Skip to page content
Return to Top

ADMISSIONS

Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Education Code statute 51.3062, Success Initiative, effective September 1, 2003, requires the University to assess the academic skills of each entering undergraduate student to determine the student’s readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework. The fee for the completion of the assessment instrument will be paid by the student. However, the University will not use the assessment or the results of the assessment as a condition of admission to the institution.

Unless exempt (see below), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires that, prior to enrollment, each student must be assessed in three skill areas (reading, writing, and mathematics) using one or more of the following instruments:

  1. ASSET offered by ACT;
  2. COMPASS offered by ACT;
  3. ACCUPLACER offered by the College Board;
  4. Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) offered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc.

Additionally, unless exempt (see below), each student is subject to the provisions of Tarleton’s Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Plan. A copy of the TSI Plan is available from the Division of General Studies (Thompson Student Center, Room 15; Voice: 254-968-9480) or on the Tarleton web site at www.tarleton.edu/success/.

TSI Exemptions

The following students shall be either fully exempt, partially exempt, or temporarily exempt/waived from the requirements of the TSI:

  1. Full Exemption. The following students are exempt from the requirements of the TSI:
    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 on a single administration of the test:
      1. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and Mathematics tests.
      2. Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT): a combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on both the critical reading and the mathematics tests.
    2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Eleventh grade exit-level TAKS with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the math section and a minimum scale score of 2200 on the English/Language Arts (ELA) section with a writing subsection score of at least 3.
    3. A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from a Texas public institution of higher education.
    4. A student who has graduated with a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited private, independent, or out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed appropriate college-level coursework as determined by the University.
    5. A student who transfers to Tarleton from a regionally accredited private, independent, or out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework in (a) mathematics, (b) writing, and (c) reading as indicated in Section 8 of the TSI Plan.
    6. A student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and met TSI readiness standards by that institution in (a) mathematics, (b) writing, and (c) reading.
    7. 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.
    8. A student who, prior to January 1, 2004, had satisfied (as indicated by the Tarleton Developmental Education Plan and/or the Board’s TASP policy manual) all TASP obligations.
  2. Partial Exemption. The following students are exempt from one or more of the requirement of the TSI:
    1. Exempt from the mathematics requirements of the TSI:
      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 on a single administration of the test:
        1. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on Mathematics test.
        2. Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT): a combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on mathematics test.
      2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Eleventh grade exit-level TAKS with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the math section.
      3. A student who transfers to Tarleton from a regionally accredited private, independent, or out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework in mathematics, as indicated in Section 8 of the TSI Plan.
      4. Student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and met TSI readiness standards by that institution in mathematics.
    2. Exempt from the writing requirements of the TSI:
      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 on a single administration of the test:
        1. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on English test.
        2. Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT): a combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test.
      2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Eleventh grade exit-level TAKS with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the English/Language Arts (ELA) section with a writing subsection score of at least 3.
      3. A student who transfers to Tarleton from a regionally accredited private, independent, or out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework in writing, as indicated in Section 8 of the TSI Plan.
      4. Student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and met TSI readiness standards by that institution in writing.
    3. Exempt from the reading requirements of the TSI:
      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 on a single administration of the test:
        1. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on English test;
        2. Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT): a combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test.
      2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Eleventh grade exit-level TAKS with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the English/Language Arts (ELA) section with a writing subsection score of at least 3.
      3. A student who transfers to Tarleton from a regionally accredited private, independent, or out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework in reading, as indicated in Section 8 of the TSI Plan.
      4. Student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and met TSI readiness standards by that institution in reading.
  3. Temporary Exemption/Waiver. The following students may request a temporary exempt from the requirements of the TSI:
    1. On an annual basis, a student who is serving on active duty as a member of:
      1. the armed forces of the United States; or
      2. the Texas National Guard.
    2. On an annual basis, a student who is a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States (excludes reserves of Texas National Guard) and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.
    3. Each semester, a student who has been admitted as a non-degree seeking student.
    4. Under exceptional circumstances, the Dean of Student Success may permit a student to enroll in lower-level academic coursework without assessment but must require that the student be assessed no later than the end of the first semester of enrollment in freshman-level academic coursework and may require concurrent, appropriate developmental education.
  4. Some of the TSI exemptions for enrollment in Tarleton State University are not accepted by the Teacher Education Council for admission to the Teacher Education Program. Please contact the Certification Office at (254) 968-9815 for more information.

TSI assessment results and/or proof of exemption must be submitted to the Student Assessment Coordinator’s office before a student will be allowed to register for classes. To verify that your assessment results and/or proof of exemption have been received by Tarleton, contact the Student Assessment Coordinator at (254) 968-9269, (800) 687-8236, or uadm@tarleton.edu.




PDF Version