that missed each of the 32 questions; a summary of how each class did as a whole would also be useful. For example, tell me if the majority of students missed #4, or list a major concept that was lacking; tell what areas students did well in and what students struggled with. 57 3 You guys do an awesome job! I greatly appreciate all that we receive; the people in charge were very helpful and it was nice that they sent reminders. 3 It may be helpful to see how students ranked either statewide or locally in comparison with students in other high schools. 3 Our school would like to keep up with scores from year to year. For example, if a student took the EMPT test as a sophomore in Alg 2, again as a junior in PreCal, and as a senior in Calculus, we want to note how their scores varied; I always bring up the score sheet from the previous year and show students how much or how little they improved. Is there any way you can keep that information and show it on the next year’s score sheets? 2 Our students really take the NC EMPT test seriously and gain from the experience; my students were appreciative of their results. 2 An item analysis not only for all students participating from my school (which you now provide), but for just my students by class period would be very helpful; I think the information provided to students in their results letters is PERFECT. In the summary reports to teachers, a brief summary of strong and weak points for students by class period would be valuable. 2 It would be helpful to have questions classified by content (i.e. quadratics, exponents, etc.) and to have an overall summary that would allow teachers to quickly spot weaknesses in specific content areas for each class period; if teachers were provided a report similar to a goal analysis, it would make it easier to identify trends in areas of strengths and weaknesses. 1 Tell which WRONG answer was given most often. This would help us see the common errors. 1 The students really like the results letters. Keep them coming! 1 For each question, tell students which math class introduced this material. For example, logs are introduced in Alg 2 and trigonometry is introduced in Geometry. You might also include the level of difficulty like the PSAT does (easy, medium, hard). 1 I’d like to know the percentage of students that got each question wrong. I can calculate this if I am given the data, but it would take some time. If I knew this information, I could target the questions most students got wrong (especially if I didn’t have time to go over the entire test). #17. THANK YOU for taking time to give us your valuable thoughts. If you have any other comments or suggestions you’d like us to hear, please write them below. Number Additional Comments 21 This is a great program that is extremely helpful to students; You provide an invaluable service to secondary level math teachers and their students. A number of my students have informed me of how they were better able to succeed on their college math placement tests because of the awareness brought to them as a result of their experiences with NC Early Math Placement Testing; For the past couple of years, we have had students who had a math class during fall semester ask if there was any way they could take the EMPT test again in the spring, one more time, before they graduate and go to their college orientation to take their “real” math placement test. Now that says a lot, for the students to value the information enough to work out a way to take the test again of 58 their own accord; The kids are always blown away as to where their math skills are. It is truly an eye-opener for some. Thanks for making this “reality check” available to students. For some, it opens their eyes about the importance of learning and retaining math skills; I appreciate that you do this for our students. It’s a great wake-up call and helps students see what they are lacking and how they would place in college math at the time; The individual information you give each student is very helpful to them and me as their teacher; Thank you for all you do to help us inform our students of the necessary math requirements for college-level math courses; Because of their EMPT experience, students will take their junior and senior level math classes more seriously; I really like the comprehensiveness of the questions; This test makes students realize that they need to retain a wide variety of math skills to succeed, not just the ones in a particular math course. 13 This is for Ellen. It is a pleasure to work with you. You have been helpful whether I sent an email or made a phone call. You are polite and knowledgeable about your program. I am always amazed at how quickly things get to me for testing and how quickly results get back. Thank you for making testing procedures enjoyable; The hardest part is mailing the answer sheets back! You have made the administration and testing a breeze Thanx again; Thanks for the stickers and smiley faces on your mail outs. They bring a welcomed smile to a teacher’s face :o); Ellen, you do an excellent job with EMPT and results; Thank you, Ellen. You are a great coordinator of this program!; I receive great information from you ALL the time; Ellen Hilgoe is FANTASTIC!; Thanks for your support and professionalism; I am the one to THANK YOU for this program; Have a great summer, Ellen, and I will be in contact next fall about tests! 