This is a story about a study in New York, but I think it has relevance here.
The study found that high school grades might be a better indicator of success in college courses than standardized college admission test scores.
The studies, one of a large urban community college system and the other of a statewide system, found that more than a quarter of the students assigned to remedial classes based on their test scores could have passed college-level courses with a grade of B or higher.
“We hear a lot about the high rates of failure in college-level classes at community colleges,” said Judith Scott-Clayton, the author of the urban study and a Teachers College professor of economics and education and senior research associate. “Those are very visible. What’s harder to see are the students who could have done well at college level but never got the chance because of these placement tests.”
Remedial course placement here is determined by scores on the ACT Test, with the cutoff a bit below the average test score. Food for thought.