Implementing an

1

• Implementing an
• Ability Based
• Education System
• Colleen Keyes
• Dean of Academic Affairs
• Dr. David England
• Director of Institutional Effectiveness

2
Ability Based Education

• Mandates from
• New England Association of Colleges and Schools
• Connecticut Department of Higher Education

3
Ability Based Education

• Faculty concerns about use of the Collegiate
  Assessment of Academic Progress (CAAP)
• Choice to develop and use a faculty designed
  assessment system

4
Ability Based Education
5
Alverno Model

• Institution wide commitment to collaboratively
  identified Abilities (general education
  outcomes), and Developmental Levels of mastery of
  each Ability, needed for effectiveness in the
  worlds of work, family, and civic community

6
Alverno Model

• Explicit and direct connections are made between
  Developmental Levels of Abilities and course
  syllabi, assignments, and assessments as well as
  program requirements so that students understand
  the interrelated and progressive nature of the
  curriculum and that they are responsible for
  their own ongoing learning

7
Alverno Model

• The formal requirement that students develop
  specific Abilities in one course context and then
  apply them to the subject matter of other courses
  encourages every student in the college to
  transfer learning independently because the
  explicit expectation makes every student aware of
  the possibility

8
Alverno Model

• Assessment is viewed as developmental rather than
  high stakes and as a public activity with results
  shared openly and used for continuous improvement
  of the curriculum and student outcomes

9
Ability Based Education

• Five Year Project
• Determine General Education Abilities and Levels
• Develop rubrics for assessing each ability and
  level
• Distribute the abilities throughout the
  curriculum
• Design standardized assessments within each
  department
• Determine a method for collecting assessment
  results electronically
• Review results and calibrate/revise assessments
  and/or curriculum as appropriate

10
Ability Based Education

• General Education Abilities and Levels
• Abilities vs. Outcomes
• Drafted by a representative group of respected
  faculty
• Distributed to departments for comment
• Finalized
• Approved by the colleges governance process

11
Ability Based Education

• Information Literacy
• Effectively uses, accesses, and evaluates
  information.
• Level 1 Determines the nature and extent of the
  information needed.
• Level 2 Accesses needed information effectively
  and efficiently.
• Level 3 Evaluates information and its sources
  critically and incorporates selected information
  into students own knowledge base and value
  system.

12
Ability Based Education

• Develop rubrics for assessing each ability and
  level
• Appoint an Ability Group for each Ability
• Ability Assessment Team consists of the chairs of
  each group
• Limited but substantive feedback from all faculty

13
Ability Based Education

• Distribute the abilities throughout the
  curriculum
• Three disciplines/programs begin the process each
  year
• Two coaches with reassigned time for each
  discipline/program
• Which abilities attached to which courses
  (sequential)?
• Also revise course and program abilities
• One year for design one year for implementation

14
Ability Based Education

• Distribute the abilities throughout the
  curriculum
• Ability Assessment Team (AAT) reviews the matrix
  that evolves as abilities are attached to courses
• For each Associate Degree, students should be
  assessed in every ability through Level Two
• AAT works with each department to add and/or
  rearrange ability assessments as necessary

15
Ability Based Education

• Design standardized assessments within each
  department
• E-Portfolios
• Capstone Projects
• Embedded Assignments
• Simulations
• Internships and service projects
• Performance on a case study
• Locally developed tests
• Video taping

16
Ability Based Education

• How do we know the instruments were designing
  are valid?

17
Alverno Model

• To validate means that learning outcomes being
  assessed and the assessments must be
• Carefully thought out
• Systematically designed
• Subjected to rigorous reasoning
• Constantly evaluated
• Contextually credible
• Revised re student performance outcomes
• Reviewed for consequences

18
Ability Based Education

• Determine a method for collecting assessment
  results electronically
• eLumen Software
• Designed to maintain and organize outcomes
  assessment data
• Available on campus network for faculty to enter
  assessments

19
Ability Based Education

• eLumen Software

20
Ability Based Education

• eLumen Software

21
Ability Based Education

• eLumen Software

22
Ability Based Education

• eLumen Software

23
Ability Based Education

• Review results and calibrate/revise assessments
  and/or curriculum as appropriate
• What can be done to better develop the abilities
  with which students are struggling?
• Is there consistency in the assessments across
  departments and courses?
• What of graduates meet standards on all
  abilities?

24
Ability Based Education

• Creates productive interaction between faculty
  about LEARNING
• Consistent expectations of students
• Helps students understand the practical
  application of learning
• Helps students understand the need to demonstrate
  abilities throughout the curriculum (preparation
  for advanced courses)

25
Data Driven Planning
Operational Planning Steps
Strategic Planning Steps
Every Year
26
Data Driven Planning

• Institutional Effectiveness
• Outcomes and Data
• Retention, course completion, transfer,
  graduation, and enrollment data by student
  characteristics and program
• PACE and SACE surveys
• Service Satisfaction Survey
• Labor Market data

27
Data Driven Planning

• Percent under 20 years of age
• Fall 2001 - 51
• Fall 2002 - 60
• Fall 2003 - 65
• Fall 2004 - 68
• Fall 2005 - 73

28
Data Driven Planning

• Fall to Spring Retention Rate by Skill
  Deficiency
• F04 F05
• One ? 71 - 79
• Two ? 71 - 85
• Three ? 69 - 81
• Total ? 71 - 82

29
Data Driven Planning

• First Year Mean GPA by Skill Deficiency
• F04 F05
• None ? 2.80 2.52
• One ? 2.45 2.30
• Two ? 2.26 2.64
• Three ? 2.06 2.31

30
Data Driven Planning

• At-Risk Student Characteristics
• Age lt 25
• Male
• Hispanic/Black
• One Skill Deficiency
• Two Skill Deficiencies
• Three Skill Deficiencies
• GPA lt 2.0

31
Strategic Initiative Funding

• Projects that
• Increase the enrollment and/or retention of
  Hispanics, part-time students 25-45, economically
  disadvantaged students, potential students from
  affluent towns
• Improve course completion rates in developmental
  and first year math and English courses
• Improve student absenteeism and responsibility
• Meet the special needs of developmental students

32
Strategic Initiative Funding

• Projects that
• Improve graduation and transfer rates
• Improve fall to fall retention
• Support and/or advance the assessment of General
  Education Abilities
• Improve collaboration and cooperation between two
  or more departments