TASP test removed

If you’ve ever lamented over the testing requirements imposed on you at college admission, listen to this: TASP is gone. A new law now requires different testing guidelines that may ease restrictions on college newbies. And students who fail the new test are strongly encouraged, but not required to take developmental classes.

As of Sept. 1 this year, the Texas State Legislature has authorized the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to make the TASP, renamed Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA), only one of several tests from which a college of university may choose to administer.

“This will allow Texas colleges and universities to put forth their own tests,” said State Representative Diane Delisi, who authored the bill called the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). “I am interested in removing every barrier possible for my constituents to move ahead in higher education,” she said.

“In one sense, the TASP was redundant. No student could move forward in any other classes without having passed the TASP,” she said, and added that a lot of older students - in their 30s and 40s – came to her with this complaint. This is a problem that more than just older students have run into since 1989, the year the TASP was made mandatory by the state.

Since then, if a student did not score at or above a satisfactory level, he or she would be placed in the appropriate developmental courses. Until these courses were completed with a grade of “C” or better, the student was only allowed to take other college-level credit classes as long as they were also enrolled in the developmental courses.

“If a student was in a developmental course, as well as other classes, and the student dropped the developmental course, the other classes also had to be dropped,” said Velma Hargis, district director of student programs.

“Now, with TSI, the law says we must test them, assess them and advise them,” said Hargis, “it is up to the student as to when to take remediation.” Which she hopes, “will give students relief from the pressures they had under TASP.” “ I want remediation tailormade to the students’ needs, not to the tests’ needs,” said Delisi. Hargis feels that now, it is. “It helps us with out advising skills and to help the student be more successful,” she added.

This new law also helps accommodate those with certain handicaps. “For those students who have difficulty with the computer, we have Asset. It is a paper and pencil version that can be taken off campus. It is written by ACT and comes in Braille, large print and audio tape,” explained Hargis. “We now have a testing instrument that has accommodations for every student’s needs,” she said.

The TSI not only helps advising, students’ scheduling and special needs, it also alleviates a little pressure on the pocketbook. According to Hargis, the TASP cost to the student was $29 each time it was taken. But, since the Accuplacer is being given district-wide instead of the TASP, there is no fee charged to DCCCD students.

For you lucky few who have been labeled “TASP exempt” (and you know who you are), fear not. “Everyone who was TASP exempt prior to Sept. 1 is still exempt, said Hargis, meaning that the Accuplacer must still be taken by the student, but new students who are exempt will only have to take it the first time. If remediation is necessary, the student will be advised to enroll in developmental courses. “We don’t want to put students in classes they’re not ready for,” she added.

But don’t get too excited. The rest of you still have to pass the test. If a student doesn’t pass one or both sections of the test, they will have to retest, said Hargis. The main difference for the student is that now there is a choice as to when and if developmental classes are taken. “Students are strongly encouraged to take remedial courses, but they may wait until the next semester and retake the test, said Hargis. “They may only take the test once per term.”

Another big difference is that rounds of developmental classes are no longer required. “A student who did not pass the TASP, used to be required to take developmental classes until they passed the TASP,” said Hargis. This is some of the redundancy that Delisi was talking about. Now students only need to pass the highest level of developmental classes to take college level courses, explained Hargis.

“We are going by the prerequisites listed in the catalog,” she said. These prerequisites include the highest level of developmental courses or to have met TSI. But Sept. 1, when the bill took effect, is after the fall semester began, and many students were required to take the TASP before enrolling this semester. Hargis said that in these cases, TASP scores prior to Sept. 1 will be honored.

Basically, things are the same for most students. All new students must take the test at least once, and those who don’t pass now have the choice of which classes to take and when. For more information about TSI, you may visit the THECB Website at www.thecb.state.tx.us, and click on the Community and Technical Colleges link.