11 The EMPT office staff has always been very helpful (even when I made mistakes in signing up) and very thorough in all communications; Thank you for helping us even when we needed tests quickly. Your office did a superb job meeting our deadline. :o); Thanks for the very prompt return of our scores and the data reports by class; The staff is very efficient in sending out materials and returning scores; I was again impressed with the quick turnaround time. My students were most anxious to see how they did; You do an excellent job reminding, informing, and explaining all processes of the test; Thank you for your organization and timeliness. 9 I appreciate the unique service NC EMPT offers high school students and teachers across North Carolina; Thanks for the program and all it does to prepare students for higher education; I have used NC EMPT for many years and will continue to use it.. 5 This “reality check” is invaluable to students. It would be worth it to pay a processing fee or an administration fee per high school in order to keep this testing available for many years to come; Thank you for making this possible at NO CHARGE to schools or students; I hope that this excellent program will continue to be available in the future. 4 No suggestions. It’s a great program as is! 1 This was my first year using NC EMPT. I think it was a good experience and helpful for my students. The communications were excellent and timely. Thank you very much. 1 The EMPT test is a practice test. I would suggest that there be a way to allow the test results to be sent to the student’s college of choice (only upon request). 1 This is an invaluable tool for senior mathematics students. It is more appropriate to give the test to an Advanced Functions and Modeling (AFM) or Discrete Math student. There are still many teachers in my school system and surrounding areas that don’t participate for various reasons. The issues may be lack of time in the curriculum, teachers aren’t aware of its value, or teachers still 59 60 Appendix A The 2010-2011 Required Background Questions, Answer Key, and Parent/Guardian Brochure 61 The North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program Required Background Questions 2010-2011, Both Options, #1 and #2 Mark ONLY one answer for each question. Your answers should be placed on the NC EMPT bubble sheet (opscan form) in the section labeled “Background Questions.” A) The one school I am most likely to attend is: (Please answer this question even if you are planning to attend a private or an out-of-state college by marking a choice most representative of where you plan to enroll.) 001. Appalachian State University 002. East Carolina University 003. Elizabeth City State University 004. Fayetteville State University 005. NC A&T State University 006. NC Central University 007. NC State University 008. UNC Asheville 009. UNC Chapel Hill 010. UNC Charlotte 011. UNC Greensboro 012. UNC Pembroke 013. UNC Wilmington 014. Western Carolina University 015. Winston-Salem State University 016. One of the NC Community Colleges B) My most-likely college major will be in the following category: (Please mark only one of the twenty-five choices. Not all universities and colleges offer all of these majors.) 001. Engineering (e.g. aerospace, architectural, biological, chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical, nuclear,…) 002. Social and Behavior Sciences: Public Administration and Social Service Professions (e.g. public administration, social work, …); Social Sciences (e.g. anthropology, economics, geography, political science and government, sociology, …); Psychology (general psychology); Communication and Journalism (e.g. advertising, broadcast journalism, communication studies, mass communications/media studies, radio and television,…) 003. Humanities: English Language and Literature (e.g. English literature, speech studies); Philosophy and Religious Studies (e.g. philosophy, religion studies); Foreign Languages and Linguistics (e.g. classics and languages, French language and literature, German language and literature, Spanish language and literature, …); History 004. Engineering Technologies: (preparation of technicians in the various engineering fields) (e.g. electrical technician, engineering technician, industrial technician, …) 005. Mathematical and Physical Sciences: Mathematics and Statistics (e.g. applied mathematics, mathematics, statistics,…); Physical Sciences (e.g. chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics,…) 006. Biology and Biomedical Sciences (e.g. biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, botany, ecology, exercise physiology, marine biology, microbiology,…) 007. Visual and Performing Arts (e.g. art history, art studies, dance, drama and theatre arts, fine/studio arts, graphic design, interior design, music performance,…) 008. Business, Management, and Marketing (e.g. accounting, business administration, business economics, construction management, finance, hospitality management, international business, management information systems, marketing,…) 009. Agriculture (e.g. agricultural