Reading skill assessment and course placement for entering freshmen : the impact of placement on academic achievement and retention

Review of the literature indicated that community colleges are moving towards requiring assessment of basic skills and placement of students prior to registration in college level courses. The movement towards basic skills assessment can be traced to the high attrition rates of community college students as well as to a decline of the quality of high school education. In the literature, numerous reasons were cited by students for withdrawing from college and/or classes; however, economic reasons were considered primary, followed by academic reasons. The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant relationships between basic skill assessmentadvisement, corresponding course placement, course work mastery, and retention of first-time freshmen Houston Community College System (HCCS) students. [...]