The fully published article has more information, but here is the abbreviated answer to the question:

  1. Women are more likely than men to be recommended for FYW (59.9% vs. 52.9%) and have a small but significant effect size of 0.141 (p < 0.001).
  2. URM students are more likely than non-URM students to receive pre-FYW recommendations (18.4% vs. 12.1%) with a significant effect size of 0.186 (p < 0.001).
  3. ACT scores show the largest effect size of 0.389 (p < 0.001), with higher ACT scores significantly increasing the likelihood of being placed in FYW.
  4. If given a choice, most students placed into a transitional course will not take that course and will instead take the standard course.
  5. Racial and gender disparities exist in placement recommendations, with underrepresented minority (URM) students and women more likely to receive and conform to pre-FYW placements, contributing to inequities in course enrollment.
  6. The non-conformity with DSP recommendations may be influenced by factors beyond the DSP instrument itself, such as course availability and advisor input, affecting students’ decisions.

The full paper can be found here.

Citation: Tinkle, T., Godfrey, J., Menon, A. R., Moos, A., Romaine, L., & Sprouse, M. (2022). (In)Equities in directed self-placement. Assessing Writing, 54, 100671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2022.100671