business, animal sciences, food science, horticulture,…) 010. Family and Consumer Sciences (e.g. apparel and textiles, child development, family and consumer sciences, foods/nutrition/wellness, human development,…) 011. Pre-K and Elementary Education (e.g. elementary education and teaching, kindergarten/preschool education, childhood education,…) 012. Middle Grades Education (e.g. junior high/intermediate/middle school teaching) 013. Secondary Education in a Non-Science or Non-Mathematics Area (e.g. art teacher, business, drama/dance, English/language arts, family/consumer science, foreign language, health, history, music, physical education, social studies, special education, industrial arts,…) 014. Secondary Education in a Science or Mathematics Area (e.g. biology, chemistry, mathematics, general science,…) 015. Computer Science in a Mathematics, Engineering, or Science Area (software development, networking, database,…) 016. Computer Science in a Business Area (e.g. animation, simulation and game development, information science, information technology, quality assurance analysis, webpage/digital/multimedia design,…) 017. Nursing College majors continued on back… 63 018. Medical Technologies and Allied Health Fields (e.g. athletic trainer, clinical/medical lab technologist, dietitian, environmental health, health care administrator, occupational therapy, public health, recreational therapy, vocational rehabilitation counseling,…) 019. Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, or Pharmacy 020. Architecture and Related Services (e.g. city and community planning, environmental design architecture, landscape architecture,…) 021. Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies (e.g. African-American studies, Native American studies, Latin American Studies, Women’s studies,…) 022. Natural Resources and Conservation (e.g. environmental science, natural resources management, forest management,…) 023. Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (e.g. health and physical education, kinesiology and exercise science, parks recreation and leisure facilities management, sports and fitness management,…) 024. Security and Protective Services (e.g. criminal justice, fire services administration, forensic science,…) 025. Automotive Technology C) My second choice of a college major is: (Use the list in question B for your selection.) D) I am presently enrolled in the following math course: (Please mark only one choice. If you are taking two math courses, mark the higher numbered choice.) 1. Algebra II or Integrated Math 3 6. Probability, or Statistics, or Discrete Math 2. Advanced Functions and Modeling 7. Calculus 3. Advanced Math, or Algebra III, or Advanced 8. Technical Math II Algebra, or Trigonometry 9. Other 4. Integrated Math 4 10. I am not currently enrolled in a math course. 5. Pre-Calculus E) Enter the teacher’s ID number for your math class (your teacher will supply this number to you). F) Enter the period your math class meets. G) My plans initially after graduation are: 1. to attend a 4-year college or university 5. to enter military service 2. to attend a 2-year college or community/technical college 6. none of these 3. to initially attend a 2-year college and then attend a 4-year college 4. to attend a trade school or apprenticeship program H) How many college-level math courses will be required for your first choice of college major? 1. None 4. I don’t know. 2. One course 5. Not applicable to me 3. Two or more courses I) Please indicate your race/ethnicity. (This question is optional.) 1. American Indian or Alaskan Native 5. Hispanic or Latino 2. Asian, or Asian American, or Pacific Islander 6. Multiracial 3. African American or Black 7. Other 4. White J) Which calculator will you use on this test? 1. None 3. A scientific calculator 2. A four-function calculator 4. A graphing calculator K) How many college credits do you expect to have earned when you graduate from high school? 1. 0 3. 16-30 5. 46-60 2. 1-15 4. 31-45 6. 60+ 64 Suggested Levels of the NC EMPT Program, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Predicted First Student Score Level College Course 0-11 1 Remedial Mathematics 12-16 2 Borderline-depends on indicated major 17-24 3 First Course in College Math 25-32 4 Second Course in College Math in some majors Explanations: Level 1: A Level 1 score indicates the student is not ready for college-level math courses and must take remedial mathematics. Level 2: A level 2 score indicates the student must take remedial mathematics in some choices of major. Level 3: A Level 3 score indicates the student is ready for a beginning-level college mathematics course. However, a Level 3 score may be considered borderline at some universities for students planning to major in math, science, or engineering. Level 4: A Level 4 score indicates a solid high school preparation for college-level mathematics. Some universities may allow a student scoring at Level 4 on their math placement test to skip the first college math course, depending on that student’s choice of major. Note: The level numbers have been reversed from the order used in 1996-1999 so that NC EMPT levels will more closely align with the NC Department of Public Instruction goals for public school children. Level 