Assessment Main Page | Assessment of Student Learning at the Program Level | Institutional Assessment

Document Outline and Links:

1. Introduction
2. Assessment Mission
3. Administration of Assessment and Committee Structure
4. Assessment Cycle and Timeline
5. Assessment Flow Chart
6. Assessment Methods
1. Classroom
2. Courses,Programs, and Disciplines
3. Institution
7. Responsibilities for Assessment
1. Faculty
2. Students
3. Administrators
8. Available Resources and Tools
9. Conclusion

Introduction

ACC Mission Statement: To provide an accessible, responsive learning environment that facilitates the achievement of educational, professional, and personal goals by our students and other members of our communities in an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity, and innovation.

Arapahoe Community College's (ACC) vision is "To be an innovative, learning-centered community college recognized as a vital link in the economic vitality of the community and as a leader in education." In order to reach our vision, we are embracing the concept of assessment as a continuous source of information essential for improving student learning outcomes, improving our programs, and our teaching and learning methods and strategies. While there are many similar definitions of assessment, ACC has chosen the following:

Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education. (AAHE Bulletin, November, 1995, p.7)

Assessment Mission

To continuously assess student academic achievement at all levels in order to support and improve student learning.

Goals:

1. 1. To foster an institution-wide view of assessment as a necessary response to a demand for accountability to an understanding that assessment is a continuous process and source of information for instructional improvement.
   1. Plan and assess institution, program, course and classroom learning on a continual basis. (See Assessment Flow Chart).
   2. Support and foster faculty ownership of the assessment process.
   3. Demonstrate administrative support through the maintenance of an adequate budget for assessment activities.
   4. Inform students of the types of and reasons for assessment activities.
   5. Integrate assessment strategies in the development of new courses and programs.
      
2. To respond to accreditation demands, specifically NCA's assessment criteria, and to State and outside agency assessment/accreditation criteria.
   1. a. Review and coordinate ACC's assessment plan with NCA, state and other agency criteria when appropriate.
   2. Provide information and resources to programs seeking state and/or national accreditation.
      
3. To train faculty and staff in assessment processes and serve as a college-wide resource.
   1. Recommend, develop, and/or implement faculty and staff assessment training.
   2. Send committee members to assessment conferences and workshops.
      
4. To facilitate the feedback of assessment results into institutional, program, course, and classroom planning.
   1. Publish minutes of meetings.
   2. Create and maintain web pages focused on assessment.
   3. Coordinate assessment activities and feedback with the college's strategic planning and budget processes.
      
5. To develop, implement, and improve the assessment process.
   1. Assess and research methods, strategies, and processes for the purpose of ongoing improvement.
   2. Share and collaborate on assessment activities and outcomes both internally and externally.
   3. Oversee assessment plans, instruments, and data collection.

Administration of Assessment and Committee Structure

The Assessment Committee is a standing committee that makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction (VPI) concerning ongoing institutional, program, course, and classroom assessment of student academic achievement.

1. Two faculty representatives from each academic division will have rotating terms.
   1. Membership is a two-year term.
   2. To ensure consistency of representation, initially, one division member will have a two-year term; the second member will have a three-year term.
      
2. Faculty members of each academic division will vote for their respective division representatives. Faculty can serve successive terms based on division vote.
   
3. Representatives from Enrollment Management and Institutional Research are included in membership.
   
4. The Chair is an additional faculty member appointed by the VPI.
   1. The chair serves a two-year term.
   2. The chair can serve successive terms based upon the VPI.
   3. The chair will receive release time, and/or stipend, each semester as determined through coordination with the VPI.
      

Current Assessment Committee Members

Assessment Cycle and Timeline

The institution and its program assess Student Academic Achievement on a continuous basis. Outcomes assessment processes and cycles occur from the classroom to the institution level. In order for the feedback from assessment to impact budget and the strategic planning process, the following timeline is followed:

Assessment Flow Chart

To further ensure that assessment results are reported and incorporated into the strategic planning and budgeting processes, the reporting structure is as follows:

Assessment Methods

Learning is assessed using both direct and indirect measures. Direct assessments are tests, projects, products, papers/theses, exhibitions, performances, case studies, clinical evaluations, portfolios, interviews, and oral and written exams. Direct assessments are also called formal assessments. Indirect assessments are self-report measures such as surveys (course, program, and institutional levels). These can include employer, student, and graduate satisfaction.

