Project to influence college admission
A new proficiency-based
system will help
determine admission
to Oregon schools
By Tricia Schwennesen
Oregon Daily Emerald
By 2001, Oregon public high
school students will need more
than just good grades. They will
have to prove proficiency in math
and English before being admitted
to in-state colleges and universi
ties.
The University will phase in
new admission requirements as
part of the Proficiency-based Ad
mission Standards System pro
ject, funded by a $1.4 million
grant from the Pew Charitable
Trusts, a national philanthropic
organization based in Philadel
phia.
“What we’re saying is for Ore
gon students, before we admit
them, we want to know if they
can do college level work,” said
David Conley, an associate profes
sor of education and the director
of the PASS project. “The real
trick is to get teachers to make
r
consistent judgments on who is
ready for college and who’s not."
Ann Vaughn, assistant princi
pal of North Eugene High School,
said it all ties in to developing a
standards-based system to deter
mine whether students are pre
pared for college.
”1 think grades over the years
have not given the information
helpful to deciding who will be
successful in college," Vaughn
said. “Every student that is col
lege bound has good grades.”
Martha Pitts, director of admis
sions, said she doesn’t believe
proficiency will replace GPA as a
criterion for college admissions.
“People around the country are
looking for other predictors,” Pitts
said. “GPA doesn’t have the same
meaning from one school to the
next.
“Students will be able, but not
required, to demonstrate profi
ciency in math and English. I
think the impact the Pew grant
will have on our admissions
process is unclear as of yet.”
As part of the grant-funded por
tion of the project, Conley said
100 teachers at 50 high schools
are currently certifying whether
students are proficient in math
and English.
About 3,000 students will be
certified in the next year and will
then be tracked through their col
lege careers to test out whether
profiency-based admissions will
work.
PASS is an ongoing project that
began in 1987. The goal is to
change admissions expectations
and to move toward a more stan
dards-based system to evaluate
and predict a student’s success.
Students will have to demonstrate
proficiency through tests and in
class activities in six areas begin
ning with math and English. A
new area will be added each year
after 2001.
In September 1996, the state
Board of Higher Education adopt
ed performance standards in
math and English and the Com
mon Curriculum Goals, revised in
1995 by the Oregon Department
of Education.
“We don’t know how well pro
ficiencies will predict,” Pitts said.
“This will give as a chance to test
this out.”
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