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Templates for Assessment Reporting (not yet available–please check back)
Assessment Process
2019-2020 CTE Expectations
- Printable Checklist
- Due Dates for CTE
2019-2020 LDC-DE Expectations
Assessment Resources
Funds for Part-Time Faculty
Assessment Coaching
Professional Development Opportunities
Upcoming Conferences
Other Assessment Resources
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Templates for Assessment Reporting
See Assessment Process & Due Dates for more information on which ones to complete in 2019-2020
CTE
- CTE Customized Multi-Year Plan (MYP)–templates to be sent to SAC chairs in early October
- CTE Customized Summary Data Report (SDR)–an add-on to the customized MYPs and to be sent to SAC chairs in January
- CTE Annual Assess/Reassess Modified Template for your Focal Outcome Assessment (the details of one of the assessments included in the SDR)
- TSA Worksheet
- Summer 2020 Peer Reviewer's Critique Form (under construction–check back later this year)
LDC-DE
- LDC-DE Assessment Plan (and Report) Form for an initial (first round) assessment
- LDC-DE Reassessment Plan (and Report) Form when the SAC is reassessing an outcome following changes to teaching or curriculum (aka "closing the loop"). If changes have been made to the assessment tools (e.g., exams, rubrics, etc.), use the LAC Assessment Report Form as this is a new initial assessment.
- Summer 2020 Peer Reviewer's Critique Form (under construction–check back later this year)
LDC-DE Help Guides
LDC-DE Assessment Plan and Report Help Document (revised fall 2018)
- LDC-DE Reassessment Plan and Report Help Document (revised fall 2018)
DSAC Rubrics
- PCC Arts & Letters Integrative Learning Rubric, version 1.5
- PCC Science, Computer Science & Math Rubric for Quantitative Reasoning, version 1.5
- PCC Social Science Rubric for Social Analysis and Inquiry, version 2.0
- PCC Cultural Literacy Rubric, version 2.0
Assessment Process & Due Dates
2019-2020 CTE Expectations
CTE SACs will assess a portion of their degree and certificate outcomes every year as outlined in their customized Multi-Year Plans (MYP), and will report summary data (on SDR) for all assessments conducted, including focal outcome and outcomes partially- or fully-assessed via TSAs. Each SAC will select one of the outcomes assessed in 2019-20 (what is known as "focal outcome") and provide a more detailed report of their process and findings on the CTE Annual Assess/Reassess (LAC) Template (forms to be linked above). The assessment phase is the initial assessment from which the SAC decides on appropriate responses to the findings; followed by the reassessment phase, which explores the effectiveness of the SAC's response to the initial assessment and, ideally, 'closes the loop.'
As always, Perkins-funded programs will continue to submit Technical Skill Attainment (TSA) results. The Grants Office and Academic Affairs must receive TSA results for all tests and all students (with IDs), but the aggregate results must also be included (without student identifiers) on the Summary Data Report for all outcomes partially- or fully-assessed via TSAs. For more information on TSAs, go to: https://www.pcc.edu/resources/academic/TSA-TechnicalSkillAssessments.html
CTE assessment coaches can give guidance on filling out the MYP, the SDR, and the LAC focal outcome reporting template.
Due Dates for CTE
Printable Checklist with Due Dates
December 2, 2019, submit to learningassessment@pcc.edu:
- Completed 'green' portion of the SAC's Multi-Year Plan (starting on Row 5 and filling in Column E forward)
- TSA Information Sheet (not needed for all SACs–Academic Affairs will be in touch with SACs as appropriate)
June 30, 2020, submit to learningassessment@pcc.edu:
- Completed 'blue' Summary Data portion of SAC's Multi-Year Plan for all outcomes assessed this year (including TSAs and focal outcome assessment)
- Completed LAC Assessment or Reassessment template describing the process and results of your focal outcome assessment, and pertinent appendices. Please refrain from including student names/IDs or the names of the instructors whose classes were assessed, as these documents will be posted to the public side of Spaces.
July 31, 2020, submit to jwetzel@pcc.edu (Grants Office) and to kcawley@pcc.edu (Academic Affairs):
- TSA results with student G numbers
2019-2020 LDC-DE Expectations
LDC-DE SACs conduct and report on one assessment project. SACs are free to assess or reassess outcomes of their choosing. The LAC suggests that the SACs ought to focus on either course-level or program-level outcomes, and, when possible, to focus on highly-enrolled courses. To be clear, LDC SACs no longer have to assess the core outcomes.
LDC-DE assessment planning and reporting happens in two phases. For first-time assessments, each SAC will complete the planning portion of the Assessment template in the fall and the end-of-year report (the latter portion of the template) in the spring. When conducting a follow-up assessment (assessing for improvement), SACs will fill out the Reassessment template--with the planning portion still due in the fall and the results portion due in the spring.
SACs are responsible for collecting student artifacts, norming the faculty evaluators, evaluating the artifacts, and, ultimately, analyzing the results of this year's assessment.
December 2, 2019, submit to learningassessment@pcc.edu:
- Planning section of the LAC Assessment or Reassessment template...
- Use the LAC Assessment Report Form for an initial (first round) assessment, or
- Use the LAC Reassessment Report Form when the SAC is reassessing an outcome after making changes to teaching or curriculum (aka "closing the loop"). If changes have been made to the assessment tools (e.g., exams, rubrics, etc.), use the LAC Assessment Report Form as this is treated as an initial assessment.
- Planning section of the LAC Assessment or Reassessment template...
June 30, 2020: Assessment findings to be submitted to learningassessment@pcc.edu.
