F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Best Practices for Assessment, Reporting, and Accreditation Conference May 27-29, 2009

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA 01420

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA FSC: Facts and Figures Established 1894 as a normal school. One of six comprehensive state colleges. 50 miles +/- NW of Boston Declining industrial ambience 12K students (3200 FT day UG, 7300 GR) Major programs: education, nursing, business, industrial technology, communications media, exercise/sports science

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Pre-history of Tk20 Campus-wide 2001 – NCATE pushes a “systematic way to collect and report data.” Vendors assessed – Adoptions by neighboring institutions and interoperability with Banner decisive for Tk – NEASC highlights assessment as a challenge for FSC generally.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA NEASC Standard The institution implements and supports a systematic and broad-based approach to the assessment of student learning focused on educational improvement through understanding what and how students are learning through their academic program and, as appropriate, through experiences outside the classroom. This approach is based on a clear statement or statements of what students are expected to gain, achieve, demonstrate, or know by the time they complete their academic program.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA History of Tk20 Campus-wide 2004 – FSC Education unit adopts Tk20 and begins implementing with extensive vendor support – Initial training, potential of the program favorably reviewed by NCATE – FSC receives 3-year Davis Educational Foundation grant to extend Tk20 to other departments, add to students’ e-suite.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA 01420

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Teacher Preparation Program Advisement tabs/transition points Candidate disposition forms Lesson plans Observation reports Evaluations of practica Teacher work samples

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Values to Teacher Preparation Long-term storage solution Interface with Banner Installation and customer support

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Challenges in Teacher Preparation Remote accessibility is problematic (e.g., observation checklists) Some reports are overly busy Field experience binder, while a good product, is too difficult to set up and train students to in time to make it useful.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Initial plan for campus-wide roll-out Phase-in tied to program review cycle Assumptions – Program outcomes were clearly defined – Faculty were willing and eager to re-think existing assessment practices – Faculty desired technological solutions to data collection and reporting issues

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Revised plan for campus-wide roll-out Need to revisit stated outcomes, esp. student learning outcomes. Need to achieve consensus on evidence that outcomes are met. Need to address technological underpreparation of administrators, faculty, support staff, (e.g., website).website Need to preserve what’s already working.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Current (non-TP) FSC users Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S) Economics-History-Political Science Behavioral Sciences Nursing Computer Science Communications Media Mathematics

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S) Five areas – Art appreciation – Citizenship – Communication skills – Problem-solving – Ethical reasoning Some development of many small rubrics, no clear idea of how to use or compile results.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA The “Omnibus Rubric”

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA LA&S Drafted and re-drafted rubric (Spring-Summer 2008) Established a faculty work group to test the rubric against collections of student work (Summer 2008) First round of training for faculty volunteers to use the rubric and the process (Spring 2009)

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Economics-History-Poly Sci Economics – has begun collecting student work at different stages; graduate survey. History – expecting to add a final portfolio for majors; already leverage Education data Political Science – new portfolio developed, training for faculty and students Spring Extensive Reflection forms for artifacts.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Behavioral Sciences Integral part of recent Sociology program review self-study. Second iteration of Observation inputs. New faculty members engaged. Students involved in clarifying rating/grading distinction.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Nursing Trained program coordinator. Extensive use of surveys complements Blackboard capabilities. New writing portfolio project (sophomore/ senior) piloted Spring 2009.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Computer Science Tk20 “digitized” processes in place – Course notebooks – Course evaluations Course-embedded assessments via Observation capability.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Communications Media Internship evaluations foundered. New presentation portfolio capabilities in Colorado version most welcome!

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Mathematics Long process of discussion and development. Introduction of career portfolios to be phased in. Meanwhile: faculty will use Feedback request process, rubrics as Feedback Forms.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Implementation Lessons One size does NOT fit all. “Bottom up” seems to work better than “top down” or “turn-key.” Implementation is likely to be more deliberate than anyone expects.

F ITCHBURG S TATE C OLLEGE 160 Pearl Street Fitchburg, MA Questions?