After a rural up-bringing in Northern Wisconsin, Ron Gordon worked in the construction and automotive fields, holding such positions as service manager, parts manager, site foreman, general foreman, and supervisor. After a back injury forced him to seek retraining at the age of 45, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas as a freshman majoring in English and Administrative Management. He completed both programs in under three years, and enrolled in a Masters program in the College of Education, majoring in Higher Education Administration. Completing that program in a year, he enrolled at George Peabody College For Teachers at Vanderbilt University in a doctoral program in Higher Education Administration, with emphasis in personnel and student services.

Upon graduation, Ron sought management positions in student services, but it was his research and psychometric skills that opened the door. He accepted the Director of Institutional Research position at Tulsa Community College, where he opened a new department of Institutional Research. He developed a comprehensive research plan designed to provide performance feedback to various student services and instructional departments, using student satisfaction and educational outcomes assessments. At that time, he also developed methods to assess the performance of the student placement examination system. He became interested in the psychometric aspects of placement examinations, particularly the computer adaptive models that were relatively new at that time.

After two years, Ron became Director of Research and Assessment at Yuba Community College District in Northern California. There he continued his work to study assessment and placement, and was instrumental in the implementation of computer adaptive testing at a number of California community colleges. He developed his Placement Accuracy Model, based on previous work by Darlene Nold at Aimes Community College in Colorado.

In California, Ron took an active role in the statewide Matriculation program, as well as in the professional research organization and the professional testing organizations. During this period he started Gordon Associates, a sole proprietorship consulting company, to offer his expertise in research and assessment to other community colleges and universities. He has worked at colleges in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington, setting up computerized testing systems and/or conducting research to help set accurate cut scores.

Upon his retirement from Yuba College in Spring, 2005, Ron moved Gordon Associates, as well as his home, to Aurora Missouri. There, on a small farm, he raises chickens and cattle, and continues to assist colleges with their assessment and placement issues.

Return to Home