[COPLAC-IR] GRE Scores?

[Miller, Richard A]

I use the percentile section of our institutional GRE reports, and track the percentile distributions over time.

However, there's a really big caveat:

GRE Scores typically represent a very small portion of the student body.
They're a self-selected group, and so, the skills they demonstrate on standardized test scores likely represent an upwardly biased population.

There's another big challenge --- GRE can only send data if the test-taker identifies you, and gives permission to send results.
When I studied this issue, I estimated that we receive GRE scores for about half of the students we eventually find attending graduate institutions
(using the Clearinghouse).

In short, I'd classify GRE Scores as suggestive and encouraging, but not necessarily conclusive.

In terms of the quality of evidence of learning outcomes, it's just a little bit better than an anecdote, but that's about it.

The paid GRE reports will tell you the same thing as your paper reports, and face the same limitations (the student needs to identify your institution as a test score recipient).

I know a lot of institutions include GRE scores in their assessment documentation.  I do too --- but reluctantly and with lengthy caveats.



From: coplac-ir-bounces at lists.onenet.net [mailto:coplac-ir-bounces at lists.onenet.net] On Behalf Of Clune-Kneuer, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 6:17 AM
To: Sarah Hardy; Nancy Helsper
Cc: COPLAC IR List
Subject: Re: [COPLAC-IR] GRE Scores?

We have not really utilized the GRE scores.  In the past, I received them on paper.  A few years ago, I switched to the disk format.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth A. Clune-Kneuer, M.Ed.
Associate Director of Institutional Research
Office of Institutional Research and Reporting
Glendening Hall 146
St. Mary's College of Maryland
18952 E. Fisher Rd.
St. Mary's City, MD 20686
ph:  (240) 895-4274
fax: (240) 895-4472

From: coplac-ir-bounces at lists.onenet.net<mailto:coplac-ir-bounces at lists.onenet.net> [mailto:coplac-ir-bounces at lists.onenet.net] On Behalf Of Sarah Hardy
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 6:09 PM
To: Nancy Helsper
Cc: COPLAC IR List
Subject: Re: [COPLAC-IR] GRE Scores?

To my knowledge we have never done anything with GRE scores here at UMF.
(Though once I did try to work with the EPS Praxis II data and it was a nightmare.)

Sarah
On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 5:24 PM, Nancy Helsper <helsper at morris.umn.edu<mailto:helsper at morris.umn.edu>> wrote:
COPLAC institutional researchers:

I'm looking for advice.  Do you receive GRE scores for your students?  If so, do you get the hard copies and have someone enter them into a spreadsheet, or do you get the electronic downloads, or the annual CD?  Do you have any tips for working with the data that comes from ETS?  Someone mentioned needing a conversion macro to use the electronic data.

Nancy Helsper

--

Nancy Helsper, Director of Institutional Research
Coordinator of Assessment / Catalog Coordinator
University of Minnesota, Morris
315 Behmler Hall
600 East 4th St.
Morris, MN 56267
helsper at morris.umn.edu<mailto:helsper at morris.umn.edu>
reports.morris.umn.edu/<http://reports.morris.umn.edu/>


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--

Sarah Hardy, PhD
Director of Institutional Research
Associate Professor of Mathematics
University of Maine Farmington
207-778-7124    Office: Brinkman 100
Link to Schedule: http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~hardys/SHardyCalendar.html<http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/%7Ehardys/SHardyCalendar.html>

sarah.hardy at maine.edu<mailto:sarah.hardy at maine.edu>
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