College Course Placement, Public Institutions
The HECC works closely with Oregon community colleges and public universities on placement and related education initiatives. College course placement is distinct from the admissions process. After students are admitted to a community college or university, their readiness for credit-bearing college courses in writing and mathematics may be determined through placement tests, previous academic achievement, and other measures. Students can find information about each institution's placement process on the college or university website.
Community College Course Placement
In 2016, the HECC and the State Board of Education carried out a legislative directive to research and jointly submitted a report on Community College Course Placement, pursuant to HB 2681. This report provides an overview and recommendations related to using a system of multiple measures for placing students in community college coursework.
Smarter Balanced Scores and College Course Placement
In 2015, Oregon Community College Presidents and Public University Provosts agreed to incorporate Smarter Balanced test scores into their processes for placement into credit-bearing college courses. These agreements apply to high school students graduating in Oregon and entering an Oregon community college or public university the following fall. The agreements were extended in 2018 to support continued improvement of score reporting. There was no administration of the Smarter Balanced Assessments in Spring 2020, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, multiple measures for placement must rely on other academic measures of college readiness.