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Frequently
Asked Questions
About the CSFI
What is the College Success Factors Index
(CSFI)?
The College Success Factors Index (CSFI) is a survey that a
student takes to assess their patterns of behavior and
attitudes in areas that have been proven by research to effect
student outcomes for success in higher education. For
descriptions of the eight areas or factors that the CSFI
assesses, click
here.
The survey uses 80 self-scoring statements for students to rate
from "I strongly agree" to "I strongly
disagree". The score of the survey is determined by how the
student's responses are compared with an extensive norm group
of 15,000 students from all other the country.
How long has the test been around?
The survey was created 12 years ago by Dr. Edmond Hallberg, Kaylene
Hallberg, and Loren Sauer and has been used by hundreds of
schools around the country in various departments such as
Counseling Services, Career Services, and College Success
programs.
Who has the CSFI been designed to help?
The
CSFI has been designed for use in college orientations,
academic skills courses, Freshman or First-Year Experience (FYE)
courses, and as a retention tool for counselors trying to
identify at-risk students.
The
CSFI can be utilized and implemented in a variety of ways. It
has been used for pre- and post-testing in FYE classes, as a
transitional measurement for students from high school to
college, and as a tool for faculty training.
How will the CSFI help both higher
education institutions and their students?
There are two ways that the CSFI can help schools and
students: (1) Professors and schools are always asking for
statistics that prove that the college success course is
making a difference. When the school has the students take the
assessment twice in a year, they can build those statistics at
their own school. (2) Students want to know what they need to
do to succeed in college. If students can take a
scientifically validated assessment that shows them exactly
what areas they need to work on to succeed as compared with
other students, they are more than likely to take the correct
steps to succeed.
How is the survey packaged and
implemented?
Three
versions of the CSFI are available.
Booklets:
The booklet is self-scored and a profile is provided
on page 4 in each booklet for the individual student and
counselor/instructor.
Software
(for Windows):
When large numbers of students take the survey, we
suggest using the CSFI scantron software and scan forms.
The results can be scored on
a same-day basis offering individual printouts within hours.
The printout includes the student's total and sub-test scores,
and a bar chart to assist the student or instructor in
understanding areas which are good, average or need
improvement.
CSFI
Online:
In affiliation with Wadsworth Publishing, the CSFI is
now available on the Internet.
For more information, and frequently asked questions, about
the CSFI Online click
here.
How much does the CSFI test cost?
Booklets cost $1.50, with discounts available
for large orders.
The CSFI Software (Site License) costs $900
annually, with scantron forms available at .40 per
student.
What is the difference between the CSFI and a
Learning Styles Inventory?
The CSFI is not a Learning Styles Inventory. It does not test how a student
learns; it does not determine whether they are visual, auditory,
or kinesthetic learners. The CSFI measures eight factors that have been proven to correlate with
college success. Ideally, a college success student takes both
the CSFI and a Learning Styles Inventory. Another way of
looking at the CSFI is that the characteristics being tested
are areas that students can improve. A Learning Styles
Inventory indicates the natural tendency of a student that
will not likely change. For instance, if a student is a visual
learner they will not change and become an auditory learner.
In contrast, if a student has a problem with being precise
with tasks or having internal locus of control, they can learn
ways of overcoming these habits and do better in college.
If you have further questions related to the
College Success
Factors Index (CSFI), or any of our other products
and services, contact
us.
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