>Perhaps what I have to say is not directly relevant to this discussion, but
>it does tie in and it's on my mind a lot these days.
>
>We put a lot of effort into evaluating students when they come to us, not
>nearly as much into evelauating them when they leave us. That is certainly
>true here at Jefferson CC; I suspect it is true also at the primary and
>secondary levels.
>
>The administration at this institution talks about academic standards, but
>the data they collect is all about 'retention' (i.e. how many passed your
>course?) and 'customer satisfaction' (e.g., student evaluations, graduate
>follow-up questionnaires). I know of no effort to measure what the
>students know and can apply. We have some departmental finals, but they
>are graded by the teacher of the course. The pressure is all in one
>direction -- pass more students.
>
>Now, I am not asking to have some suit looking over my shoulder when I
>teach; but if we are going to complain about the students' condition when
>they get here, we had better be ready to certify their condition when they
>leave. It strikes me that we could gain more public support for
>remediation if we could demonstrate that it _is_ a remedy. Developmental
>courses should _develop_ students; even those who do not meet exit
>competency should have made demonstrable and sustainable progress during
>the semester.
------------------------------->
I think what you are talking about is student academic achievement
assessment. Students must first be evaluated when they come to you and then
at several points along the way and finally when they leave. The results
should show that students have learned along the way. If no baseline
information is gathered, how can one show that learning has taken place?
More and more colleges are creating an assessment plans. The assessment is
of students not teachers.
Nancy
>
>
>
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Nancy J. Sattler
Curriculum Chair
Terra Community College
2830 Napoleon Road
Fremont, OH 43420
phone:419-334-8400, ext. 179
fax: 419-334-9414
email: nsattler@terra.cc.oh.us
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