Assessment at the Community College

1. Assessment at the Community College Dr. Geri Cochran

2. Program Assessment • It’s all about what is important to you • Identifying what is important, the values that guide what you are doing. • Using those values as a basis for evaluating what you are doing • Taking what you have learned from that evaluation to improve what you are doing in order to better achieve your values

3. Program Assessment? Program assessment is a form of evaluation by which participants in a program judge its effectiveness in achieving their values and use what they have learned to improve the program’s effectiveness in achieving those values.

4. Assessment and Value Premise Assessment is linked directly to value Propositions • What we assess indicates what we value • What we value should guide what we assess

5. Program Outcomes Assessment? A form of evaluation in which the values of the participants’ in a program are made explicit expectations for what should “come out” of their actions and those actions are evaluated according to the extent to which the actions achieve the expected outcomes.

6. Outcomes Assessment Improving Programs Program Values Program Criteria Program Outcomes

7. Shift in Thinking • Focusing on the value of education shifts our attention from inputs to outcomes • What “comes out” of an educational experience must be directly or indirectly observable to be assessed. • Program assessment belongs to the program; the purpose of outcomes assessment is to improve programs by encouraging evidence-based decision-making by people in the program

8. Outcomes for Professional Programs • Professional Readiness: Ability to work in the professional environment Ability to create a compelling portfolio to profile themselves for industry opportunities. Time management and ability to produce quality work in a specified time frame Ability to work within industry protocols to develop and execute projects

9. Professional Communication: • Ability to use the language specific to the area of production or management used by working professionals. • Ability to use discipline-specific vocabulary for collaboration • Ability to communicate ideas both verbally and through presentational material

10. Finance & Budgeting: • Ability to manage resources - time, materials, personnel, and facilities Problem-Solving: • Ability to combine research and resources in solving problems • Ability to problem-solve within resource constraints Specialty Skills: • According to specialty, ability to apply technical skills to elevate the effectiveness of the finished work.

11. Evaluating Outcomes • What evidence should be gathered for assessing outcomes? • What are the sources of the evidence for the outcomes? • How often is the evidence to be collected?

12. Two General Types of Evidence • Relatively direct (SACS preferred) • Writing assignments • Oral presentations • Discipline projects • Essay exams • Relatively indirect • Surveys • Internship reports • Employer Surveys

13. Two Standards for Evidence • Evidence should be meaningful information that is appropriate for assessing a particular outcome. • Evidence should be manageable: reasonable to attain and evaluate (time, effort, availability)

14. Elements of an Assessment Plan • List of Outcomes • Evidence to be collected • Source of evidence • Frequency of collection of evidence

15. Partial Assessment Plan

16. Evaluating the Assessment Plan • Is the evidence specific enough in describing the form of the evidence and venue for collection? • Does the plan rely mainly on direct evidence? • Is the evidence meaningful for the particular outcome? • Is the evidence manageable (reasonable to collect and evaluate)?

17. Assessment Cycle Improving Programs Program Values Program Criteria Program Outcomes

18. Goal of Assessment • Goal: To use the evidence as a basis for judging the extent to which the program is meeting the members’ values for the program.

19. Improvement of Program • Goal: To apply what has been learned in evaluating the program toward identifying actions to address areas of concern

20. Reporting the Results • As a result of your assessment, what changes if any, have you implemented to address areas of concern (in the program or in the assessment of the program)?

21. The Cycle continues • What outcomes are you planning to assess for the next reporting cycle?

22. Visual Impact