Clicking on the following "shortcuts" will take you to the corresponding sections that appear further down this page
Templates for Assessment Reporting
Help Guides for Assessment Plans and Reports
Assessment Process
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
CTE
- CTE Multi-Year Plan Revised for 2017-18 (schedule of assessment for degree and certificate outcomes)
- CTE Focal Outcome Assessment Report Form (for initial assessments)
- CTE Focal Outcome Reassessment Report Form (for follow-up assessment)
- CTE Summary Data Report (for those SACs whose degree and certificate outcomes are not fully assessed via TSAs)
- All-In or MSC Assessment Proposal
- Summer 2018 Peer Reviewer's Critique Form (still under construction–check back later this year)
LDC
- LDC-DE Assessment Report Form (for initial assessments)
- LDC-DE Reassessment Report Form (for follow-up assessment)
- All-In or MSC Assessment Proposal
- LDC Multi-Year Plan (optional due to ongoing Outcomes/Gen Ed inquiry)
- Summer 2018 Peer Reviewer's Critique Form (still under construction–check back later this year)
Help Guides
(though these were created in 2014, they remain generally relevant to today's forms)
Assessment Process & Due Dates
In General
Assessment planning and reporting happen in two phases. For new 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. CTE Programs and LDC-DE Disciplines use unique templates. Periodically, SACs also submit a Multi-Year Plan (MYP) that projects their schedule for assessing/reassessing their degree and certificate outcomes (CTE) or PCC's Core Outcomes (LDC-DE).
2017-2018 Expectations
Traditional
LDC-DE SACs will conduct and report on one assessment project. Like last year, these SACs may assess/reassess an existing Core Outcome or may assess/reassess an exploratory outcome. CTE SACs shall assess for the LAC one focal degree and/or certificate outcome. It may be one that aligns with a Core Outcome, or it may be something that aligns with an exploratory outcome (e.g., information literacy or computational literacy).
Or,
"All-In"
SACs planning to do a large-scale assessment of 12 or more sections may participate in PCC's 2017-18 "All-In" internal assessment project. "All-In" ideally involves one course with 10 or more sections participating (could combine Winter and Spring courses) plus at least 2 sections of at least one additional course in the discipline (high-enrolling courses tend to offer more representative student demographics), OR 12 sections of different courses are acceptable for SACs that do not have that many sections of the same course. All-in SACs may assess using the new Cultural Awareness/Literacy rubric (PCC's own), or the LEAP VALUE rubrics for any of Critical Thinking, Quantitative Literacy, or Written Communication. Assessing only one of these outcomes is required.
A difference this year: we have only enough funding to support internal scoring of two outcomes this year, and have committed to Cultural Literacy as one of them in order to pilot the new rubric that was developed this summer. The other outcome will be one of the other three, based on, frankly, numbers -- so that our data has a chance at being meaningful. We will use that same outcome for the Multi-State Collaborative (MSC) if we do participate this year. If a SAC selects an outcome that we end up NOT doing the college-wide and/or MSC scoring for, it may still use the two-year plan. The two-year plan allows SACs time to attend a training session, design assignment(s), conduct student assessments, norm faculty evaluators to chosen rubric, evaluate student artifacts, analyze the results, and report out at the end of Year 2. Additional requirements for All-In:
- One or more faculty from the SAC MUST attend an assignment design workshop in late October 2017, so that faculty have time to add the assignment to winter or spring term courses
- SAC must conduct some sort of assignment design workshop or training opportunity for participating instructors who did not attend the college workshop
- Scoring:
- For the two selected outcomes, we will conduct a college-wide scoring to include a minimum number of artifacts per section–focusing on students with 0-12 credits and >67 credits
- SAC will plan its own norming and scoring, which can be done in spring, summer, or early fall 2018
- SAC faculty are not required to score for the college-wide project, but are welcome to do so
- End-of-Year Reporting 2018 must include:
- SAC's approach to assignment design
- How many faculty participated
- How part-time faculty were engaged in project
- Any other elements of process that seem important
- End-of-Year Reporting 2019 must include:
- Process for norming faculty to rubric prior to SAC scoring
- Data from SAC scoring and from college-wide/MSC scoring as available
- Interpretation of the data
- Action plan/action implemented or adopted for addressing areas where student achievement might be improved via instruction in 2018-19 or 2019-20
- SAC commits to reassessing its chosen outcome, via the same or a similar protocol, in the 2019-20 academic year
CTE Process
General
CTE SACs directly assess their Degree and Certificate Outcomes. And, because those same program outcomes have been mapped to PCC's institutional outcomes, aka Core Outcomes, the Core Outcomes are assessed indirectly.
Summative Assessments and TSAs
CTE SACs are responsible for conducting summative assessments of all degrees and certificates within a two-year cycle (according to their Multi-Year Plan). Programs receiving federal Perkins funds must file state-mandated annual summary data reports, called Technical Skills Attainments (TSAs), every June. The TSA reports must be filed with PCC's Institutional Effectiveness Office with a copy provided to Dr. Kendra Cawley in Academic Affairs. SACs whose programs are not fully assessed via TSAs must complete the LAC's Summary Data Report (SDR) along with their Assessment or Reassessment report, explained below. For more information on TSAs, go to: https://www.pcc.edu/resources/academic/TSA-TechnicalSkillAssessments.html
Focal Assessments
Additionally each year, every CTE SAC conducts an assessment aimed at improvement--called "focal" assessment. A focal assessment has two parts, which can be performed in separate calendar years:
- The assessment phase: An initial assessment from which the SAC decides on appropriate responses to the findings; followed by...
- The reassessment phase: A follow-up assessment that explores the effectiveness of the SAC's response to the initial assessment.
