Testing

Services
Update

Division of Student Affairs

Testing
Services Update

Reaching

new

HEIGHTS
1

Achievement

Previous testing schedule could not

handle increased demand
There was an increase in demand for the number of test sessions for
special populations (ACE, College Now, High Schools (International
and Middle College), re-invites for SIC and direct admits. As a result,
more test sessions were added to accommodate the growing demand
by testing in the evenings until 7 PM and Saturdays.

Improved Student Services

and CUNY Compliance

The Testing Offices hours of operation: Monday Thursday 9 AM until 7 PM and test sessions end at
8 PM. Friday 9 AM to 3 PM (until 6 PM during final
exam retests and Saturday 9 AM 3 PM).
With the hiring of additional staff the Testing Office
is able to extend hours of operation and adhere to
CUNYs proctor to student ratio of 15:1.

Results of test to faculty

came too late for faculty to
meet with their students

Math

CATW

Student results of math

test were given to
department in one
document for up to 80
courses. The math
department did not have
the administrative staff to
divide the courses and
email to faculty. Testing
Office worked with
Information Systems to
develop a system that
allows math faculty to
receive the results of the
math final test by
individual course sections.

Testing Office, with

additional staff, were
able to process all CATW
scores within 24 hours
allowing faculty to meet
and advise their students
on Reading Day. Plans
are underway to provide
faculty with the CATW
assessment results as a
guide to inform them of
students areas of
weakness.

In the past the testing proctor ratio was 35:1. As

a result of the additional testing funds the Testing
Office (from October 14 to March 1) increased staff
and was able to add 55 testing sessions adding over
5,000 additional test seats during the evening and
Saturdays.

Achievement

Increase enrollment in FYIP

Students who test into remediation are given information about FYIP
and are immediately referred to the FYIP office. This has been the
primary mode of recruitment for this program prior to new student
advisement.

Achievement

Students not knowing their test session,

because CUNY Central sends out letters
The Testing Office leverages technology to proactively communicate
with students and monitor test sessions by 1) communicating testing
appointments by email and VIP (incorporating IDEAS42
recommendations) 2) SEMS is utilized to monitor attendance of test
sessions. These technologies allow for students to be informed of
the entire testing process including their appointment time, reminder
of test before test date and post test session information and testing
results are posted on VIP.

Achievement

The Testing Office established a process

calendar for testing services in collaboration with
department chairs, Queens College Reading
Center and other special programs for uniformity
of expectations and accountability.
Technology was leveraged to ease
administrative burden. This has resulted
increased satisfaction among Academic
Affairs and students.
The faculty can now add re-test information on
their syllabus to allow students to plan ahead.

CATW Re-leveling
Concerns of 3 week lag time was voiced
by special populations
More efficient process implemented summer of 2014: delivery of
booklets to Queens and ELA department has improved and the
scores entered by staff has increased. The process now takes 1 week
(especially during peak operations).

Achievement

Writing booklets not designated ESL

The Testing Director explored the option of having non-ESL booklets
not reviewed by ELA. The department had reviewed testing data
and found no correlation of ESL competencies in failing booklets.
Therefore, all failing books had to be read. Regardless, the additional
staff was able to handle the process and post scores within 1 day of
receiving ELA booklets.

Benefits

Statistic Overview

Enhance the quality of service offered by Testing Office in

accordance with College Strategic Plan target 9.1.3 by:

95%
TIME

RESULTS

EFFICIENCY

Ensuring academic
Providing more exam options
Enhancing efficiency and
departments receive exam
and reduced wait time for test
effectiveness of services
results in an expedited fashion provided by the Testing Office
takers, increasing student
satisfaction
and its stakeholders

Finals and
Midterm Retesting
Leveraging Technology
Ease administrative burden for both academic departments and Testing
Office by utilizing an online sign up for retests.
Working with Academic Chairs and Program Directors the calendar
outlines when faculty designate students who are eligible to test,
when students would sign up and when results would be
available.
This is completed using LaGuardias web attendance.

Proactive Communication
Students are communicated with using
their email and MyLaGuardia about
their appointment time, and are
sent confirmation of
appointment and
reminders
before the
retest
date.

97%

The staff members were very

helpful and generous. Handle a
huge amount of people easily

96%

I consider my testing experience

today amazing based on the good
service I received from LAGCC
staff

91%
96%
95%
95%
96%
96%

of the respondents Agreed or Strongly Agreed that

I received friendly service from the staff
of respondents Agreed or Strongly Agreed that
The testing staff was knowledgeable and helpful
of respondents Agreed or Strongly Agreed that
The testing staff was professional

New Students Tests

94%
97%
97%

2181 student responses

(June - Sept. 2014)

Current Student Retests

Writing CATW

It was a good and a relaxing

experience
At first I was really nervous, but
the proctor was so kind that I felt
more at ease taking the test

570 student responses

(Spring II 2014)

Current Student Retests

Reading

My testing experience went very

well today. The staff was helpful
and told me what I needed to do

705 student responses

(Spring II 2014)

Current Student Retests

Math

1468 student responses

(Spring II 2014)

It was great the staff was very

professional

Academic Affairs

I would like to express my gratitude to you for your flexibility to accommodate the needs of our
students. With more testing slots (evening and weekend), students were able to take the test
without having to skip their classes or taking a day off from their work. Under your leadership,
the Testing Office has tremendously improved its service and schedules. I hope you will
continue with this and/or provide more lots. (Fan, Wenjuan, former Chair of ELA, 1/6/15)
Your distribution of our FYI schedule/flyer to new students and sending them directly to our
office has allowed us to fill up our class sections in a timely manner. Setting up testing dates
in advance helps our office as well as faculty and students in course planning. We have
already set up testing dates for our upcoming Fall 2015 session. (Bruno, Vincent, Director of
First Year Programs, 1/8/15)
I am writing to let you know how crucial it was during Fall I 2014 for the Testing Office to offer
evening and Saturday time slots for CATW re-testing. This helped ensure the successful
implementation of the new re-test model, in which students are required to sign-up for exams,
rather than being tested in their classes, overseen by proctors. I hope that we can continue
to offer CATW re-testing during evenings and Saturdays. Without this, I have serious doubts
about how we could use the new re-test procedure involving student sign-up for test times.
(Tapper, Gordon, Chair of English, 1/9/15)

LAGUARDIA

Special Populations

Our success to help students transition to the credit side is due to you allowing our students to take their
placement examsthis allows us to provide early assessment to refer them to special programs like FYI
and CUNY Start. Your staff are always professional and willing to go the extra mile to make themselves
available to my office, and our students. Your leadership as Director has been exemplary. I greatly value
our partnership and look forward to our continued success! (Correa, Erika, Director of ACE Advisement,
1/9/15)
Your proctors were all very courteous and patient with students, teachers and advisors. Its apparent
that youve made some efforts to train your staff in the areas of communication and collaboration, and the
increase in staff has made a marked improvement regarding organization, efficiency and productivity.
(Bayrakdar, Deema, Director of CUNY Start, 1/12/15).
I applaud you for your diligence with the cohort of CLIP students who tested recently. How quickly you
were able to get the placements on the system is impressive. (Housel, David, Director of CLIP, 2/10/15)