Instruments
Accuplacer
Accuplacer is College Board’s suite of online tests in reading, writing, and math used for placing college students in coursework that is appropriate for their preparation level. In 2016, Accuplacer was redesigned to align with the content assessed by the SAT exams as well as with the skills important for college readiness.
The Accuplacer suite includes:
1. The Reading test focusing on four domains: information and ideas, rhetoric, synthesis, and vocabulary;
2. The Writing test focusing on two domains: expression of ideas and standard English conventions;
3. The Math test that is aligned with state college and career readiness standards;
4. The WritePlacer and WitePlacer ESL tests evaluating students’ essay writing;
5. The Accuplacer ESL test that helps place ESL and EFL students in appropriate language courses.
All Accuplacer tests except for the WritePlacer are multiple choice.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
ACT
The ACT is a standardized college admission exam. It measures high school students’ readiness for college and career success by focusing on key content areas such as English, math, reading, and science (with the optional writing section). Multiple-choice questions are used in the English, math, reading, and science sections, and scores are converted into a composite score between 1 and 36.
ACT also provides score interpretations based on its College and Career Readiness Standards, which can provide secondary schools with information to improve instruction. Furthermore, ACT scores can be compared against College Readiness Benchmarks to determine whether students meet the minimum requirements for college success.
Year developed: 1959.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 11th Grade, 12th Grade
ACT Engage
ACT’s Engage assessments measure motivational, skill, social engagement, and self-regulatory constructs related to academic performance in college.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
CampusReady
CampusReady is an instrument that examines schools’ strengths and weaknesses in preparing students for college. Originally known as the CollegeCareerReady School Diagnostic when it was first introduced in 2009, CampusReady utilizes David Conley’s Four Keys to College and Career Readiness, which comprise cognitive strategies, content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and awareness. CampusReady target respondents are students in grades 6-12, teachers, counselors, and administrators.
CampusReady generates four comprehensive reports: the Participant Information Report, which gathers data on participants; the Aspirations Report, which focuses on students’ future plans; the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness Report, which evaluates college readiness across the four dimensions of David Conley’s model; and the Targeted Recommendations Report, which provides customized recommendations for the school or district that utilized CampusReady. These reports serve as valuable resources for schools and districts seeking to improve their college readiness strategies by fostering students’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Additionally, schools gain access to a database of effective interventions targeting college readiness.
Year developed: 2013 in its current version, 2009 as CollegeCareerReady School Diagnostic.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Career and College Readiness Self-Efficacy Inventory (CCRSI)
Initially intended to assess the impact of a career planning program at a gifted and talented baccalaureate magnet high school in a Southeastern city, the College and Career Readiness Self-Efficacy Inventory (CCRSI) is a tool that measures an individual's belief in their ability to enter a career pathway and be successful in higher education settings. The CCRSI contains 14 statements that ask about one's confidence in performing behaviors that are important for college and career readiness, covering four main factors: College Knowledge, Positive Personal Characteristics, Academic Competence, and Potential to Achieve Future Goals. The scale uses a Likert scale ranging from “5: strongly agree” to “1: strongly disagree,” and the CCRSI’s overall score ranges from 14 (low) to 70 (high).
Year developed: 2012.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
CIRP Freshman Survey (TFS)
Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) developed the Freshman Survey for collecting data on incoming college freshmen. The CIRP Freshman Survey focuses on the following domains: established behaviors in high school, academic preparedness, admissions decisions, expectations of college, interactions with peers and faculty, student values and goals, student demographic characteristics, and concerns about financing college.
Year developed: 1966.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES)
The College Academic Self-Efficacy Scales (CASES) measures college students’ self-reported academic self-efficacy. CASES asks respondents to rate their confidence in various college activities such as note-taking, asking questions, writing, and class attendance. CASES has 33 items using a 5-points Likert scale ranging from 0 “very little confidence” to 4 “quite a lot of confidence”.
Year developed: 1988.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
College Readiness Assessment
The College Readiness Assessment (CRA) is a learning progression-based measure of the trajectory of students’ abilities to connect representations of mathematical functions in grades 6-12. As a formative assessment building on cognitive research in mathematics learning, the CRA aims to help students transition smoothly from middle school to college-level math coursework. In contrast to other college readiness tests, which focus on quantitatively scoring the correctness of students’ answers, the CRA uses multi-level items to measure students’ mathematical proficiency from a cognitive perspective. CRA’s six levels of progression intend to show how students’ mathematical understanding and thinking developed rather than how correctly students answered the questions. CRA’s applicability to socioculturally diverse contexts has not been studied extensively.