SACs with several degree(s) and/or certificate(s) with unique or unrelated outcomes should contact their LAC coach to discuss the possibility of a longer cycle.
Due Dates for CTE
November 27, 2017: Planning sections of the LAC Focal Assessment/Reassessment Reports - Sections 1 through 3E only!
- Use the All-In/MSC Participation Form in lieu of the ARF or RRF if your SAC is participating in this project in 2017-18
- Use the LAC Assessment Report Form for an initial assessment, or
- Use the LAC Reassessment Report Form for a follow-up assessment.
- Help Guide for CTE Assessment & Reassessment Report Forms (created in 2014, but still relevant)
November 27, 2017: New or updated Multi-Year Plan (MYP). Assessment coaches can tell SACs if their MYP is out of date
- Use the CTE Multi-Year Plan template. Help Guide for CTE Multi-Year Plan (may reference 2014, but remains relevant)
June 16, 2018: Focal Assessment Findings, and Summary Data Report for outcomes not assessed via TSAs
- Complete the second half of the ARF or RRF (sections 4 through XX) and make corrections, if any, to the planning sections (1 through 3E) submitted in November. This may include changes in process and/or completing information that wasn't decided or available when the planning section of the report was due.
- Complete the LAC CTE Summary Data Report Form, if applicable.
Submit ALL completed plans and reports to: learningassessment@pcc.edu
LDC Process
General
Assessment is an ongoing activity where SACs submit yearly reports. LDC and DE SACs have a collective responsibility to ensure students are attaining the outcomes of the transfer and general education degrees (AS, ASOT/B, AAOT, and AGS). The institutional outcomes, aka Core Outcomes, are the basis of these degrees.LDC-DE SACs are required to conduct a Traditional or All-In assessment (see above for details). Templates for a first-round Assessment or a follow-up Reassessment will be available in October.
Due Dates for LDC_DE
November 27, 2017: Planning sections of the LAC Assessment/Reassessment Reports - Sections 1 through 3E only!
The following are still in flux and may change:
- Use the Multistate Collaborative Participation Form in lieu of the ARF or RRF if your SAC is participating in the MSC in 2017-18
- Use the LAC Assessment Report Form for an initial assessment, or
- Use the LAC Reassessment Report Form for a follow-up assessment.
- Help Guide for LDC/DE Assessment & Reassessment Report Forms (created in 2014, but still relevant).
June 16, 2018: Assessment findings (Traditional) or Report on approach and process (All-In) - see above
- For Traditional: Complete the second half of the ARF or RRF (sections X through XX) and make corrections, if any, to the planning sections (1 through 3E) submitted in November. This may include changes in process and/or completing information that wasn't decided or available when the planning section of the report was due.
- For All-In/MSC: (still under development)
Submit ALL completed plans and reports to: learningassessment@pcc.edu
Peer Review
At the end of each academic year, all completed assessment reports are reviewed by faculty peers. Peer reviewers are recruited by PCC's Learning Assessment Council and undergo training before being assigned to teams. 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. Copies of the rubrics to be used for 2018 assessment reports will be posted in October 2018 in the Templates section on this page. Confidential feedback is available to SAC members in a different section of PCC's Spaces. Questions about peer review feedback? Read former-LAC-chair Wayne Hooke's "Making Sense of Your Peer Review Feedback/CTE [pdf]."
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. If a SAC chair is unsure of who their dean liaison is, please contact Susan Wilson in Academic Affairs: swilson@pcc.edu or 971-722-4555.
Assessment Coaching
The PCC Learning Assessment Council (LAC) provides free year-round assessment coaching to all SACs. Coaching assignments are usually finalized early each fall. The following individuals can put SACs in touch with their assigned coach:
- Susan Wilson, Academic Support Coordinator and LAC coach, swilson@pcc.edu, 971-722-4555
- Nora Stevens, LAC Vice-Chair 2017-2018, nora.stevens@pcc.edu
Professional Development Opportunities
LAC Core Outcome Assessment Class (for PCC Faculty)
Meets all Fridays fall term 2017, except November 10 and 24; 10:00 to 11:50 a.m., in Cascade TH 202. Registration is first-come, first-served. Contact christopher.brooks3@pcc.edu for registration details.
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.
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 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) will be holding an assessment conference February 15-17, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA. Note: PCC is an AAC&U member. Link to conference: https://www.aacu.org/conferences/gened2018
- Association for Assessment of Learning in Higher Education's (AALHE) 3-day conference occurs in Salt Lake City, UT, June 4-6, 2018. Learn more at: http://www.aalhe.org/
- 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.
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 University of Virginia has great instructions on how to design rubrics for institutional assessment and includes many good examples of rubrics.
- Lots of Good Rubrics here! Miami State offers a resource page with many ready-made rubrics, along with instructions and free software for designing your own.
- Designing Rubrics for Assessing Higher Order Thinking Various rubrics for aspects of critical thinking.
- Holistic Critical Thinking Rubric [pdf] A fine, basic tool for evaluating critical thinking from Insight Assessment.
- Washington State’s Guide to Rating Integrative and Critical Thinking One possible rubric on critical thinking.
- Principles of Good Practice in Assessing Student Learning American Association for Higher Education's article on assessing student learning.
- Comprehensive Collection of all Learning Assessment Resources The North Carolina State University Planning and Analysis site keeps a resource list of articles, sites, and forums covering many elements of learning assessment.
- PSU Portfolio Rubrics. Each year PSU uses rubrics to assess portfolios made by students enrolled in Freshman Inquiry courses. We don't know if all of these are used currently, but they have been used in the past:
- Holistic Critical Thinking [pdf]
- Ethical Issues [pdf]
- Quantitative Literacy [pdf]
- Diversity [pdf]
- Writing Rubric [pdf]