EAP - Early Assessment Program 

What is EAP?

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is an effort of The California State University System (CSU) to address the problem of remediation on CSU campuses. Although high school graduates have taken the required college preparatory courses and scored an average of B or higher, of the near 40,000 first time CSU admitted freshmen, over 60% require remediation in English and/or Math. The EAP addresses this issue through early assessment (11th grade), thus strengthening and aligning the curricula of public high schools and the CSU system. The ultimate goal of EAP is to fully prepare California high school graduates to enter the rigorous academic setting of the California State University system.

How does the program work?

There are two parts to the Early Assessment Program:

Part 1: Early Assessment (11th grade)

The Early Assessment Program focuses on determining the CSU-level English and Math readiness of public high school students. 11th grade students voluntarily take an additional portion of the annual California Standards Test (CST). The tests are based on CSU placement standards and are intended to provide information about the students’ readiness to compete at the CSU level. The tests are scored and, based upon the scores, each student receives a status.

Exempt: Student demonstrates proficiency. Student's knowledge and skills meet CSU standards for placement into baccalaureate-level entry courses. Student is exempt from the required CSU placement exam(s) (ELM and/or EPT).

Conditionally Exempt: Student demonstrates basic proficiency but must participate in a Senior Experience activity to increase and/or maintain skills. Student is exempt from placement exam(s) under the condition that he/she participates in a qualifying Senior Experience.

Non-Exempt: At the time the student took that EAP assessment in English and/or Math, the student’s responses did not demonstrate proficiency. This student will be encouraged to focus on improving English and/or Math skills during his or her senior year through Senior Experiences, but must take the CSU placement tests.

Part 2: Academic Preparation (12th grade)

The academic preparation component of the EAP considers the exam results and focuses on what the student must do to prepare for the academic rigor of the CSU. Academic preparation includes Senior Experiences for conditionally exempt students and other academic CSU preparation during the 12th grade year. 

EAP Resources for High School Students and Parents

CSU Success - create a personalized CSU roadmap, take practice EAP tests, and see current CSU freshmen talk about their EAP experiences

College EAP - learn more about the basics of EAP and get tips for test preparation

To learn more about the benefits of EAP, please contact Elaine Kociolek, Solano County EAP Coordinator, at ekociolek@csum.edu; your local EAP coordinator; or your high school counselor. 

EAP Resources for Teachers

Spring 2013 Solano County EAP Newsletter - news on the latest EAP happenings for Solano County educators and administrators

Solano County EAP High School Presentation for 11th Graders - presentation for local high school juniors discussing the benefits of EAP 

Expository Reading and Writing Course - A task force of high school and CSU faculty has developed the Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC), a full-year college preparatory English course for high school juniors or seniors. The ERWC aligns with the California English-Language Arts Content Standards and the new Common Core State Sttandards, addresses critical reading and writing problems identified by the CSU English Placement Test Committee, and prepares students to meet the expectations of college and university faculty.  The ERWC qualifies as a Senior Experience for Conditionally Exempt English students, and meets the area "b" requirement for both CSU and UC preparation.

To promote wide-scale adoption of the ERWC, the CSU and County Offices of Education are collaborating to provide professional development for English teachers at a variety of locations across the state. The four-day series includes all of the course materials, provides teachers with a theoretical understanding of the ERWC, outlines the benefits of the course for students and school personnel, and offers pragmatic strategies for using the course materials to teach each module. Although districts are responsible for the cost of substitutes, the workshops are free of charge for eligible teachers. Teachers of 11th- and 12th-grade English, as well as AVID teachers, are encouraged to attend.

English teachers: To register for an upcoming ERWC in your area, please visit RegOnline.

To learn more about the ERWC, please contact Elaine Kociolek, Solano County EAP Coordinator, at ekociolek@csum.edu.