Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) was repealed in 2003 and replaced with the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) (Texas Education Code 51.3062). It is a comprehensive program of assessment, advising, developmental education, and other strategies to ensure college readiness. This new program will give Texas higher education institutions more flexibility in helping students demonstrate their academic skills. You are encouraged to speak to a Counselor about your responsibilities regarding the Texas Success Initiative (TSI).
If you are a first-time college student, initial testing may still be required prior to your first semester. With the Texas Success Initiative, a variety of assessments are approved for this initial testing. Students with specific scores from ACT, SAT, TAAS, or TAKS may be exempt. Documentation of exemption is required. You may be asked to provide test scores, transcripts, military documents, etc., to claim your exemption. Contact the Lee College Counseling Center for more information.
Students may be exempt from initial testing if they have the following ACT/SAT/TAAS/TAKS scores:
- ACT – composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and the mathematics test. Scores may not be more than 5 years old at the time of exemption.
- SAT – combined verbal and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum score of 500 on both the verbal and the mathematics tests. Scores may not be more than 5 years old at the time of exemption.
- TAAS – a minimum scaled score of 1770 on the writing test, a TLI of 86 on the math test and 89 on the reading test. Scores may not be more than 3 years old at the time of exemption.
- TAKS – scores are 2200 in math and 2200 in English/Language Arts (ELA) with a writing sub-score of at least 3.
Other exemptions include:
- Students who have graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited Texas institution of higher education.
- Transfer students who have completed certain college-level course work, as determined by Lee College, will be exempt. Students with this coursework should meet with a Counselor for more information.
- Students who have attended any institution and have been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution. This must be posted on the student’s official transcript.
- Students serving on active duty as a member of the US armed forces, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the US armed forces and have been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.
- Students who on or after Aug. 1, 1990, were honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces, the Texas National Guard, or serve as a member of a reserve component of the US armed forces.
- Students who are exempt based on TASP standards are exempt from initial testing. This includes students who have credits prior to the fall of 1989 and have transcripts from a Texas Institution of Higher Education with this exemption posted.