LA HARBOR COLLEGE
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessment Report
Course Assessment
Division: Communications
Discipline/Program:
English
Course Number and Name: ENGLISH 021 English Fundamentals
Program Contact Person: Susan McMurray_______________________________________ Phone: 310.233.4245______________________
Reviewed by:
Elena Reigadas, SLO Assessment Coordinator
Attach additional pages as necessary.
Institutional
Course Intended Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate use of
appropriate word choice (11th
1
grade or higher vocabulary),
syntax, and sentence
correctness in her/his writing,
including correct spelling and
punctuation, thesis, logical
organization, concrete
supporting evidence.
Means of Assessment
and Criteria for Success
English 21 Assessment
exercise prepared by
members of the
committee is attached, as
is the rubric developed to
explain criteria for
success. A score of 1
(Competent) or 2
(Developing) on a three
point scale was deemed
to be a passing score. A
score of 3 (Emergent)
was not passing. One of
the factors for
determining success was
readiness for English 28
entry skills which are the
same as the English 21
Intended Outcomes.
Please see narrative in
division office.
Date: December 2013
Summary of Data
Collected
119 total students were
assessed from 5 sections
of English 21 and
evaluated by the rubric
attached in the narrative.
Of the total, 41 students
were deemed Competent.
45 were deemed
Developing. 33 were
deemed Emergent.
Samples of student
work are on file in the
division office.
Use of Results
The recommendations to the
department are contained in
the attached narrative. The
data suggests that an
overwhelming number of
students can correct errors in
syntax, sentence correctness
in her/his writing, including
correct spelling and
punctuation in a paragraph.
It is possible that the
assessment can be improved
to more narrowly define
measures of appropriate
word choice. Possibly a
clarification needs to be
made between our objectives
regarding SLO #1 and #4.
“Word choice” and “rules of
grammar of usage” are often
analogous.
Please see narrative in
2
2. Distinguish between main
idea and supporting details in
written materials
Students at the end of fall
2013 were given a
paragraph in which they
were to identify the main
idea and any supporting
details. The rubric
developed to explain
criteria for success had 3
levels: Emergent (lowest
level), Developing, and
Competent (highest
level).
Please see narrative in
division office.
1
3. Develop a 5-8 sentence
paragraph in a given rhetorical
mode
Students at the beginning
of the spring 2013
semester were given a
writing assignment to
write a paragraph about
their goals as a student.
At the end of the
semester, students were
given the same
assignment but asked to
write about what they
had accomplished that
semester. The rubric
developed to explain
criteria for success had 3
levels: Emergent (lowest
level), Developing, and
Competent (highest
level). Paragraphs were
119 total students were
assessed from 5 sections
of English 21 and
evaluated by the rubric
attached in the narrative.
Of the total, 80 students
were deemed Competent.
31 were deemed
Developing. 8 were
deemed Emergent.
Samples of student
work are on file in the
division office.
88 students were
assessed from 5 sections
of English 21 and
evaluated by the rubric
attached in the narrative.
58.43% of students
improved at least one
level. Only students who
took the pre and post
assessments were
included in the data.
Sample of student work
are on file in the
division office.
division office.
The recommendations to the
department are contained in
the attached narrative. The
data suggests that an
overwhelming number of
students can identify a main
idea and supporting details in
a paragraph. It is possible
that the assessment can be
improved to allow students
to create paragraphs with a
main idea and supporting
details rather than simply
identify these criteria in a
prewritten paragraph.
Please see narrative in
division office.
The recommendations to the
department are contained in
the attached narrative. The
evidence suggests that our
students are improving in
their writing development.
Over the course of the
semester, students were able
to develop greater detail and
content development in their
writing. One caveat to this
conclusion is that some
students decreased in skill in
their post assessment.
Further study is necessary to
determine if this is caused by
fatigue or lack of effort at the
end of the semester.
assessed by a body of
faculty. Success was
determined by the
student moving from
either from Emergent to
Developing or
Developing to
Competent.
1
4. Demonstrate understanding
of basic rules of grammar and
useage.
Please see narrative in
division office.
Students at the beginning
of the spring 2013
semester were given an
assignment to write a
paragraph about their
goals as a student. At the
end of the semester,
students were given the
same assignment but
asked to write about what
they had accomplished
that semester. The rubric
developed to explain
criteria for success had 3
levels: Emergent (lowest
level), Developing, and
Competent (highest
level). Paragraphs were
assessed by a body of
faculty. Success was
determined by the
student moving from
either from Emergent to
Developing or
Developing to
Competent.
Please see narrative in
Please see narrative in
division office.
88 students were
assessed from 5 sections
of English 21 and
evaluated by the rubric
attached in the narrative.
25.84% of students
improved at least one
level. Only students who
took the pre and post
assessments were
included in the data.
Sample of student work
are on file in the
division office.
The recommendations to the
department are contained in
the attached narrative. The
evidence suggests that our
students are slightly
improving in their
understanding of basic rules
of grammar and usage.
Because grammar and usage
are core skills for English 28
and the majority of students
assessed did not improve, the
data suggests there is cause
for concern. Possibly, a new
assessment with more
specific assessment criteria
will help us understand our
students’ needs for this
outcome.
Please see narrative in
division office.
division office.
Date:
May 2011
Institutional
Learning Outcomes
1
Course Intended Outcomes
1. Demonstrate use of
appropriate word choice (11th
grade or higher vocabulary),
syntax, and sentence
correctness in her/his writing,
including correct spelling and
punctuation, thesis, logical
organization, concrete
supporting evidence.
Means of Assessment
and Criteria for Success
English 21 Assessment
exercise prepared by
members of the
committee is attached, as
is the rubric developed to
explain criteria for
success. A score of 2 or
better on a four point
scale was deemed to be a
passing score. A score of
0 or 1 was not passing.
One of the factors for
determining success was
readiness for English 28
entry skills which are the
same as the English 21
Intended Outcomes.
Summary of Data
Collected
117 students were
assessed from five
sections of English 21
and evaluated by the
rubric attached in the
narrative. Approximately
half the students (55)
were determined to show
Competence or Developing Competence; 56
were deemed Emergent
Competence or
Incompetent. Two
students in the entire
group of 117 that were
able to identify and
correct all the errors.
Please see narrative in
division office.
Samples of student
work are on file in the
division office.
2
2. Distinguish between main
idea and supporting details in
written materials
Exercises relating to
lecture and text; quiz.
1
3. Develop a 5-8 sentence
paragraph in a given rhetorical
mode
4. Demonstrate understanding
Exercises relating to
lecture and text; quiz
1
Exercises relating to
Use of Results
The recommendations to the
department are contained in
the attached narrative. The
overwhelming evidence is
that most students are unable
to identify standard academic
English conventions within
the context of a paragraph
and then correct those errors
appropriately.
A subsequent error analysis
will be conducted to see if a
pattern of errors can be
established. Clearly we have
much to do.
Please see narrative in
division office.
of basic rules of grammar and
useage.
lecture and text; quizzes