Classroom

Classroom assessment methods can be formative or summative. Formative assessments are employed during the course of a learning experience, as a source of feedback to improve teaching and learning. Examples include Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs), Chapter/ Unit assignments or quizzes, discussion forums, and teacher feedback on work in progress. Summative Assessments measure what students have learned at the end of some set of learning activities. An example would be a final comprehensive exam or project given at the end of a course. The learning process occurs when the planning and design of classroom activities result in desired student outcomes. Student learning activities can include:

• study a text book and other sources of information
• perform course and lab activities
• participate in distributed learning assignments
• demonstrate skills and techniques
• respond to a variety of other-directed activities or assignments.

A faculty member can use classroom assessment techniques (CATs) to gather feedback about a single lecture/discussion, to examine the grasp of key concepts and issues of a topic to assess learner reactions to instructional activities. CATs are formative assessments used to improve teaching and learning. Feedback from classroom assessment techniques can impact learning in two important ways. First, when a faculty member shares results of the CAT with students, that feedback can assist students in recognizing their strengths and weaknesses with content knowledge. This will help students develop higher-order thinking skills, prepare for future topics, and even help them understand how they learn best. Second, the results of the CATs can help faculty identify the student's current understanding of the topic, prepare for upcoming instruction, build upon what students currently know, and fill in knowledge gaps that can keep a student from progressing. CATs are brief and adaptable to a variety of learning environments. CATs can be conducted on a routine basis at the beginning or ending of class, in labs, internships, and in online classes. CATs can assist faculty in enhancing student success and improving academic achievement.

Courses, Programs, and Disciplines

1. Capstone course (or experience) - A capstone course, project, or practical experience integrates the knowledge, concepts and skills associated with an entire sequence of study within a discipline or program. The structure and content of a capstone experience is linked to a discipline/program's goals and objectives for student learning. Capstone experiences provide students with a forum to combine various aspects of their program/discipline experiences. Capstone experiences provide faculty and programs/disciplines with a forum to assess student academic achievement in a variety of knowledge and skills based areas by integrating their educational experiences. Programs using this form of assessment include most health programs and the law academy.
2. Embedded assessments - Assessment practices embedded within courses generate information about what and how students are learning within the programs/disciplines. This form of assessment takes advantage of existing curricular strategies. Common embedded assessments include student projects, performances, papers, and questions placed in course assignments. These projects, papers or questions are intended to assess student outcomes. Embedded assessments are incorporated into all sections of the particular course or discipline whether taught by full-time faculty or part-time instructors. The student work and/or responses are evaluated by faculty or outside reviewers to determine if students are achieving the academic goals established by programs. Programs using embedded examinations include Accounting, Art, English, Interior Design, and the Paralegal Program.
3. Internship Performance - Performance in a real-world setting is assessed through the use of a rubric. Students are assessed in their program/discipline specific job skills, knowledge and in their ability to interact professionally. Examples of programs using Internship performance assessments include Physical Therapist Assistant, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Technology.
4. National licensure, certification, or professional examination - These standardized tests are developed by outside, professional organization to assess general knowledge in a discipline. Examples include the Automotive Service Technology exam (ASE), CISCO Certified Network Associate exam, Law Enforcement Academy exam (POST: Peace Officer Standard and Training), Mortuary Science National Board Exam, Registered Nursing exam (NCLEX: National Council Licensing Examination), as well as many others.
5. Portfolio assessment - Portfolios are collections of student work that exhibit, to both the faculty and student, the student's progress and achievement in a program or discipline of study. A portfolio used for assessment purposes can include research papers and reports, examples of student work, projects, self-evaluations, journals, case studies, as well as others.
6. Pre/Post Testing - This form of assessment is used to determine what a student has learned. A test or similar assignment is given at the beginning of a course or program and a similar test or assignment is given at the end. This form of assessment is helpful in measuring both cognitive and attitudinal development.
7. Standardized Examinations - There are two types of standardized tests: norm-referenced and criterion-referenced examinations. Norm referenced exams describe performance in comparison to others, while criterion-referenced exams describe student performance directly and judges that performance by some preset standard. ACC requires students take a standardized examination upon matriculation, called the Computerized Placement Test (CPT). The CPT assesses basic skills and readiness for college education. This helps students begin course work at the appropriate level, which can improve student academic success. The CPT assesses reading, writing, and math and/or algebra skills. Based on the student's performance, students are advised into classes most appropriate for them. Some departments, such as Chemistry, use standardized examinations to assess the ability of students to analyze and solve problems, understand relationships, and interpret material.
8. Surveys and Interviews - Data gathered by these measures are an indirect assessment of student learning since they measure satisfaction and impressions of educational experiences rather than knowledge and skills acquired. However, when combined with direct measures of learning, indirect assessments can provide a comprehensive view of means to enhance student academic achievement.
   1. Graduate surveys - Graduate surveys have assisted in understanding the educational needs of our students. Students can provide us with important information about both our curriculum and CO-curricular activities. Information can include student insights on educational experiences, what they like or dislike about different instructional approaches, impressions about the classroom environment, program equipment and technology levels, and perceived benefits from student and instructional support services.
   2. Employer surveys - Employer surveys provide useful information about the curriculum, programs, and students that other forms of assessment cannot provide. Employers provide information about skill levels of recent graduates, abilities to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, specific program competencies, and abilities to utilize current program-specific technology. Employer surveys help us determine the relevance of educational experiences and programs.

