Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress

Results

MAPP

Missouri State University

Missouri State University

Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress Results

Summer 2006 through Spring 2007

Prepared by

Laura B. Knowles

Center for Assessment and Instructional Support

Missouri State University

Martha Kirker, Ph. D.

Director

Report Number: LOCSUR08-01

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Mean Total Scores for Missouri State University Students 1

Summary Results for Fiscal Year 2007 2

Norm-Referenced Data .2

Student-Reported Data 5

Mean Total Score .5

Mean Total Score by Class .5

Mean Total Score by GPA .6

Mean Total Scores According to Percent of General

Education Requirements Completed .6

Mean Total Score According to Hours Worked per Week .7

Mean Total Score According to Transfer Hours 7

Criterion-Referenced Data 8

Baccalaureate Means by Department for Fiscal Year 2007 .9

Summary Results for Fiscal Year 2006 .10

Norm-Referenced Data 10

Student-Reported Data 10

Mean Total Score 10

Mean Total Score by Class 11

Mean Total Score by GPA 11

Mean Total Scores According to Percent of General

Education Requirements Completed 11

Mean Total Score According to Hours Worked per Week 12

Mean Total Score According to Transfer Hours 12

Criterion-Referenced Data 13

1

This report presents the summary results of the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP) for the most recent two fiscal years. This new general education examination replaces the Academic Profile Examination which has provided exit information for Missouri State University students completing their undergraduate degree during the previous thirteen years. The Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress will produce scores that are comparable to the scores produced by the Academic Profile according to the Educational Testing Service.

The summary results for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007 are presented as an addendum to the previous publication of general education exit information which included data for fall 1992 through spring 2006. The addendum repeats the summary information for fiscal year 2006 from the previous publication for comparative purposes.

Mean Total Scores for Missouri State University Students

The mean total scores for Missouri State University baccalaureate graduates from fiscal years 1994 through 2007 have exceeded individual and institutional comparative

means as reported by ETS. The “percentage assessed” is calculated using the number of graduates who took an exit exam at the time of their graduation. As illustrated in the table, this percentage has been above 98% since 1996.

Year / Missouri State Mean / Individual Comparative Mean / Institutional Comparative Mean / Percentage Assessed
FY07 / 450 / 448 / 448 / 99.86
FY06 / 451 / 448 / 449 / 99.52
FY05 / 451 / 448 / 449 / 99.80
FY04 / 452 / 448 / 449 / 99.29
FY03 / 452 / 448 / 449 / 99.26
FY02 / 453 / 449 / 449 / 99.48
FY01 / 452 / 449 / 449 / 99.51
FY00 / 452 / 449 / 449 / 99.71
FY99 / 451 / 449 / 449 / 99.81
FY98 / 451 / 449 / 449 / 99.17
FY97 / 452 / 450 / 98.61
FY96 / 452 / 450 / 98.63
FY95 / 453 / 450 / 94.62
FY94 / 454 / 450 / 89.65

Norm-Referenced Data

Missouri State University senior mean scores for the 2007 fiscal year[1] were above the Master’s (Comprehensive) Colleges and Universities I and II-Senior comparative means for the following norm-referenced test dimensions: Reading, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science. Missouri State University scored below the comparative mean for Writing. The subscores are reported on a scale that extends from 100 to 130. Although the subscores are all reported on the same scale, they are not comparable between dimensions.

The distribution of individual students’ subscores was used as a comparison.

Norm-Referenced Test / Missouri State University FY07 Un-weighted Mean / National Comparative Mean[2]
Reading / 119.64 / 119.60
Writing / 114.87 / 115.30
Critical Thinking / 113.40 / 112.00
Mathematics / 114.92 / 114.40
Humanities / 116.25 / 115.70
Social Science / 115.02 / 114.40
Natural Science / 116.72 / 115.80
Norm-Referenced Test / Missouri State University FY07 Weighted Mean / National Comparative Mean2
Reading / 120.00 / 119.60
Writing / 115.19 / 115.30
Critical Thinking / 113.67 / 112.00
Mathematics / 115.32 / 114.40
Humanities / 116.55 / 115.70
Social Science / 115.23 / 114.40
Natural Science / 116.94 / 115.80

The following bar graphs illustrate senior norm-referenced weighted means for the 2007 calendar year, including spring, summer, and fall 2007 semesters. Senior semester averages were weighted and combined to create a total mean. The graphs are broken into skill subscores: Critical Thinking, Writing, Reading, Mathematics; and context-based subscores: Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science. National comparative data was retrieved from the Educational Testing Services webpage in March 2008.[3]

Ø  Missouri State University senior weighted means were above the national comparison for each norm-referenced skills subscore (Critical Thinking, Writing, Reading, and Mathematics).

Ø  Missouri State University senior weighted means were above the national comparison for each norm-referenced context-based subscore (Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science).

Student-Reported Data

Ø  The total scores are reported on a scale that extends from 400 to 500.

Ø  Mean total score for Missouri State University baccalaureate graduates (450.32) was above the national comparative mean total score (448.0).

