College Persistence of Readers on the Margin: A Population Overlooked

This study was born from the idea that valid comparison research can be conducted with students who are placed into and exempt from required developmental reading courses and that these groups do contain students with similar reading ability. This overlooked population consists of students with placement test scores that hover tightly on either side of pass or fail. Using the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) of the reading COMPASS™ placement test to identify two groups with statistically similar reading ability, this study investigates the persistence of a select group of students who just narrowly placed into or out of the highest level required developmental reading course in one community college system. These students have statistically similar reading placement scores but very different paths taken in relation to the requirement of developmental reading education. Initially, two groups emerged: those who were exempt from developmental reading education because their score fell on the passing side of the SEM and those who did take developmental reading education because their score fell on the failing side of the SEM. Ultimately, three statistically similar groups were identified: those completing, those not completing, and those exempt from a required developmental reading course. The results of a binary logistic regression analysis showed that group membership was a statistically significant predictor of persistence. All groups began with theoretically the same reading skill level, based on the SEM, yet group membership in relation to successful completion of a required developmental reading course was associated with a statistically significant greater likelihood of persisting in college over the course of 10 terms.