4 is now the highest level. NC EMPT Placement Exam Answer Key, 2010-2011, Option #2 Question # Correct Answer Question # Correct Answer 1 E 17 C 2 B 18 B 3 D 19 A 4 C 20 B 5 B 21 D 6 D 22 E 7 A 23 A 8 E 24 B 9 B 25 C 10 E 26 D 11 C 27 C 12 B 28 D 13 B 29 E 14 A 30 C 15 A 31 D 16 D 32 E 65 inequalities • function • a bsolute value (x,y) f(x) | x | bo 2_x_ 3 log d _ n_ n+2 y <2 b4 √–c (x,y) f(x) | x | y <2 n __ n+2 2x__ 3 f(x) b4 bo log d √–c rational expressions • graphing lines and curves quadratic equations • parabolic functions • factoring Actual college mathematics placement tests are often given during summer orientation sessions, just before college enrollment. Students should be warned not to let their mathematical skills “get rusty” and be reminded to study their algebra and geometry skills just prior to the date of their actual college mathematics placement test. A Guide for Parents and Guardians 2011 - 2012 . . . a reality check of your child’s readiness for college-level mathematics Printed on recycled paper. ASC-009456 (Rev. 8/11) 55,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,206.18 or $.040 per copy. Visit our web site for a wealth of information about mathematics placement testing at nc community colleges and unc institutions. For more information about NC EMPT, please contact your child’s mathematics teacher or: Ellen Hilgoe, Associate Director NC EMPT Program 2310 Old Cafeteria Complex Mail Stop 145 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353 Phone: 252-328-6418 Fax: 252-328-2166 E-mail: ncempt@ncempt.org North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing The retention of mathematical skills is critical to t h e hcoisr roerc th perla ficermste nsetm oefs tae rs toufd ceonltl edgeu rcoinugrsework. “ ” NC EMPT has been continuously directed by the faculty and staff at East Carolina University since the program’s inception in 1996. A program sponsored by the State of North Carolina What is an early mathematics placement test? The vast majority of high school graduates, upon entering The University of North Carolina (UNC) at one of the fifteen universities or the fifty-eight community colleges, will be given a mathematics placement test. Many non-public universities and colleges also require that a math placement test be taken.This test will determine the student’s entry level for enrollment in collegiate mathematics. The North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Test-ing (NC EMPT) Program hopes to better prepare high school students for collegiate mathematics placement. By having high school students experi-ence a test that is similar in content to the actual math placement test, the NC EMPT Program pro-vides each student with a realistic early warning of their current mathemati-cal level. The thirty-two NC EMPT test questions are based on Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II objectives. Participation by NC high schools, public and non-public, is voluntary. Does this test benefit my child? Yes! One of the major goals of the program is to reduce the percentage of entering freshmen that require mathematics remediation at the college level. By offering students a “snapshot” of their mathematical standing while still in high school, the NC EMPT Program hopes to give students the motivation to retain skills, or take corrective action, while there is still time and help available. What is the cost? There is no cost to participating high schools or students for NC EMPT testing! The State of North Carolina sponsors the NC EMPT Program. However, the need to take remedial mathematics at the college level is very costly in both time and money! Parents and students need to realize that tuition for remedial mathematics courses at the college level has to be paid, but that credit hours for these courses towards a major or towards gradua-tion are often not received. Students spending time in remedial mathemat-ics courses lose valuable time and are delayed in the completion of other coursework with math-ematics prerequisites. The student is often unable to complete degree require-ments within four years of college. When will my child take the NC EMPT test? The early placement test is a one-hour test that is usually given during a high school class period. Students close to complet-ing Algebra II, as well as students in higher-level mathematics courses, are eligible to be tested. The tests are graded at the NC EMPT testing center at East Carolina University and results are returned within two weeks. Each par-ticipating student will receive an individualized letter that states their score, current placement level, and a list of which test questions were answered correctly or incorrectly. In addition, each student will be provided information about required math courses for their chosen major and placement proce-dures at their chosen UNC institution or NC Community College. *Note: The level numbers have been reversed from the order used in 1996 -1999 so that NC EMPT levels will more closely align with the NC Department of Public Instruction ABC’s Plan. Level 4 is now the highest level. Student Score (32 questions) NC EMPT Level* Predicted First College Course Explanation Remedial Mathematics Borderline - depends on indicated major First Course in College Math Second Course in College Math in some majors Score indicates the student is not ready for college level math courses and must take remedial mathematics. Score indicates the student must take remedial mathematics in some choices of major. Score indicates the student is ready for a beginning-level college mathematics course. However, a Level 3 score may be considered borderline at some universities for students plan-ning to major in math, science or engineering. Score indicates a solid high school preparation for college-level mathematics. Some universities may allow a student scoring at Level 4 on their Math Placement test to skip the first college math course, depending on the student’s choice of major. 0 - 11 12 - 16 17 - 24 25 - 32 1 2 3 4 Suggested Levels of the NC EMPT Program / 2011 - 2012 mathematics courses during each year of high school and to be sure that these skills are increased and maintained. We strongly advise ALL students to continue to take Appendix B Promotion of NC EMPT Participation 69 A face-to-face rendezvous with high school math teachers is a powerful tool in spreading the word about the amazing early intervention services offered to students in high schools across North Carolina. By staying abreast of workshop and staff development offerings, the associate director reaches out to math teachers on their home turfs. By conferring with the mathematics staff at the NC Department of Public Instruction, public school secondary math coordinators, and the Mathematics and Science Education Centers at UNC campuses, the associate director searches for opportunities to present the NC EMPT Program and to provide a platform for teachers to learn, question, and make suggestions. NC EMPT has a history of fifteen years of service and it is a fact that many of the original high school contact persons are beginning to retire. Therefore, continued longevity of the program must be lead by a younger generation of high school math teachers. In addition to presentations made by the director and associate director at regional and state NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics conferences, the following list includes the outreach efforts made by the associate director during spring and summer of 2011: Early College High Principals’ Networking Webinar with Fay Agar, director of the Early College High School Initiative, NC New Schools Project, January 26, 2011. Raleigh Convention Center; 2011 Many Voices, One Goal Conference: Every North Carolina Child Graduates Ready; organized by sixteen partners including NC New Schools Project, NC State Board of Education, and NC STEM Community Collaborative; March 24, 2011. East Carolina University, ECU High School Mathematics Contest, March 29, 2011. East Carolina University; ECU Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education; (STEM) 2 Girls’ Conference; a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics initiative, April 1, 2011. Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, M(o)ore Math Matters, a Moore County Schools/Sandhills Community College Consortium, April 27, 2011. EFFORTS MADE TO PROMOTE THE NC EMPT PROGRAM STATEWIDE 71 Appalachian State University, State Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE) Geometry Workshop: A Common Core Approach to Geometric Thinking and SITE Algebra Workshop: A Common Core Approach to Algebraic Thinking, June 28-29, 2011. Fayetteville State University and Cross Creek Early College High School, SITE Algebra: Pedagogical Strategies for the NC Standard Course of Study for Algebra I, June 30 and July 1, 2011. Winston-Salem State University and the North Carolina School of Math and Science, Common Core Topics for Functions and Statistics, July 21, 22, 2011. Photos from Promotional Travels in 2010-2011 (l to r): Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT associate director, and Dr. Robert Bernhardt, NC EMPT director, met between sessions at the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) Conference in Greensboro on October 28, 2010. (l to r): Emogene Kernodle, math chair at Western Alamance High; Becky Caison, math teacher at Cedar Ridge High and the proud winner of the prestigious 2010 W. W. Rankin Award; Bill Scott, secondary math specialist, Charlotte/Mecklenburg Schools; and Ellen Hilgoe, NC EMPT associate director, gathered to celebrate with the award winner at the NCCTM Conference in Greensboro on October 28, 2010. The Rankin Award recognizes and honors individuals for their outstanding contributions to NCCTM and to mathematics education in North Carolina. All four educators have been involved with the NC EMPT Program for many, many years. :o) 72 (l to r) (back row): Rose Anna Wade, retired math teacher from Watauga High and workshop instructor; Dr. Mary Beth Searcy, ASU Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and workshop instructor; Stephen Haas, math teacher at Alexander Central High; and (front row): Heather Ollis, math teacher at West Caldwell High; Marcus Bowen, math teacher at Alexander Central High; and Jack Long, math teacher at Southern Vance High, collaborated at the Appalachian State University SITE Geometry Workshop on July 1, 2011. (l to r) (back row): Math teachers Sheila Brown, East Bladen High; Renee Gmiter, Pine Forest High; Jenn Odle, Pine Forest High; Pandora Matthews, Dunn Middle School; Camille Leverett, Westover High; Steven Harker, Seventy-First High; and (front row) Sherman Sumpter, Cross Creek Early College High, participated in a SITE Algebra Institute at FSU the week of June 27- 30, 2011. Sherman was the instructor and his classroom is located on the campus of Fayetteville State University. (front center and then clockwise): Math teachers Martha Marshall, Ragsdale High; Lynn Church, Caldwell Academy; Rebecca Manley, Winston-Salem Prep Academy; Tyler Tillman, preservice teacher at WSSU; Mary Wilkerson, teacher at WSSU; Julie Graves, NC School of Science and Math and workshop instructor; Maria Hernandez, NC School of Science and Math and workshop instructor; Joel Elliott, Yadkin Success Academy, practiced new statistics techniques at a Common Core workshop held at Winston-Salem State University on July 21-22, 2011. 73 Appendix C Helpful Resources for High School Teachers and Students: 2009-2010 Top Ten Missed Questions And Top Thirty Missed Questions Puzzle 75 1 North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program – Providing a Timely Reality Check of Readiness for College-Level Mathematics 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version 33,014 high school student participants Top Ten Missed Students Answering INCORRECTLY Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version 1. 71% Which equation represents a line that is perpendicular to the line 1 4 2 y x and passes through the point (1,2)? A. x 2y 3 0 B. 2x y 4 0 C. x 2y 5 0 D. 2x y 3 0 E. 2x y 0 These questions are typical of those found on actual college math placement exams throughout the UNC System, NC community colleges, and other private colleges and universities. The questions are formatted for use on an overhead projector or document camera as a quick review or warm-up exercise for high school students in Algebra II, Integrated Math III, Advanced Functions and Modeling, Pre-Calculus, Discrete Math, Statistics, and other upper-level math courses. Practice Makes Perfect!! 77 2 Top Ten Missed Students Answering INCORRECTLY Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version 2. 66% If P 10m is multiplied by Q 10n, the product is equivalent to A. PQ 10mn B. P Q 100mn C. P Q 10mn D. PQ 10mn E. PQ 100mn 3. 60% What kind of function would best model the data below, where x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable? x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 y -13.5 -4 -0.5 0 0.5 4 13.5 A. linear B. quadratic C. cubic D. rational E. absolute value 4. 60% Which expression below is an equivalent form of 2 1 x 2x (where x 0) ? A. 1x B. 2 3 2x C. 3x D. 3 2x E. 5 2x Need more information about the FREE services provided by the NC EMPT Program? Contact Ellen Hilgoe, Associate Director, at 252-328-6418 OR e-mail at ncempt@ncempt.org. NC EMPT is sponsored by the State of North Carolina and is proudly housed at East Carolina Univ. 78 3 Top Ten Missed Students Answering INCORRECTLY Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version 5. 57% The number 23 5 1 8.5 2 is equivalent to A. 10.3 B. 13 24 C. 0.5417 D. 1.3382 E. 91 68 6. 57% Figure FGH is an acute triangle with angle measures of 2x , 3x 5 , 5x 15 . Find the measure of the smallest angle. A. 19 B. 34 C. 38 D. 62 E. 80 7. 56% A ladder 30 feet long leans against a building and makes an angle of 72 with the ground. In the diagram, AB represents the ladder and mABC 72 The distance CA represents is how high the ladder reaches on the side of the building. CA, in feet, equals A. 30sin72 B. 30 sin72 C. 30 cos72 D. 30tan72 E. 30cos72 F G H Everyone benefits: high school students, teachers, administrators, and parents: Visit us at: www.ncempt.org for a wealth of information about college mathematics placement testing! C A B 79 4 Top Ten Missed Students Answering INCORRECTLY Test Item, 2010-2011 NC EMPT Test Version 8. 55% How many of the following five statements are TRUE? 2 5 3 9 3.14159 2 1% 0.225 4 14 13 3 0.38 8 A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 E. 4 9. 54% Professor Ed bought a set of books from Red Bank Publishing for $250 and was charged another $20 for “shipping and handling.” What is the rate Red Bank Publishing charges for “shipping and handling”? A. 0.08% B. 1.25% C. 7.5% D. 8% E. 12.5% 10. 52% How long is the hypotenuse of a right isosceles triangle whose leg measures 7x units (where x 0) ? A. 7x B. 7x 2 C. 14x 2 D. 14x E. 7 2 2 x The average score for the 33,014 high school participants on the 2010-2011 NC EMPT test version was 17 out of 32 questions, or 53%. This test version has 32 questions and requires 55 minutes to administer. Correct Answers to the Top Ten Missed Questions, 2010-2011: 1. E 2. D 3. C 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. D 10. B 7x 80 North Carolina Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program 1 December 2010 www.ncempt.org These mathematics questions were most often answered incorrectly by high school students across North Carolina on NC EMPT practice placement test versions (2008-2009 and 2009-2010). The questions are typical of those found on actual college math placement |
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