2017-2018 Lake County Postsecondary Educational Readiness Test (PERT) Information
PERT Overview
The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) is Florida’s common placement test. This test is used by Florida colleges, school districts and some state universities to determine whether or not a student is ready for college credit courses in English language arts and mathematics. PERT is aligned with the Postsecondary Readiness Competencies that Florida faculty members identified as necessary for success in entry-level college credit coursework. The test vendor, McCann Associates, worked collaboratively with the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Florida Colleges and Florida College System faculty to develop and tailor items to faculty specifications. PERT is comprised of three 25-item computer adaptive subtests in reading, writing, and mathematics. Florida College System institutions began administering PERT in October 2010, and use it as the primary college placement tool.
In addition to college readiness, PERT may also be used as a concordant score for students who have taken but not passed the state Algebra 1 End of Course Assessment (EOC) and for dual enrollment qualification.
As the district must project the amount of students who will be eligible to participate in PERT each year and ensure the validity and integrity of the test, there will be specific guidelines regarding who may test and when.
District PERT Unit Disbursement:
- For concordant score purposes, each high school will receive three PERT units for each student who has taken the state Algebra 1 End of Course Exam, but not achieved the required achievement level required for earning a standard high school diploma, 3 or higher. This will cover one attemptper student for each of the three concordant attempt assessment windows: Sept. 5-22, Nov. 13-16, and May 1-18.
- For dual enrollment purposes, PERT units will be distributed one week prior to each of the three dual enrollment assessment windows: Oct. 30-Nov. 2, March 12-15, and July 9-12.
- Schools will be able to purchase additional PERT units as required for special programs or initiatives.
Guidelines:
- Four to six weeks of remediation is recommended between attempts, with a minimum of two weeks required.Exception: Beginning in January, principals may determine the appropriate remediation requirement for seniors.
- PERT scores from other districts and state colleges will be accepted.
- Students should participate in the Algebra 1 End of Course Exam prior to a concordant attempt.
- Students must qualify for dual enrollment prior to each assessment window.
Paula Wicker, Accountability and Assessment, August 17, 2017