Year developed: 2011.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
College Readiness for Global Campus Survey
The College Readiness for Global Campus Survey was developed by Lee et al. (2019) to explore the college readiness of US and international undergraduate students. College readiness measures of the College Readiness for Global Campus Survey focus on two domains: academic readiness and sociocultural readiness. The academic readiness domain includes academic competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, computing skills, note-taking, presentation and test-taking skills, reading, writing, and mastery in subject areas. The sociocultural readiness domain includes 11 sociocultural competencies: collaboration and teamwork, commitment to learning, understanding college and career paths, responsibility, academic integrity, communication, creativity, independence, help-seeking, balancing multiple demands, and multicultural competence. The survey uses Likert-type questions ranging from 1 “none” to 5 “excellent”.
Year developed: 2019.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
College Readiness Scale (CRS)
The College Readiness Scale (CRS) was designed to measure college readiness for teenagers with ADHD. It is a self-report measure focusing on behaviors related to college readiness (Maitland & Quinn, 2011). The 43-item scale has three subscales:
- Self-determination, including self-knowledge, communication skills, and self-management (15 items).
- Daily living skills, including self-care, organization, and time management (13 items).
- Academic skills, including self-knowledge, study skills, and time management for academic tasks (15 items).
The Likert-scale items range from 0 “never/not at all” to 4 “very often/very true.” The internal reliability of the CRS is .95.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
College Survival and Success Scale
The College Survival and Success Scale (CSSC) measures noncognitive college readiness. First designed in 2006 and in the 2nd edition since 2011, the subscales that CSSC assesses include:
- Commitment to education.
- Self- and resource-management skills.
- Interpersonal and social skills.
- Academic success skills.
- Career planning skills.
Items are Likert-type, with response options ranging from “a lot like me” to “not like me.”
Year developed: 2006 (2nd edition since 2011).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Early Assessment Program (EAP) English and Math Assessments
California’s Early Assessment Program (EAP) consists of three parts: college readiness testing in 11th grade, academic preparation in 12th grade, and teacher professional development. EAP’s standardized math and English assessments measure high school juniors’ readiness for college-level work at California State University (CSU) campuses. Based on these assessments, EAP classifies students into four levels: 1) standard not met, 2) standard nearly met, 3) standard met, and 4) standard exceeded. Students taking EAP assessments receive information about their college readiness. If they are deemed unprepared for college, they can enroll in remedial courses in 12th grade and participate in the Early Start preparation program in the summer before enrolling in CSU or participating community colleges. The EAP assessments are administered as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests in the spring semester of 11th grade.
Year developed: 2004.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 11th Grade
Georgia Brief School Climate Inventory (GaBSCI)
The Georgia Brief School Climate Inventory (GaBSCI) is a 9-item measure of students' perceptions of school climate across three dimensions (safety, teaching and learning, and relationships within the school).
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) 3rd edition
The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) measures college students’ learning and study strategies. It can be used for screening to identify students at risk of poor academic achievement and for diagnostics to examine strengths and weaknesses and provide focused remediation.
Now in its third edition, LASSI includes 60 items mapping onto ten scales (Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient in parentheses for every scale): Anxiety (.87), Attitude (.76), Concentration (.85), Information Processing (.81), Motivation (.77), Selecting Main Ideas (.86), Self Testing (.80), Test Strategies (.77), Time Management (.80), and Using Academic Resources (.76).
Year developed: LASSI 1st edition: 1987, LASSI 2nd edition: 2002; LASSI 3rd edition: 2016
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Maryland Safe and Supportive School Survey
The Maryland Safe and Supports School Survey was developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Youth Violence Prevention in collaboration with project partners. Researchers from the Center undertook a comprehensive review of the literature focusing on the 3 domains of school climate (safety, engagement, and the environment) included in the USDOE model.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Meriden School Climate Survey-Student Version (MSCS-SV)
The Meriden School Climate Survey-Student Version is a 47-item survey of students’ perception of adult support at school, school safety, respect for differences, adult support at home, including academic support, student aggression toward others, and peer support.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS)
Developed by Hung et al. (2010) and validated on a sample of Taiwanese college students, the Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) explores five dimensions of readiness to study online: self-directed learning, learner control, motivation for learning, computer/Internet self-efficacy, and online communication self-efficacy.
