Early Mathematics Placement Tool Program (EMPT)
The UW Center for Placement Testing is pleased to re-introduce the EMPT, an exciting program designed to increase the math readiness of students entering college. This program ran successfully throughout Wisconsin from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, until a lack of funding forced the program to be discontinued. The EMPT has been shown to:
● motivate students to take an appropriate math course as seniors
● reduce remedial math for participants by 50% over non-participants
● increase calculus readiness for participants by 10% over non-participants
Frequently Asked Questions about the EMPT
EMPT? What is it?
What is different about the New EMPT?
How does it work?
What information does the student get?
What information does the teacher get?
Is the EMPT limited to high school juniors?
How much does it cost?
When is the program available?
How do I sign up?
EMPT? What is it?
The Early Math Placement Tool is a program sponsored by the UW-System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with Wisconsin High Schools, to provide high school students with information on their preparation for college level mathematics. The EMPT is designed to help high school teachers, students, and parents determine what math class is best for a student to take in the senior year.
What is different about the New EMPT?
The new EMPT improves upon the earlier EMPT in many important ways.
1. The new EMPT is centrally funded by the State of Wisconsin, so it is free to all participating students and schools.
2. The new EMPT offers teachers increased flexibility. Teachers may choose to offer either an on-line or a paper-and-pencil version of the test.
3. The new EMPT provides improved student- and teacher-level feedback.
4. The content has been realigned with the UW mathematics placement test, so it provides a more accurate measure of how students would be placed at the university level.
How does it work?
The EMPT is a shortened version of the UW Mathematics Placement Test, using items retired from that instrument. It is 45 minutes long and can be taken on-line or reproduced and used in a paper and pencil format. Scoring on-line is automatic. Scoring the paper version can be done with a key or students can use an on-line answer template to enter just their answers so that scoring happens automatically. There is a secure form to be used only in a school setting and also a non-secure form that students can use at home.
What information does the student get?
The student will receive a placement level reflecting his/her math preparation compared to math classes at each UW and WTCS campus. In addition, the student has access to the Mathematics Requirements by Major, a website that identifies the math requirements for every major by campus.
What information does the teacher get?
Teachers can request summary data by class or course to get a snapshot of group preparation.
Is the EMPT limited to high school juniors?
No. Any student can be given access to the EMPT by high school faculty. For example, this program might be of interest to high school seniors who are planning on attending a University of Wisconsin campus and would like to take a practice test before taking the actual math placement test, or to sophomores who are transferring in from a high school with a very different math curriculum.
How much does it cost?
The EMPT has been funded by the State so there is no charge to the schools to participate.
When is the program available?
During the Spring, 2009, the EMPT will be pilot tested with a limited number of high schools. The program will be available to all high school juniors throughout Wisconsin, beginning with the 2009-10 school year.
How do I sign up?
If you would like to participate as a pilot site during Spring, 2009, please contact us at:
UW Center for Placement Testing
1025 W. Johnson St., #373
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-5863
FAX: (608) 263-4291
Email: EMPT@exams.wisc.edu
Link to Mathematics Requirements by Major