What is EAP?

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is an effort of The California State University System (CSU) to address the remediation problem that many CSUs are facing. 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 this 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 qualified 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 their 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.

To find out how you can benefit from this program, please contact Norris Cooper at ncooper@csum.edu, your local EAP coordinator, or your high school counselor.