Year developed: 2010.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Perceptions, Expectations, Emotions, and Knowledge about College (PEEK)
Perceptions, Expectations, Emotions, and Knowledge about College (PEEK) is a diagnostic instrument focused on student ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of college. PEEK’s 30 items use a 5-point rating scale (from “not at all likely” to “extremely likely”) to assess students’ academic, personal, and social expectations. Such measurement could potentially assist students in forming more precise perceptions of their college surroundings and potentially prevent disengagement and dropout from college.
Year developed: 1995.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 12th Grade, Post secondary
Readiness and Expectations Questionnaire (REQ)
The Readiness and Expectations Questionnaire (REQ) is a researcher-designed instrument for measuring first-year postsecondary students’ expectations and preparedness for studying in college (Jansen et al., 2013; Jansen & van der Meer, 2007).
In the domain of student expectations, the REQ focuses on the expectations to be inducted by teachers, be involved in research or be told about research activities, that university will be similar to high school, and that they need time-management skills.
In the college readiness domain, the REQ measures students’ perceived readiness in information processing, collaborative learning, time management, and writing.
Year developed: 2006.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
SAT
The SAT is a college entrance exam by the College Board. The SAT has three sections: math test, reading test, and writing and language test.
Year developed: 1926.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 11th Grade, 12th Grade
School Climate and School Identification Measure (SCASIM-St)
The School Climate and School Identification Measure was designed to assess four critical (Student-student relations, Student-staff relations, Shared values and approach, and Academic emphasis) school climate factors along with a social identity measure of school identification in students ranging from grade 7 to grade 10.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade
School Climate Measure (SCM)
This revised version of the School Climate Measure (SCM) is a 42-item measure comprised of 10 subscales, all rated on a 5-point Likert scale. An additional 2 subscales, Parental Involvement and Opportunities for Student Engagement, have been added to the original 8 subscales (Positive Student-Teacher Relationships, School Connectedness, Academic Support, Order and Discipline, Physical Environment, Social Environment, Perceived Exclusion, and Academic Satisfaction) from the first version of the SCM.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2)
The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) was introduced in 2021, replacing the previous version utilized since 2013. As per the Texas State Legislature mandate, all students entering Texas public higher education institutions must undergo TSIA2 or qualify for one of its exemptions. The TSIA2 evaluates students' readiness for college-level coursework by testing them in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and Mathematics.
In ELAR, TSIA2 focuses on two key areas: reading and writing. The reading portion assesses comprehension and analysis of literary, informational, and argumentative texts, including paired passages. Meanwhile, the writing portion evaluates skills in revising and editing sentences, paragraphs, and early drafts of essays.
In mathematics, TSIA2 focuses on four key areas: quantitative reasoning, algebraic reasoning, geometric and spatial reasoning, and probabilistic and statistical reasoning.
Students taking the TSIA2 begin by completing College Readiness Classification (CRC) tests in ELAR and mathematics, comprising multiple-choice questions. If students fail to meet the college readiness benchmarks on these CRC tests, they proceed with the multiple-choice diagnostic tests in ELAR and Mathematics. These diagnostic tests present an additional chance for the students to demonstrate their preparedness for college-level coursework. They also highlight students' strengths and weaknesses in specific content areas, thus facilitating their placement into suitable courses and enabling them to receive the necessary remedial support and interventions.
Year developed: 2021 (TSIA2 replaced TSIA introduced in 2013).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI)
The Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) is an instrument measuring to what extent school personnel use (or need) school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The three tiers in TFI are 1) universal SWPBIS features, 2) targeted SWPBIS features, and 3) intensive SWPBIS features. The scoring of each item in TFI ranges from 0 to 2 (0 not implemented, 1 partially implemented, 2 fully implemented.)
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Tripod School Climate Index
The Tripod School Climate Index is comprised of seven question items across two commonly accepted dimensions of school climate, safety and relationships. Each question item is answered on a 5-point Likert scale by students in grade 6 though grade 12.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Virginia Secondary School Climate Survey/Authoritative School Climate Survey
The Virginia Secondary School Climate Survey also known as the Authoritative School Climate Survey is administered to students and teachers/staff to assess disciplinary structure and student support, two school climate factors that are thought to inlfluence school climate outcomes such as student engagement and prevalence of testing and bullying in school.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
What’s Happening In This School (WHITS) Questionnaire
The What's Happening in This School Questionnaire (WHITS) is a six scale survey measuring school climate designed for use with students ranging from grades 8 through grade 12. The six scales comprising this survey include, teacher support, peer connectedness, school connectedness, affirming diversity, rule clarity, and reporting and seeking help. Respondents answer all 48 items within this survey on a five-point Likert scale.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: School Climate
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade