A Comparison of Student Success Outcomes Related to the Non-Standardized and Standardized Texas Success Initiative

In 2015, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) adopted the 60x30TX plan to increase Higher Education (HE) access and completion for all state students. The target for this plan asserts that by 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 will have a certificate or degree. Among the initiatives tied to the overall goal to raise HE inclusion rates, is the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) which was formally launched a few years earlier in 2013. The TSI lays out specific requirements for uniform placement testing standards for students entering community colleges to measure college-level preparedness. The purpose of this study was to determine if placement is affected by the instrument applicants use, specifically, the non-standardized or the standardized version of the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). Final grades of applicants placed into Freshman Composition (ENGL 1301), instead of Developmental Education (DE), served as the measure of student success appropriate for this study. The study sample was selected from two large urban community colleges in Texas. Within the parameters of this study, findings indicated that non-standardized and standardized placement tests have no effect on student success related to placement into ENGL 1301. These findings highlight the need for additional research surrounding the comparative impact between standardized and non-standardized testing, and the subsequent overall impact upon degree or certificate completion.