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April 24, 2007
Contact: Bob Adams
(425) 564-3081
badams@bcc.ctc.edu
ETS, BCC sign agreement to test
student assessment techniques
BELLEVUE, WASH. – Bellevue Community College (BCC) and ETS, the major developer of national student assessments including the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) have signed a three-year agreement to work together in testing new ways to measure the academic progress of community college students.
Under the agreement, BCC will serve as a site at which ETS will test and gather student and faculty feedback on current ETS products and those still in conceptualization or development, such as the Major Field Test for Associate Degree Business Programs, which is scheduled to launch this fall, and other assessments that measure critical thinking and college and workforce readiness.
“Bellevue Community College has always been known for its pioneering spirit and innovative educational programs,” says Linda Tyler, ETS’ Executive Director of Postsecondary Solutions. “These attributes make BCC a fertile ground for collaboration on new ideas and for pilot testing the assessment and instructional tools that ETS is developing specifically to meet the needs of community colleges nationwide.”
“At Bellevue Community College we are committed to student success,” said BCC President Jean Floten. “That’s why we are so excited to be part of a team that is developing new and better ways to gauge students’ readiness for college, and to measure student learning in specific courses and programs. ETS is known around the world for the effectiveness of their assessment products, and it is an honor to work with them in bringing that expertise to the goal of improving the results for community college students.”
Floten is a member of ETS’ National Community College Advisory Council, a group of 16 community college chancellors and presidents who help ETS stay current on the growing importance of America’s community colleges and their specific instructional and student assessment challenges.
About Bellevue Community College
Nationally-recognized for innovative educational programs, Bellevue Community College is the third largest educational institution in Washington state, behind only the University of Washington and Washington State University. Serving approximately 35,000 students each year, BCC offers transfer study (the first two years of college) as well as work-related programs in information technology, health sciences and many other fields. BCC’s Continuing Education division offers programs in computing, various work-related topics, art, travel, languages and personal enrichment, as well as business contract training and small business development. Visit BCC on the web at www.bellevuecollege.edu.
About ETS
ETS is a nonprofit institution with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional development products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments, and research-based teaching and learning tools. Founded in 1947, ETS today develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. Additional information is available at www.ets.org.
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