Institution Please go to the Institutional Assessment pages for assessments, methods, and results

Responsibilities For Assessment

• Faculty
• Students
• Administration

Responsibility of the Faculty

An important characteristic of an effective assessment program is that it is "faculty-owned and driven." In essence, this means that there must be active and ongoing participation in all phases/stages of assessment. This is important because the curriculum is the under purview of the faculty. Assigning intended outcomes is a faculty responsibility; therefore, assessing the curriculum should be as well. Faculty must also use the results of the assessment data to strengthen and improve the curriculum and to improve student learning. Faculty assessment activities include:

• Conduct classroom assessments in order to focus student learning and implement instructional strategies in support of improving student learning outcomes.
• Participate in planning and conducting discipline/program assessments and then collaborate with colleagues to improve discipline/program outcomes.
• Cooperate with college-wide assessment activities, such as the CPT, graduate and employer surveys.
• Representation on the Assessment Committee, which leads the assessment efforts at the college.

Responsibility of the Students

In order for assessment to work, students must be active participants. Assessment information that directly demonstrates student learning starts with the students themselves. The basic responsibilities of our students is to participate in both the direct assessment activities (tests, products, portfolios, etc.) and indirect assessment activities ( interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc.). Other roles that students can assume in assessment are:

• Participate in assessment activities
• Provide feedback and comments on activities
• Facilitate assessment activities by acting as assessors themselves. (Critiquing class projects and presentations of others students, group work evaluation, conducting campus surveys, etc.)

Responsibility of the Administration

Responsibility for assessment is college-wide and is shared by faculty, staff, students, and administration. While the primary responsibility for assessment of student academic achievement rests with faculty, administrators play a crucial role in management and delivery of resources and in the provision of effective responses to challenges. Administrator responsibilities include:

• Encourage and support outcomes assessment at all levels
• Facilitate faculty, discipline and program changes as designed by faculty in response to assessment findings
• Encourage cross-division and institution-wide dialogues and activities supporting assessment efforts
• Strengthen and support curriculum, discipline/program, and student support services where challenges have been identified through assessment activities
• Express publicly personal and institutional commitment to assessment of student learning and use of its results by department chairs and other academic administrators
• Use of professional development grants and other incentives, recognition, and rewards for faculty involved in assessment activities at the departmental, divisional, and institutional level
• Integrate the assessment process into the planning and budgeting processes of the institution so that academic approved plans for measuring student learning, costs associated with carrying them out, and subsequent changes to the academic units wish to test to determine if they would increase student academic achievement, are routinely incorporated into academic units' plans and budget requests.

Available Resources and Tools

ACC supports faculty and staff in building assessment knowledge and skills. Assessment is a wide-ranging and dynamic process. Assessment resources can include:

• Assessment Committee - In addition to coordinating assessment efforts, the members of the Assessment Committee serve as a resource to the faculty, staff, and students. The assessment committee coordinates workshops and other activities. Committee members are also available to work with faculty on a one-to-one basis to help develop program/discipline assessment plans and assist with the analysis of assessments, as needed.
• Conferences - ACC supports the Assessment Committee, faculty and staff to attend professional development conferences and workshops on assessment when possible.
• Web page - A web presence is available for all college constituents. This site keeps faculty, staff, students, administrators, and our community members apprised of our activities and outcomes.

Conclusion

Arapahoe Community College's assessment activities are intended to produce an ongoing process of assessment of student academic achievement, reporting results, creating improvements, and evaluating the effects of improvements. The external impetus for outcomes assessment comes from NCA and State criteria; the internal impetus is to achieve ACC's stated purpose, vision, mission, and goals. Improvements in student learning and outcomes increase the likelihood that alumni will reach full potential and be better prepared to contribute to family, community, and world-class professional excellence.

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