General Limitations & Recommendations
General Limitations of the Comparative Summary Reports
The following considerations should be kept in mind when interpreting the comparative results:
- This data should be considered comparative rather than normative because the institutions included in the data do not represent proportionally the various types of higher education institutions. The data are drawn entirely from institutions that choose to participate in the ETS Proficiency Profile. Such a self-selected sample may not be representative of all institutions.
- The number of students tested and sampling procedures vary from one institution to another. Therefore, it is impossible to verify that the students tested at each institution are representative of all that institution's students.
- It is helpful when these comparisons involve students at approximately the same point in their educational careers. Students who have not identified their credit status are excluded from these calculations.
- The tables report data for institutions that have tested 30 or more students at the selected class level or number of credit hours attained. Institutions with fewer than 30 test takers at that class level are excluded from these calculations.
General Recommendations for Improvement
The results of the EPP confirm that our students are entering the university with serious deficits in all skill areas as reported by the proportion of incoming freshmen who were classified as proficient on the test. Equally concerning, is the proportion of graduating seniors who were classified as proficient in the skill areas measured by the test. Since 2009, less than 55% of FAMU graduating seniors were classified as proficient in the skill areas measured by the test. Additionally, less than 10% of graduating seniors completing the test were classified as proficient in Critical Thinking, Writing Level 3 and Mathematics Level 3. Following are recommendations for improvement:
- More emphasis across colleges/schools should be placed on addressing the competencies measured by the test.
- Colleges and schools should reinforce to students the importance to taking the test seriously, as it is an indicator of what they have learned over their matriculation at FAMU.
- Colleges and schools should encourage and incentivize student participation on the test.
- In general education courses, in addition to upper division courses, these skill sets should be emphasized and assessed as a way of speaking to what students should know and/or be able to do at the end of the degree program.
- The test should be administered to all incoming freshmen during orientation week as a way of gauging the knowledge and skills that students possess when they enter the university.
- Colleges and schools should mandate all undergraduate graduating senior participate in the test prior to graduation.