Placement of ESL vs.
Developmental Students

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The information below is a summary of responses sent to ESL/CC listserv in Fall, 2000.

Place	How Placement Is Handled	Comments
Honolulu CC Honolulu, HI Gary James	NNS identified by place of birth on college application. If born outside US, then NNS placement test given. First-day writing sample also given.
Norwalk CC Norwalk, CT Craig Machado	NNS self-identify on application and sign up for ESL placement test (includes Writing sample)	Problems with NNS who have gone to high school in US.
St. Louis CC, MO Sharon Person	NNS self-identify on college app. NNS who do not self-identify may be recommended by admissions staff for NNS testing. Testing is Michigan Test and Writing Sample. Use Accuplacer for native speakers.	Takes cooperation of admissions, testing, and academic advising areas and English dept. to get students into appropriate classes. Easiest way is to have “dedicated” admissions and advising staff for ESL/foreign students.
Oakton CC, IL Amy Blumenthal	All Ss take holistically scored writing placement test. Self identify NNS on test form. ESL essays scored by trained ESL readers/ non-ESL essays scored by others.	NNS or not determines who reads essay, but placement determined by the reader.
Green River CC Auburn, WA John Avery	Use COMPASS for all incoming students. Those who place low directed to either ESL or ABE. Computer is programmed with cut-off scores to automatically give appropriate feedback to students. ESL students take CASAS for placement into ESL classes.	Students see educational planner or faculty advisor for assistance in selecting classes.
Eastfield CC Mesquite, TX Mary Caratini-Prado	Students self-identify then choose between developmental or ESL.	Similar problems to LCC.
SFCC Gainesville, FL Carole Marquis	Flag ESL students from info. on application. Same placement test for NS & NNS (CPT). ESL program equals college prep reading and writing programs. State exit exams required. In house ESL test given 1st & 2nd days of classes for movement w/in ESL.	NNS found misplaced referred to Carole. Sounds similar to what we do in DLS the first week or two.
Northeast Iowa CC Calmar, IA Terry Pruett-Said	Use ASSET test. Students self-identify. NNS who place into developmental level go to Terry and take SLEP test, writing sample, and spoken interview. ESL not required, but developmental is; therefore, students decide which classes to take.
Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Ginny Heringer	Students self-identify on college application. Students who were mainstreamed into native speaker Eng. Courses for last 2 yrs. of HS take placement test for "regular" classes. Those who were not, take ESL placement test.	Same problems.
Houston CC Houston, TX David Ross	NS students take ASSET in reading, English grammar, and math. NNS students take CELSA for English proficiency, then ASSET “to satisfy state requirements.” If NNS takes the ASSET first and gets a “developmental placement” the student is “lost to the ESL program” until the 1st day of class when a teacher might identify him as misplaced (then has nowhere to go because ESL classes are full). However, with a CELSA score in the computer, few counselors will sign a NNS student’s registration into NS developmental courses.	The system MUST have some way to route students into an ESL proficiency test BEFORE students take the regular placement.

 

Other Interesting Ideas:

Place	Thoughts	Comments
Kapiolani CC Honolulu, HI Frank Noji	What to do with 1.5 generation immigrants who are fluent in spoken English but have weak reding and writing skills. They don'’ fit in developmental, nor feel comfortable in ESL.
Franklin Institute of Boston Helaine W. Marshall	Three writing classes with parallel schedules: ESL writing, developmental writing, and developmental bilingual writing. Did the same for reading classes. For speech classes, NNS go with NS. “Developmental bilinguals.”- research done by Rick Lozette at Northern Essex CC.
Norwalk CC Craig Machado	Paired ESL advanced writing class with a Sociology course on family/community. ESL course is 6 credits (applicable fully for liberal arts electives); Sociology course is 3 credits.	A Learning Community!