31ABOUT CAMPUS / MAY–JUNE 2005

NONCOGNITIVE ASSESSMENT

Toward more accurate predictions of student success

By Matthew Wawrzynski

ASSESSMENT in higher education has becomeubiquitous.We assess student potential, conductprogram and curricular evaluations, and gauge

campus climate.We search for just the right test or mea-sure to gather just the right information.The rallying cry“All for one and one for all!” when selecting measure-ment instruments conveys the intention to treat eachindividual and situation under review fairly and equitably.

For years, many colleges have relied on high schoolgrades and standardized tests such as the SAT to predicthow successful entering students will be in college. Morethan four million college-bound students complete stan-dardized examinations each year as part of their collegeapplications. Recent articles in The New York Times, TheWashington Post, and the Chronicle of Higher Educationhave increased the public’s skepticism about the use ofstandardized tests to determine whether first-year col-lege students will be successful.William Sedlacek is alsoconcerned about the use of standardized tests as the soleassessment tool in the admissions process.

In his book Beyond the Big Test: Noncognitive Assess-ment in Higher Education, Sedlacek reports that standard-ized tests predict first-year grades fairly well for traditionalstudents (for example, white middle-class and upper-classmales) but predict less well for nontraditional students (forexample, members of underrepresented racial or culturalgroups and females). Standardized tests also do not do

well in predicting achievement as measured by gradesbeyond the first year for any major group of students anddo not predict retention or graduation well for any majorgroup of students in any year. Sedlacek does not advocateeliminating the use of standardized test scores but pro-vides a solid argument that standardized examinationsshould only be a part of the criteria used in the admis-sions evaluation process. Scores from standardized tests donot answer many of the questions being posed by collegeand university presidents, trustees, deans, student affairsprofessionals, and parents about how to predict success inhigher education.What other measures, then, can be usedto predict college student success, and how can thosemeasures be used to help students achieve in college?

Alexander Astin notes in What Matters in College?Four Years Revisited that an essential problem in under-standing and assessing students is choosing appropriateinput, environmental, and outcome variables. Regardinginput variables, an issue with important implications forassessment is that students attending U.S. colleges anduniversities are becoming increasingly diverse across anumber of dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sexualorientation, age, and disability. Effective assessment inhigher education will reflect this diversity and accountfor students’ differential backgrounds, needs, and expec-tations. One common approach to this growing diver-sity—fine-tuning existing measures in an attempt toyield equally valid results for everyone—perpetuates the

what they’rerreading

BEYOND THE BIG TEST: NONCOGNITIVEASSESSMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATIONWilliam E. Sedlacek272 pp. Jossey-Bass (2004), $45

Matthew Wawrzynski is assistant professor of higher, adult,and lifelong education at Michigan State University. He canbe reached at mwawrzyn@msu.edu.

We love feedback. Send letters to executive editor MarciaBaxter Magolda (aboutcampus@muohio.edu), and pleasecopy her on notes to authors.

32ABOUT CAMPUS / MAY–JUNE 2005

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use of measures that are inappropriately designed formulticultural assessment.

Sedlacek and his research colleagues have shownthat cognitive variables are not the only variables thatplay a role in student inputs and outcomes, particularlyfor the increasingly diverse student population found onmany campuses. Sedlacek offers another approach: hisNoncognitive Assessment Model, which is based onmore than thirty years of extensive research. Using acombination of theory and practical application, Sedlacekhas produced an assessment tool to measure noncogni-tive variables, which, when used with more traditionalmeasures, can give a more comprehensive picture of astudent’s potential. He uses the term noncognitive to referto “variables relating to adjustment, motivation, and stu-dent perceptions, rather than the traditional verbal andquantitative (often called cognitive) areas, typically mea-sured by standardized tests” (p. 36). Use of noncognitivevariables offers one method for expanding assessment forall students, and noncognitive variables are particularlyuseful for assessment of nontraditional students.

Eight noncognitive variables compose Sedlacek’sNoncognitive Assessment Model:

• Positive Self-Concept: Demonstrates confidence,strength of character, determination, and independence.

• Realistic Self-Appraisal: Recognizes and accepts anystrengths and deficiencies, especially academic, andworks hard at self-development. Recognizes the needto broaden his or her individuality.

• Successfully Handling the System (“isms”): Exhibits arealistic view of the system based on personal experienceof racism. Committed to improving the existing system.Takes an assertive approach to dealing with existingwrongs, but is not hostile to society. Does not cop out.

• Preference for Long-Term Goals: Able to defer grat-ification. Plans ahead and sets goals.

• Availability of a Strong Support Person: Seeks andtakes advantage of a strong support network or hassomeone to turn to in a crisis or for encouragement.

• Leadership Experience: Demonstrates strong lead-ership in any area of his or her background (for exam-ple, church, sports, noneducational groups, gang).

• Community Involvement: Participates and is involvedin his or her community.

• Nontraditional Knowledge Acquired: Acquires knowl-edge in a sustained or culturally related way in any field.

Beyond the Big Test refers to several studies in whichnoncognitive variables were found to be equally if notmore important in shaping academic performance andcollege persistence decisions among students of colorand among women.Throughout his book, Sedlacekargues that if different groups have different experiences

and different ways of demonstrating their attributes andabilities, it is unlikely that a single measure or test itemcould be developed that would work equally well forall. If results are the focus, rather than intentions, itwould seem to follow that doing an equally good job ofassessment for each group would be important. Usingexactly the same measures for all is not necessary.Whatshould be desired is equality of results, not equality inthe measurement process.

Sedlacek offers a number of methods for measuringthe noncognitive variables in his Noncognitive Assess-ment Model, including short-answer questions, theNoncognitive Questionnaire survey, interviews, portfo-lios, essays, and application review.These methods of mea-surement are included in the appendixes of Beyond the BigTest and can be used as is or easily modified. Sedlacek alsooffers numerous specific examples of how to assess andscore each of the eight noncognitive variables and devotesseparate chapters to admissions, scholarships and financialaid, counseling, teaching, academic advising, and how toconduct research using noncognitive variables.

THE AUTHORS of Learning Reconsidered, a jointpublication of the National Association of Stu-dent Personnel Administrators and the American

College Personnel Association, recently challenged all ofhigher education to use its resources to educate studentsin both cognitive and noncognitive areas. If we are to takethe challenges of this document seriously, questions suchas “Who will succeed in college?”“Am I teaching my stu-dents anything?”“To whom should we give scholarshipmoney?”“How should I evaluate my residence hall pro-gram?” and “Am I being fair to my students of color?”must receive new consideration along both cognitive andnoncognitive dimensions. Reading Beyond the Big Testcould be a first step in gathering insights into these andother questions.Whether your major responsibility isteaching, advising, counseling, or evaluating and design-ing campus programs, this book is an invaluable resourceif you wish to understand the role of noncognitive vari-ables in student success. Using noncognitive assessmentmeasures highlights how students manage a wide rangeof issues in different contexts.When we know how stu-dents respond to various situations, we can provide themwith the resources they need to be successful.

NOTES

Astin, A. What Matters in College? Four Years Revisited. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Keeling, R. P. (ed.). Learning Reconsidered:A Campus-wide Focuson the Student Experience. Washington, D.C.: NationalAssociation of Student Personnel Administrators andAmerican College Personnel Association, 2004.