This article presents the results of a study that examines differences in the academic writing of community college students across four levels of composition courses.

Objective: Extensive reform has been implemented in community colleges across the nation to help expedite the attainment of students’ academic goals of degree completion and transfer to 4-year institutions. Reform at the institution in this study resulted in replacement of the college writing placement exam and the precollegiate course sequence with an online assessment questionnaire by which students were provided with an automated recommendation based on their high school records to enroll into one of two versions of the transfer-level composition course, either with or without a support course. Examined are: (1) whether students who need the most writing support are effectively positioning themselves to receive it; and (2) whether the new placement policy improves students’ chances for college success while examining its impact on specific student subgroups. Method: An analytic writing assessment and survey were administered to students. Compared are students’ scores on the assessment, their self-reported high-school GPA, and their final course grades. Results: Findings show: (1) no significant differences in academic writing proficiency between students enrolled in the two course types; (2) students mostly followed the college’s recommendation for enrollment based on their high school GPA, which is found to be weakly related to their measured levels of writing proficiency; and (3) generally high course pass rates of students at all levels of proficiency. Contribution: This study generates data that can help inform policy and practice in community colleges and clarify ways to best support students in composition toward achieving their academic goals of degree attainment and transfer.

Despite national efforts to accelerate students through precollegiate writing course sequences to transfer-level composition, questions persist regarding appropriate placement and the support needed for students to succeed. An analytical text-based writing assessment was administered to students across four levels of composition courses at a California community college. Differences in student writing scores between course levels and the relationship between writing score, course level, and high school GPA were examined. Key findings include (1) significant differences in average scores between the first precollegiate course and other courses in the sequence and (2) weak relationships between course level and high school GPA and assessment scores and high school GPA.