Ø  Average total score was higher for seniors (449.69) than for juniors (445.12). These students indicated they were juniors or seniors at the time of the MAPP examination. Included are students who did not graduate in fiscal year 2007.

Ø  Mean total scores increased relative to increases in self-reported grade point averages. The sample size was too small to determine a mean total score for students scoring in the 1.00 to 1.99 grade point average category.

Ø  Students who took the examination after successfully completing 100% of the general education/core curriculum distribution requirements had a higher mean total score (450.69) than those students who had completed about 75% of the requirements (448.45).

Ø  Those students who reported working 1 to 15 hours per week had the highest mean total score (450.87).

Ø  Students who reported that they had transferred one to 15 credits to Missouri State University received a higher mean total score (452.59) than students in the other three categories.

Criterion-Referenced Data

For the summer 2006 through spring 2007 semesters, 71.3% of Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-writing, the lowest level.

Writing Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2007)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 6% / 22.3% / 71.3%
Level 2 / 37.0% / 39.0% / 24.0%
Level 3- highest / 62.3% / 28.7% / 9.0%

For the summer 2006 through spring 2007 semesters, 70.3% Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-mathematics, the lowest level.

Mathematics Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2007)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 12.0% / 17.7% / 70.3%
Level 2 / 30.3% / 29.3% / 40.0%
Level 3- highest / 66.0% / 23.0% / 11%

For the summer 2006 through spring 2007 semesters, 73% of Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-reading, the lowest level.

Reading Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2007)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 9.0% / 18.0% / 73.0%
Level 2 / 34.7% / 17.3% / 48.0%
Level 3- Critical Thinking / 69.3% / 21.0% / 10.0%

The following graph illustrates average scores of graduating seniors by department for fiscal year 2007. Department names are not indicated, however, the number of graduates from each department is indicated. When looking at the average scores of graduating seniors, there is considerable variance between departments, ranging from 444 to 465. Additionally, the number of graduates per department varies greatly, ranging from 11 graduates to 247 graduates.

Norm-Referenced Data

Missouri State University mean scores for the 2006 fiscal year were above the Master’s (Comprehensive) Colleges and Universities I and II-Senior comparative means for all seven of the norm-referenced test dimensions: Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science. The subscores are reported on a scale that extends from 100 to 130. Although the subscores are all reported on the same scale, they are not comparable between dimensions.

Norm-Referenced Test / Missouri State University FY06 Un-weighted Mean / National Comparative Mean[4]
Reading / 120.79 / 119.88
Writing / 116.06 / 115.42
Critical Thinking / 112.81 / 112.16
Mathematics / 115.66 / 114.60
Humanities / 116.42 / 115.78
Social Science / 115.12 / 114.60
Natural Science / 116.69 / 116.04

Student-Reported Data

Ø  The total scores are reported on a scale that extends from 400 to 500.

Ø  Mean total score for Missouri State University baccalaureate graduates (451.00) was above the national comparative mean total score (448.0).

Ø  Average total score was higher for seniors (452.40) than for juniors (446.37). These students indicated they were juniors or seniors at the time of the Academic Profile Examination. Included are students who did not graduate in fiscal year 2006.

Ø  Mean total scores increased relative to increases in self-reported grade point averages.

Ø  Students who took the examination after successfully completing 100% of the general education/core curriculum distribution requirements had a higher mean total score (452.31) than those students who had completed about 75% of the requirements (445.22).

Ø  Those students who reported working 16 to 30 hours per week had the highest mean total score (452.94).

Ø  Students who reported that they had transferred one to 15 credits to Missouri State University received a higher mean total score (453.73) than students in the other three categories.

Criterion-Referenced Data

For the summer 2005 through spring 2006 semesters, 78% of Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-writing, the lowest level.

Writing Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2006)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 4.7% / 17.0% / 78.3%
Level 2 / 29.0% / 46.0% / 24.3%
Level 3- highest / 50.7% / 38.7% / 10.7%

For the summer 2005 through spring 2006 semesters, 67% Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-mathematics, the lowest level.

Mathematics Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2006)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 7.3% / 25.7% / 67.0%
Level 2 / 30.0% / 30.3% / 39.7%
Level 3- highest / 67.0% / 24.3% / 8.7%

For the summer 2005 through spring 2006 semesters, 77% of Missouri State University seniors were proficient at Level 1-reading, the lowest level.

Reading Average Percentage of Seniors (Fiscal Year 2006)
Level / Not Proficient / Marginal / Proficient
Level 1- lowest / 7.3% / 16.0% / 77.0%
Level 2 / 31.0% / 20.3% / 48.3%
Level 3- Critical Thinking / 73.7% / 19.3% / 6.7%

1

[1] Missouri State University means were calculated using senior mean scores for spring 2007, fall 2006 and summer 2006 semesters. Mean scores were combined to produce un-weighted and weighted means for fiscal year 2007.

[2] National Comparison Data is based on the Distribution of Individual Student Subscores downloaded from Educational Testing Services webpage in September 2007.

[3] National Comparison Data is based on the Distribution of Individual Student Subscores downloaded from Educational Testing Services webpage in March 2008.

[4] National Comparison Data is based on the Distribution of Institutional Subscores downloaded from Educational Testing Services webpage in June 2005.