Assessment at ESU -- A Status Report 

Assessment & Teaching Enhancement Center

"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 those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance." --Thomas A. Angelo, AAHE Forum, 1995

Landmarks

1922 State of Kansas Scholarship Contest initiated by KSTC

1978 ESU Faculty Senate Adopts Minimum Competency Examination Requirement

1987 Kansas Board of Regents Mandates Development of Assessment Plans

1989 North Central Association Commission on Institutions of Higher Education Assessment Initiative: ". . . assessment of academic achievement is mandatory, for only by knowing what works and what does not can a professor, a department, a school, or an institution create and carry out plans for continuous educational improvement."

1989 ESU Assessment Plan Approved by Board of Regents

1991 Council on Postsecondary Accreditation/Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education: " . . .after faculty credentials and the validity of the curriculum, an effective approach to assessment . . . is a foremost consideration in accreditation."

1994 The North Central Evaluation Team characterized ESU's approach to assessment as "commendable," and stated: "the assessment program at ESU . . . is working well, has the support of administration, faculty, and students; and has resulted in identifiable improvements of student learning."

1998 The American Productivity and Quality Center cited ESU as a "Best Practice" organization in the assessment of student learning: "One of the most important lessons learned is to get grass-roots involvement . . . pushing the assessment decisions to those who can use the results has been a critical factor in ESU's success."

Principles Underlying the Practice of Assessment at ESU

There are institution-wide commitments to attempt to understand what takes place when students learn and to improve the learning experience for students at ESU.

It is recognized that different approaches to assessment are appropriate at different levels and in different settings. Even in the same academic unit, different assessment techniques may be used for different programs.

The success of the assessment program is indicated by changes which attempt to improve student learning as well as by changes which can demonstrate such improvement. Experimentation and special study do not always produce solutions for problems, but they do signify a willingness to seek solutions.

Assessment Activities -- University Level

All undergraduate students must take and pass competency examinations in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Periodic surveys are conducted of recent graduates, of placement after graduation, and of employer satisfaction with ESU graduates.

A Student Perceptions of Instruction study is conducted every two years.

Special studies are also undertaken to assess achievement in particular areas, e.g., the development of critical thinking, knowledge about and sensitivity to multi-cultural issues, and computer literacy.

All programs which are eligible are encouraged to become accredited.

Assessment Activities -- Division Level
 

Table 1 - Summary of Assessment Techniques Employed

All but one of ESU's undergraduate majors and all of the graduate majors are evaluated by multiple measures. A majority of the undergraduate majors and almost that proportion of graduate majors employ six or more measurement techniques.

Attitudes toward Assessment

The overwhelming majority of faculty and staff believe that assessment activities are supported by the Board of Regents, administrators, and the faculty.

Eighty-two percent either agree or strongly agree with the statement that "our faculty are actively involved in assessment activities."

Fifty-nine percent believe that assessment activities have affected student learning, and seventy-seven believe that assessment has affected the quality of our academic programs.

Sixty-nine percent agree or strongly agree with the statement that "ESU's overall approach to assessment is generally effective."

Actions Taken as a Result of Assessment -- University Level

1. The general education curriculum was modified to require course work which emphasizes knowledge of multi-cultural issues.

2. A proposal to modify graduation requirements to include course work which develops computer literacy has been submitted to the VPAA.

3. The university's competency examination requirement ( a previous requirement) was modified to permit alternative ways in which high achieving students can demonstrate proficiency in reading, mathematics, and writing.

4. All academic divisions were encouraged to develop writing-intensive courses.

5. The General Education Council (in consultation with faculty in Biology, Teacher Education, and Psychology) launched a longitudinal study of correlates of critical thinking among ESU students.

6. The university received a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the assessment of the effectiveness of multi-cultural/diversity education.

7. The General Education Council and the Office of Assessment are conducting a comprehensive assessment of the university's general education curriculum. A major grant to augment this assessment is being submitted to the U.S. Department of Education and the Fund for the Improvement of PostSecondary Education.

