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Assessment of
Occupational Programs
A
Little History
Cabrillo College began
experimenting with assessing student learning outcomes in transfer, basic skills
and occupational courses in 1999 with its summer
Learner Outcomes Institute. When the new accreditation standards were
approved, the Cabrillo Faculty Senate (composed of many summer Institute
alumnae) took the lead in creating a process to assess student learning in all
courses at Cabrillo. The Senate sought to create an assessment process that:
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built on both the
informal assessment that most Cabrillo faculty undertook of their own courses
and the research and practical experiences of the Summer Institute.
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provided
opportunities for faculty to dialogue about the results.
After much research and debate,
the Senate, in conjunction with the Vice President of Instruction, the Council
on Instructional Planning, the Occupational Educational Council and the college
Curriculum Committee, made four other key decisions that have shaped the
assessment of occupational programs at Cabrillo:
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All occupational programs must
define and assess student learning outcomes for every course, certificate and
degree that they offer.
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Many occupational degrees are
composed of the classes that are required for a certificate, plus the
associate degree general education requirements. Occupational programs are
responsible for assessing the SLOs for their certificates and courses. The
SLOs for the general educational curriculum are the
four college competencies and are specifically defined and assessed in
general education courses (see
Assessment of
Transfer and Basic Skills Programs). It is unnecessary for
occupational programs to develop and assess SLOs for associate degree GE
requirements.
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The on-going Instructional
Planning process is used as the vehicle for the development and implementation
of this assessment process. Approximately twelve occupational, transfer and
basic skills embark on Instructional Planning each year. Departments link
their plans for improvement and budgetary requests to their assessment
results.
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Though occupational programs
are not responsible for assessing the GE courses that fulfill their degree
requirements, while undergoing Instructional Planning, they must carefully
examine those courses and dialogue with department that is offering them.
Assessment Method
Individual
occupational programs must design an assessment process that suits their field.
Assessment methods will vary. For some, analyzing board exam results or other
outside assessments makes the most sense. For others, the course-embedded
approach used by transfer and basic skills is more appropriate. The
Occupational Program Workbook guides programs
through this assessment design process. No matter what method is chosen by the
department:
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It must be embedded in the
Instructional Planning cycle, reoccurring throughout the five year period.
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The assessment method must
involve departmental meetings during which 1) the assessment results are
discussed, 2) student needs and issues are identified, and 3) plans are made
for the improvement of student learning.
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Record the issues and plans
that arise during the departmental meetings on an
Assessment Analysis form which is attached to the department’s
Instructional Plan and also forwarded to the
SLO
Assessment Review Committee.
The
Revolving Wheel of Assessment
The Faculty Senate and the
Committee for Instruction Planning decided that this new assessment method would
be implemented gradually and tied it to the Instructional Planning schedule.
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The departments scheduled for
Instructional Planning in 2004 piloted the process by defining SLOs for their
degrees and certificates and designed an assessment process, which is recorded
on an
Assessment Plan form.
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The 2005 group defined SLOs
for their degrees and certificates, designed an assessment process, recorded
on the Assessment Plan form, and revised all departmental course outlines to
include SLOs.
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The 2006 group will complete
all the tasks of the 2005 group, plus begin to dialogue with departments that
offer the GE courses that compose their degree.
The Council on Instructional
Planning recognizes that occupational programs are asked to do more than
transfer and basic skills programs during their initial assessment experience.
Programs can apply for a one-time one-year extension if its needed during
October of their Instructional Planning year.
After their initial assessment
experience, all occupational programs will implement the assessment process that
they designed. The Learning Outcomes Assessment
Coordinator will provide training to entire departments and/or assist
individual faculty with this process.
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