Assessment
The course placement process is a vital part of new student enrollment. A Guided Self-Placement process is utilized to recommend appropriate courses in English and mathematics. Students may be also be assessed in English as a Second Language (ESL), chemistry, Spanish, and French to ensure appropriate course selection in each of these areas. Counselors utilize all available information to help students select courses appropriate to their skills and academic goal.
Multiple Measures
The mission of Las Positas College is to provide quality educational opportunities to all students who seek to increase their knowledge and to improve their skills by enrolling in general education, career and transfer education, continuing education and basic skills courses. While it is recognized that the final responsibility for the selection of proper courses rests with the student, the College offers a variety of programs and services prior to enrollment to help advise students about how to match their individual educational needs with specific college resources. Any single assessment instrument will be inadequate for successfully advising students as to appropriate course enrollment. Multiple measures assessment must, therefore, be the process for all recommended course enrollments, including advice given by counselors, instructors, and other personnel.
Multiple measures assessment is broad in scope. No list of factors that may be included in a multiple measures assessment is exhaustive; however, some general categories and examples can be outlined. Student factors may include cognitive skills, which may be inferred from test scores, grade point averages (GPA) and transcripts; emotional well-being, motivational level and educational goals which may be elicited in an interview or self-reported; social factors, such as life experience, family responsibilities and social support for educational effort; economic factors, such as job demands and financial resources; and physical factors. Factors associated with the instructor, the institution and the community can often interact with student factors to further indicate the potential for success in a given course.
New Student Orientation and Program Planning Session
Students who are new to Las Positas College are encouraged to participate in an online orientation prior to registering for classes. Students without previous college experience are further encouraged to attend an in-person planning session, to learn vital information for making informed decisions about their college career and academic choices. Group planning sessions are available by appointment, during which counselors provide interpretation of student placement results, and assist with selection of first semester courses. Once enrolled and attending classes at Las Positas College, individual counseling appointments may be scheduled for long-term educational planning.