Tk20@FSC

FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE

160 Pearl StreetFitchburg, MA 01420

Tk20@FSC

Best Practices for Assessment, Reporting, and Accreditation

ConferenceMay 27-29, 2009



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



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 Tk20.

• 2002 – NEASC highlights assessment as a challenge for FSC generally.



NEASC Standard 4.44

• 4.44 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.



History of Tk20 Campus-wide• 2004 – FSC Education unit adopts Tk20 and

begins implementing with extensive vendor support.

• 2004-2006 – Initial training, potential of the program favorably reviewed by NCATE.

• 2007 – FSC receives 3-year Davis Educational Foundation grant to extend Tk20 to other departments, add to students’ e-suite.



Teacher Preparation Program• Advisement tabs/transition points• Candidate disposition forms• Lesson plans• Observation reports• Evaluations of practica• Teacher work samples



Values to Teacher Preparation• Long-term storage solution• Interface with Banner• Installation and customer support



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.



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



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).

• Need to preserve what’s already working.



Current (non-TP) FSC users

• Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S)• Economics-History-Political Science• Behavioral Sciences• Nursing• Computer Science• Communications Media• Mathematics



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.



The “Omnibus Rubric”



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)



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 2009. Extensive Reflection forms for artifacts.



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.



Nursing• Trained program coordinator.• Extensive use of surveys complements

Blackboard capabilities.• New writing portfolio project (sophomore/

senior) piloted Spring 2009.



Computer Science• Tk20 “digitized” processes in place– Course notebooks– Course evaluations

• Course-embedded assessments via Observation capability.



Communications Media

• Internship evaluations foundered.• New presentation portfolio capabilities in

Colorado version most welcome!



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.



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.



Questions?

Tk20@FSC

Documents

Transcript of Tk20@FSC