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Hello, colleagues, I have been teaching for the last three years at a small community college in Arkansas. This institution had previously used the ASSET test as a general placement test for all incoming students when it was still a postsecondary vocational-technical school . When the school began seeking North Central Accreditation status in 1991, and in 1992, began putting a developmental education department together, it was recommended by a neighboring four-year university, as well as a consultant at the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, that they add the Nelson-Denny reading test to further assess students for placement in the appropriate level of developmental reading courses. The only problem is that the ASSET test scores may indicate that a student is appropriately placed in an upper level developmental reading course, and three days later, the Nelson-Denny results may show that the student needs to be in a more fundamental course, according to the resultant grade level equivalencies. This causes lots of problems within the first two weeks of class for students, instructors, and administrators. Students think that they have been properly placed, and in fact, have only begun to find out what is an appropriate placement level in reading when they have finished the ASSET. Although the Arkansas Department of Higher Education mandates that additional testing be given to entering students,[just after the ASSET or ACT], in both English and math, there is no such guidance for the fundamental and crucial area of reading. I had noticed a few weeks ago that there were several postings to do with alternate reading assessments to the Nelson-Denny. Do any of you know how I could obtain data that indicates a better correlation between the ASSET and any of these other reading measures? Thank you in advance, Lisa Armstrong Pulaski Technical College [log in to unmask] (501) 851-6608