Academic & Student Services

University of Wisconsin
Competency-Based Admission (CBA)

Pilot Project
Spring 1998: Final Report

Background

The University of Wisconsin (UW) System includes two doctoral-granting universities, 11 comprehensive universities, 13 freshman-sophomore colleges and UW-Extension. A 17-member Board of Regents establishes policy and rules governing the system. Admission into all UW institutions requires the completion of 17 Carnegie units of high school coursework, including 4 units of English, 3 units each of mathematics, science, and social studies, and four units of 'academic electives.' In the past 5 years, we have developed a Competency-based Admission (CBA) process to supplement the traditional admission route. This is an alternative admission process that is designed to provide students from high schools with a non-traditional curricular structure an equitable opportunity to gain admission to UW institutions. CBA was undertaken by the UW System to support K-12 school reform initiatives and to keep the traditional university admission process from becoming a potential barrier to those efforts. CBA will not replace the Carnegie admission process, but it will provide high school faculty with an option to select the process that is best suited to their curricular structure. It is not intended to be more or less rigorous than the traditional process nor is it intended to drive high school curriculum.

CBA Process

The CBA process is based on students demonstrating appropriate levels of performance on a set of defined academic competencies. These competencies were developed by UW faculty in consultation with K-12 faculty and Wisconsin Technical College System faculty. They cover the same 5 major academic discipline areas that are required in the traditional process -- English, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign languages. The student's level of competency is assessed by the high school teaching faculty using a variety of methods. The competency levels are reported on a Standardized Reporting Profile (SRP) using a 5-point rating scale. Schools may use the CBA process as a supplement to, or in lieu of, a traditional transcript.

Pilot Study

In 1993, the Board of Regents authorized a CBA pilot study. Eight high schools were selected as initial pilot sites to help develop and test the process. Teams from these schools and admission officials from each UW institution participated in a thorough training component which was funded by a federal grant from the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. A random group of students from the pilot schools submitted application material that included both a traditional transcript and a CBA profile for admission in Fall, 1996. A second group of students from seven pilot high schools applied in Fall, 1997. The application material was separated into two separate files in the admission offices: one file contained all the traditional application material; the second file contained the CBA application material. An admission decision was made by separate staff members based on each of these two files. During the pilot study, students judged admissible by either route were admitted to the institution.

Findings

A total of 593 applications were processed throughout the UW System from 406 pilot school students. We were interested in answering three basic questions:

1. What is the relationship between competency evaluations and other measures of students' pre-university performance;
2. How much time is required for processing CBA material, and what is the degree of agreement between admission decisions based on a traditional transcript and on an SRP; and
3. What is the relationship between competency ratings and student performance in the first year in the university?

Some of the findings from this pilot study are described below. It is important to keep in mind that the data for all UW institutions, which have different missions and admission standards, were pooled.

CBA AND OTHER PRE-UNIVERSITY MEASURES

* Competency evaluations done by teachers correlated closely with the high school grades earned in each subject area, but they were not identical. The chart below illustrates the distribution of grades (A=4) and the distribution of Competency Evaluations (SRP score, 1-5; 3.0=satisfactory performance) for first round pilot students in English.

* SRP scores were significantly correlated with the external criteria (high school grades, ACT subject scores, placement test grades) available in the matching subject areas. Furthermore, the SRP scores were more highly correlated with criteria from the matching subject than with criteria from other subjects.

* For English, science and overall, SRP scores correlated more closely with ACT subject scores than did high school grades.

 
Grades/ACT
SRP/ACT
English
.39
.51
Math
.61
.61
Science
.38
.55
Overall
.48
.63

THE ADMISSION PROCESS

* There was substantial agreement between the admission decision based on CBA and the decision based on traditional credentials (transcript): overall, 85% of the decision were identical. In those cases in which the decisions were not in agreement, students were more frequently accepted based on traditional credentials and denied based on CBA than the converse.

* With experience, the time required to process CBA material decreased, but still took longer than processing traditional admission material. Admission officials indicated that, with additional experience, they would put into place some of the automated features which are typically used with the traditional process.

Table 1. Person Minutes Used in Admission Decision

 
Transcript
Competency: SRP
Difference:
SRP-Trans.
Group
Round 1
Round 2
Round 1
Round 2
Round 1
Round 2
Admitted by both: 70%
6.7
5.9
15.3
7.1 *
10.1
2.5 *
Admitted only by SRP: 4%
9.9
13.0
51.0
16.1 **
41.1
0.3 *
Admitted only by transcript: 11%
13.1
10.0
27.7
11.2 *
14.6
4.3
Denied by both: 15%
11.9
9.4
27.1
6.9 *
15.1
0.6 **
Total
8.1
7.2
19.2
8.1 *
12.5
2.4 *

* significantly different with 99% confidence; ** significantly different with 95% confidence.

CBA AND PERFORMANCE IN UW INSTITUTIONS

* Competency scores provided by the high school teachers were as effective in predicting student outcomes in the first year of college as traditional admission criteria such as high school grades, rank in class and ACT scores. The combination of SRP scores for English, mathematics, social studies and science plus credits attempted in the first term explains 46% of the variance in the first term grades. The combination of high school grade point average, class rank, ACT composite score plus credits attempted also explains 46% of the variance in first term grades.

* Competency evaluation was done using a 5-point scale. High school faculty were asked to use '3' as the rating which described a student who was prepared for university level work. The higher ratings were reserved for those students with exceptional mastery of the knowledge or skills addressed in the competency statements. For some of our data analysis, we grouped students by the number of competency areas in which they received a rating of '3' or higher. All measures of performance showed students with stronger overall SRP profiles doing better: they were more likely to be retained, to take more credits and to earn higher GPAs.

Table 2. SRP Scores, Retention and Performance for Pilot Student in the 3rd Semester

 
Of the Percent of Students who were Retained
# of SRP Areas Rated Three or Higher
Students
Percent Retained
Mean 3rd Term GPA
Mean Cum GPA
Percent 2.0 and Higher
Mean Credits Attempted
0
25
73%
2.42
2.45
74%
37.4
1
26
73%
2.60
2.58
84%
40.9
2
36
75%
2.74
2.85
89%
42.1
3
25
80%
2.76
2.83
95%
44.1
4
35
94%
3.08
3.15
100%
44.5

Current Status of Competency-Based Admission
in the UW System

In November 1997, the UW System Board of Regents formally approved the CBA process for use statewide in lieu of, or as a supplement to, the traditional admission process for all UW institutions. High schools wishing to participate will be provided with orientation and instruction in CBA. We will continue to evaluate for several years the performance of students who enter UW institutions using CBA. By August 1998, all high schools in Wisconsin must adopt content, performance and proficiency standards for all students. We will also continue to work closely with K-12 educators in the state to ensure that our admission process and assessments are aligned with these standards.

We welcome your questions and comments. If you would like to discuss the possibility of using Competency-Based Admission for some or all students from your high school, please contact:

 
Page content last updated December 27, 2000.