- Completed LAC Assessment or Reassessment template (second half of the template submitted in the fall) describing the process and results of this year's assessment. If any changes were made to your project, please correct the planning portion of the document before submitting. This may include changes in process and/or completing information that wasn't decided on or available when the planning section of the report was due.
Peer Review
At the end of each academic year, all completed assessment reports are reviewed by expert faculty peer reviewers, many of which are current members of the Learning Assessment Council. Over the summer the peer reviewers look at the plans, reports, summary data (where appropriate), and other documents submitted by their assigned SACs and critique them using a standard rubric. When the feedback forms have been completed, they are saved as PDFs and made available in September to the respective SACs. This feedback is available to SAC members in a different section of PCC's Spaces. Questions about peer review feedback? Contact Nora Stevens, LAC Chair, nora.stevens@pcc.edu.
Assessment Resources
Funds for Part-Time Faculty
Each SAC is entitled to up to 10 hours per academic year of paid compensation, at the College's special projects rate, for assessment work carried out by part-time faculty. The funds can be paid to a single person or divided between multiple people working to support their SAC's assessment efforts.
To secure compensation, SAC chairs must contact their SAC's administrative liaison with the G number of the faculty member(s) carrying out the work. SAC chairs are responsible for designating the number of hours to be compensated.
Assessment Coaching
The PCC Learning Assessment Council (LAC) provides free year-round assessment coaching to all SACs.
LDC-DE Coaching assignments will be available soon. If you have any questions, please contact one of the following individuals:
- Susan Wilson, Academic Support Coordinator and LAC coach, swilson@pcc.edu, 971-722-4555
- Delpha Thomas, LAC Vice-Chair 2019-2020, delpha.thomas@pcc.edu
CTE Coaches have not yet been assigned for 2019-2020.
Professional Development Opportunities
LAC Learning Outcome Assessment Class for PCC Faculty Teaching Credit Courses
Meets most Fridays, starting Week 2 of fall term, 11:00 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Registration is first-come, first-served. Course and registration details: TBA.
This class is ideal for faculty involved in program/discipline assessment through their SAC or for those who want to explore the heart of the biggest mystery in higher ed today. It is intended for PCC full-time and adjunct faculty members who teach credit courses.
Here are a few of the topics:
- How does grading in my class differ from assessing at the program/discipline level?
- What are the pressures on higher education that are driving changes in accreditation regarding assessment and accountability? How are PCC and other institutions responding? What is happening internationally?
- What does a quality assessment process at the program/discipline-level look like at PCC (i.e., sample size, norming, direct/indirect, full-time and part-time faculty participation, signature assignments, exam, portfolio, rubrics, checklists, trending, LDC-DE and CTE concerns, etc.)?
Expectations of participants:
- Attendance at all or most of the classes
- Presentation of an assessment activity at the end of the course that could be used in your SAC, or in your class, that addresses one or more of the core outcomes
- (Optional): Directed readings outside of class--one to two hours per week.
Courses offered through PCC's Center for Careers in Education
Upcoming Conferences
- American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) holds its annual General Education and Assessment conference February 20-22, 2020, in Jacksonville, FL. Link to conference: https://www.aacu.org/conferences/gened/2020 Note: PCC is an AAC&U member.
- Association for Assessment of Learning in Higher Education's (AALHE) conference occurs in New Orleans, LA, June 8-11, 2020. Learn more at: https://www.aalhe.org/mpage/2020Conference_Splash_Page
- Additional assessment conferences are found at this link: http://www.assessmentconferences.com/
Other Assessment Resources
Assessment Listserve: Subscribe to ASSESS at http://www.coe.uky.edu/lists/helists.php
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Resources and Rubrics:
- Excellent Critical Thinking Rubric from AAC&U [pdf] This was put together by a national committee of faculty and we have permission to reprint with attribution.
- Excellent Problem Solving Rubric from AAC&U [pdf] This was put together by a national committee of faculty and we have permission to reprint with attribution.
- Holistic Critical Thinking Rubric [pdf] A fine, basic tool for evaluating critical thinking from Insight Assessment.
- Guide to Rating Integrative and Critical Thinking This rubric from Washington State is often cited as a helpful pattern. We have permission to reprint part or all of it - as long as we attribute it to them. That's fair.
- Holistic Critical Thinking [pdf] PSU has used this rubric for assessing Freshman Inquiry portfolios.
- Foundation for Critical ThinkingIf you’re looking for a definition of Critical Thinking and you haven’t found one that suits your discipline, please feel free to use the work done by the Foundation for Critical Thinking.
- Designing Rubrics for Assessing Higher Order Thinking includes principles of design and rubric examples
Assessment Resources and Rubrics:
- The VALUE rubrics developed by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) are a great resource. Go to the AAC&U web page for detailed information about the rubrics, and click on this link to view the rubrics in a single PDF: VALUE Rubrics [pdf]. Please note, these rubrics may or may not be the latest versions available from AAC&U directly.
- Resource Page on Rubrics for Institutional Assessment, from the University of Virginia, has great instructions on how to design rubrics for institutional assessment and includes many good examples of rubrics.
- Miami University offers a resource page with many ready-made rubrics, along with instructions and free software for designing your own.
- Principles of Good Practice in Assessing Student Learning, an article from the American Association for Higher Education, covers 9 principles of assessment.
- Comprehensive Collection of all Learning Assessment Resources, compiled by the North Carolina State University Planning and Analysis Department, is a resource list of articles, sites, and forums covering many elements of learning assessment.
- PSU's University Studies web page features rubrics such as Diversity; Ethics, Agency, and Community; Quantitative Literacy; and Writing (multiple).