Testing and Placement

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

The purpose of the Texas Success Initiative is to ensure that students enrolled in Texas public colleges and universities possess the academic skills needed to perform effectively in college-level coursework.

All students subject to the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative must take the TSI Assessment. Students must present scores to register for classes unless otherwise exempt, or are majoring in technical programs of less than 43 credit hours. NOTE: Students enrolling in the General Studies certificate are NOT exempt and are subject to the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative.

The LSCO Testing Center is dedicated to providing students ample opportunities to obtain TSI scores necessary for late enrollment through the twelfth-class day.

The following students shall be exempt from the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative:

1. The following students shall be exempt from the requirements of this title, whereby exempt students shall not be required to provide any additional demonstration of college readiness and shall be allowed to enroll in any entry-level freshman course as defined in §4.53(12) of this title (relating to Definitions):
   1. For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards that cannot be raised by institutions:
      1. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the English test shall be exempt for the reading and writing section of the TSI Assessment, and/or 19 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment;
      2. SAT
         1. SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016: a combined critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test shall be exempt for the reading and writing section of the TSI Assessment; a combined critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment.
         2. SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016: a minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test shall be exempt for the reading and writing section of the TSI Assessment; a minimum score of 530 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. There is no combined score.
         3. Mixing or combining scores from the SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016 and the SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016 is not allowable.
   2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) with a minimum scale score of 1770 on the writing test, a Texas Learning Index (TLI) of 86 on the mathematics test and 89 on the reading test.
   3. For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards that cannot be raised by institutions:
      1. On the eleventh grade exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the math section and/or a minimum scale score of 2200 on the English Language Arts section with a writing subsection score of at least 3, shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for those corresponding sections; or
      2. STAAR end-of-course (EOC) with a minimum Level 2score of 4000 on the English III shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for both reading and writing, and a minimum Level 2 score of 4000 on the Algebra II EOC shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for the mathematics section.
      3. GED:
      • A minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test shall be exempt for mathematics.
      • A minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject test shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)
      4. HiSET:
      • A minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest shall be exempt for mathematics.
      • A minimum score of 15 on the Reading subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the assay, shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)
   4. A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education.
   5. A student who transfers to an institution from a private or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by the receiving institution.
   6. A student who has previously attended any institution and has been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution. For students meeting non-Algebra intensive readiness standards in mathematics as defined in §4.59(d)(1)(B) of this title (relating to Determination of Readiness to Perform Entry-Level Freshman Coursework), institutions may choose to require additional preparatory coursework/interventions for Algebra intensive courses, including MATH 1314/1324/1414 (or their local equivalent). It is the institution’s responsibility to ensure that students are clearly informed of the consequences of successful completion of a mathematics pathways model which results in meeting the mathematics college readiness standard only for specific courses.
   7. A student who is enrolled in a technical certificate program of one year or less (Level-One certificates, 42 or fewer semester credit hours or the equivalent) at a public junior college, a public technical institute, or a public state college.
   8. A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.
   9. A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.
   10. A student who successfully completes a college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 is exempt for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of high school graduation with respect to the content area of the course. The student must enroll in thestudent’s first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student’s first year of enrollment in an institution of higher education. This exemption applies only at the institution of higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course. Additionally, an institution of higher education may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with a partnering institution of higher education to accept the exemption for the college preparatory course.
2. An institution may exempt a non-degree-seeking or non-certificate-seeking student.
3. ESOL Waiver–An institution may grant a temporary waiver from the assessment required under this title for students with demonstrated limited English proficiency in order to provide appropriate ESOL/ESL coursework and interventions. The waiver must be removed after the student attempts 15 credit hours of developmental ESOL coursework or prior to enrolling in entry-level freshman coursework, whichever comes first, at which time the student would be administered the TSI Assessment. Funding limits as defined in Texas Education Code, §51.3062(l)(1) and (2) for developmental education still apply.
4. Any student who has been determined to be exempt in mathematics, reading, and/or writing under subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall not be required to enroll in developmental coursework and/or interventions in the corresponding area of exemption.

Otherwise, all full-time and part-time students enrolled in a college-level certificate (see counselors for exceptions) or degree program must take the TSI Assessment for reading, writing, and mathematical skills.

Pre-collegiate courses, such as developmental reading, writing and math, are not counted in calculating the credit hours for meeting testing requirements. For further information please contact the Testing Center at (409) 882-3330.

Entering LSCO students who are not otherwise exempt must take the TSI Assessment.

Students should contact Advising to determine if TSI testing will be required prior to enrolling in classes.