Actions Taken as a Result of Assessment -- Division Level

1. Revised student evaluations to reflect program goals more directly.

2. Establishment of exhibition and recital programs for students and alumni in the performing arts areas.

3. Renewed emphasis on student writing in lower division courses; requirements that undergraduate papers follow APA or MLA style format.

4. Incorporation of computer technology in courses in a number of non-science and science majors.

5. Improved advising checklists and program information sheets.

6. Revision of course requirements to increase flexibility and opportunity for interdisciplinary study.

7. Development of new courses and curricula to meet student needs in such area as theatre management, public relations, and space science.

8. Offering tutors and tutoring assistance for "difficult" courses.

9. Formation and rejuvenation of student organizations with an academic focus.

10. Field trips to laboratories, industrial organizations, and other educational institutions.

11. Development of an on-site teaching experience before student teaching in cooperation with local schools.

12. Addition of undergraduate research requirements; increased admission requirements in some majors.

13. Experimentation with various instructional styles.

14. Reorganization of developmental math courses.

15. Addition of writing assignments in nearly all general education classes.

16. Revision of syllabuses and readings to give more emphasis to women and people of color.

17. Provision of additional computing facilities for students.

18. Addition of foreign language requirements and electives.

19. Deletion of unnecessary and outdated courses.

20. Offering additional courses via Internet and other distance learning systems to meet needs of place-bound students.

Actions Taken as a Result of Assessment -- Changes in Assessment

1. Eight of the nineteen academic divisions now have formal Assessment Committees that meet and report on a regular basis.

2. While survey data are still collected and used, several divisions and the General Education Council are now using focus groups to obtain assessment data from students, alumni, and other constituency groups.

3. Capstone experiences have been designed in a number of undergraduate programs. Most of these emphasize undergraduate research or the synthesis of the entire academic experience.

4. Many chairs and assessment committees are now conducting exit interviews with graduating seniors to seek their advice about how the learning experience can be improved.

5. Some divisions have formed Advisory Boards consisting of potential employers, alumni, and others who also review assessment data.

6. The General Education Council has sponsored forums on such assessment issues as "enhancing student learning," "measuring critical thinking," and "intensive writing courses."
 

ESU Students Past and Present

The Summer 1996 New Students Computer Survey revealed that 62% of incoming students had a home computer they could use for classes at ESU. The Summer 1998 New Students Computer Survey indicated that 75% of incoming students had a home computer they could use. The 1996 Survey reported that 25% of new students were bringing a computer to campus; the 1998 Survey figure was 30.2%. Three percent of the 1996 Survey respondents said they had their own "home" page on the Internet; eleven percent have a personal web page according to the 1998 Survey.

The Kansas Board of Regents Student Perceptions Survey in 1996 revealed that 95% of ESU students were satisfied or very satisfied with the education they were receiving at ESU; the 1998 Survey found 86% giving the same appraisal. While 85% of the students rated their instructors as effective in 1996, 95% gave a similar opinion in 1998. In the 1996 Survey, 66% of ESU students reported that their educational experience at ESU was frequently or very frequently intellectually challenging; 72% of the respondents in the 1998 Survey voiced the same opinion.

In a Spring 1993 survey, 58% of ESU students said their high school prepared them adequately for college; only 43% of respondents to a Spring 1997 survey characterized their high school preparation as adequate.
 

Table 2 - Ten Years of Student Changes

Table 3 -- Test Scores of ESU Students

1) Students come to ESU with slightly below average academic skills. By their junior year, ESU students have increased their academic skills to national average levels.

2) Students taking the CAAP test in 1998-99 have declined slightly in their academic skills by comparison with those taking the test in 1995-96.

3) Students taking the PPST test in 1998-98 include a greater number of less skilled students than in 1995-96.

4) A guess, rather than an interpretation: the "least skilled" ESU graduates exceed 5 to 10 percent of college graduates nationally in reading, writing, and math ability. 

Last Updated March 19, 2007