LSCO Placement scores for the TSI Assessment

LSCO Placement scores for the TSIA2 Assessment

Courses blocked by TSI

Some academic courses are blocked from enrollment based on TSI requirements. In such instances, students must pass the appropriate section on an approved TSIA or TSIA2 test or complete the required corequisite course sequence in order to become eligible to enroll in the courses that are blocked. Blocked courses in each TSI area (reading, writing, and math) are outlined below:

Students must be TSI complete in reading and writing in order to enroll in:

ENGL 1302 - Composition II  
ENGL 2307 - Creative Writing  
ENGL 2322 - British Literature I  
ENGL 2323 - British Literature II  
ENGL 2326 - American Literature  
ENGL 2331 - World Literature  
ENGL 2341 - Forms of Literature 
GOVT 2305 - Federal Government 
GOVT 2306 - Texas Government 
PSYC 2301 - General Psychology  
PSYC 2308 - Child Psychology  
PSYC 2314 - Lifespan Growth and Development 
SOCI 1301 - Introductory Sociology  
SOCI 1306 - Social Problems  
SOCI 2301 - Marriage & the Family  
SOCI 2306 - Human Sexuality  
SOCI 2326 - Social Psychology  
SOCI 2336 - Criminology  
SOCI 2340 - Drug Use & Abuse  
 

Students must be TSI complete in mathematics in order to enroll in:

CHEM 1411 - General Chemistry I (Lecture + Lab)  
MATH 1316 - Plane Trigonometry  
MATH 1325 - Calculus for Business & Social Sciences  
MATH 1350 - Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I)  
MATH 2305 - Discrete Mathematics  
MATH 2312 - Pre-Calculus Math  
MATH 2413 - Calculus I  

Graduation with Honors

To be designated as an honor graduate, a student must:

• have completed at least 30 semester hours at Lamar State College Orange; and
• have a grade point average of at least 3.5 for all coursework attempted at Lamar State College Orange and all attempted work at other institutions attended (cumulative GPA for all work taken).

A grade point average of 3.5-3.64 qualifies a student for “honors” (cum laude), 3.65-3.79 for “high honors” (magna cum laude) and 3.80-4.00 for “highest honors” (summa cum laude).
Grades earned the semester of graduation are included in the calculation of grade point averages for honors. Both diplomas and permanent records indicate graduation honors.

Second Associate Degree

When two associate degrees are taken simultaneously or one has been taken previously, the second associate degree may be granted upon the completion of all required work for the second degree. However, a total of 15 semester hours above the number required for the degree having the greater semester hour requirements must be completed.

Graduation under a Particular Catalog

A student normally is entitled to graduate under the degree provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of the first completed semester of enrollment with this exception: a catalog more than seven years old shall not be used (unless state law or state guidelines prohibit the practice).

The program of the student who interrupts enrollment for reasons other than involuntary military service for more than one calendar year shall be governed by the catalog in effect at the time of the student’s re-entry to the college. The student who interrupts enrollment for involuntary military service must re-enroll within one year from the date of separation from military service in order for this provision to apply. For these purposes, enrollment shall be defined as registration for and successful completion of at least one course during an academic term. A student forced to withdraw for adequate cause before completion of a course may petition for a waiver of this provision at the time of withdrawal.

The program of the student who changes a major from one department to another within the college shall be governed by the degree requirements in effect at the time the change of major becomes effective.

At the discretion of the division dean, the student will be required to comply with all changes in the curriculum made subsequent to the year in which the student was enrolled. Deletions and additions of courses will be of approximate equal credit so that no student will have an overall appreciable increase of total credits required for graduation.

Graduate Guarantee Policy

Lamar State College Orange guarantees that students who successfully complete two-year programs of study in technical fields will have the job skills for entry-level employment in the occupational fields for which they have been trained. Graduates with associate of applied science (AAS) degrees who are judged by their employers to lack these basic skills will be entitled to a maximum of twelve (12) additional credit hours of tuition-free training in their field of study.

The following conditions apply:

• The graduate must have earned the AAS degree beginning May 1993 or thereafter in a technical, vocational or occupational program published in the college catalog.
• The graduate must have completed the AAS degree at Lamar State College Orange with a minimum of 75 percent of the necessary credits earned at Lamar State College Orange and must have completed the degree program within a four-year time span from the date of initial enrollment.
• Graduates must be employed full-time in job fields directly related to their AAS programs of study as certified by the appropriate academic officer.
• Employment must commence within 12 months of graduation.
• The employer must certify in writing that the employee is lacking entry-level skills identified by Lamar State College Orange as program exit competencies and must specify the areas of deficiency within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.
• The employer, graduate, division dean, and other appropriate academic officers will agree upon a written plan for educational retraining. Retraining will be limited to 12 credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and to those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
• All retraining must be completed within a calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
• The graduate and/or employer are responsible for all costs associated with enrollment except tuition. This includes fees, books, insurance, uniforms and other course-related expenses.
• The guarantee does not imply that a graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examinations for a particular career.
• A graduate’s sole remedy against the institution and its employees for skill deficiencies shall be limited to 12 hours of tuition-free education as outlined under the conditions described above.
• A request to implement the graduate guarantee policy can be initiated through a written contract with the President’s Office within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.