PROGRAM EVALUATION
Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI)
Effective with the academic year 2007-2008, faculty endorsed the use of ATI products as
the assessment vendor for the nursing program. Students are required to purchase ATI
products as mandated by the nursing faculty or they will be unable to progress in the
curriculum. ATI fees are included in the tuition bill on a semester to semester basis.
Standardized Assessments in the New Nursing Curriculum*
Effective Academic Year 2011-2012
First Year
Fall
Spring
NURS 115: No ATI assessment
No ATI assessment
Second Year
Fall
Spring
NURS212: Basic Skills videos available to
NURS 311: Med-surg targeted reviews**
students; Nutrition review;
Online Practice Fundamentals
Medical Surgical Review module
ATI Critical thinking assessment
pre test
Third Year
Fall
Spring
NURS 310: ATI Fundamentals; Med-surg
NURS 314: Community review modules; online
targeted reviews; online practice fundamentals practice test
NURS 312: ATI Maternal -Newborn Nursing
and ATI Nursing of Children; Review
modules and practice assessments in each
NURS 339: Med-surg targeted reviews
NURS 331.2 Pharmacology review modules
NURS 332.2 ATI Pharmacology
Fourth Year
Fall
Spring
NURS 313: ATI Medical Surgical Nursing
NURS 316: ATI RN Predictor Pre - Exam
Practice RN Comprehensive Form A
NURS 317: ATI Leadership; ATI Critical
Thinking (CTA) post; ATI RN Predictor Post
NURS 315: ATI Mental Health, Community
– Exam; ATI leadership review module
Health
Online practice assessments are available in
community health, medical-surgical nursing
and mental health nursing
*Only courses in the major appear in these tables
**Med Surg targeted reviews are used in the spring semester of second year and each semester
thereafter.
Bolded titles = proctored content assessments
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ATI Assessment Policy
The nursing department has incorporated a comprehensive assessment and review
program into the curriculum in order to systematically strengthen the knowledge base of
nursing students which may result in a more competent, successful practitioner. This
program consists of a variety of review materials, DVDs, online practice assessments as
well as proctored assessments. All of these materials are designed to promote learning
throughout the course of study. For example, students entering the first clinical nursing
course will be required to purchase the critical thinking assessment. Students entering
their first clinical nursing course will receive review materials appropriate to the content
in that course.
Proctored assessments are placed within specific nursing courses. For example,
the nursing care of children proctored assessment is placed within Nursing 312: The
Dynamic Family because the majority of concepts related to the nursing of children is
found within this course (see standardized assessments in the new curriculum, Nursing
Student Handbook). Students are encouraged to prepare for this proctored assessment by
reviewing printed materials, appropriate DVDs and students are required to take the
online practice assessments prior to the proctored assessments. By so doing, students
should be successful on the proctored assessments offered toward the end of the course.
The proctored assessments are scored in a variety of ways. Students will receive
an individual score, a percentile rank and a proficiency level. Proficiency level 2 is the
benchmark set by the nursing faculty. Proficiency levels are explained in the following
table.
Proficiency Level 1
Proficiency Level 2
(MC Benchmark)
Proficiency Level 3
Demonstrates minimum level of knowledge in this content area
required to support academic readiness for subsequent
curricular content.
Demonstrates a level of knowledge in this content area that
more than adequately supports academic readiness for
subsequent curricular content.
Demonstrates a higher than expected level of knowledge in this
content area that confidently supports academic readiness for
subsequent curricular content.
Students will take the following content mastery series proctored assessments:
Fundamentals of Nursing
Maternal Newborn Nursing
Nursing of Children
Community Health Nursing
Medical Surgical Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Leadership and Management
Pharmacology
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These assessments will be factored into course grades. For example, Fundamentals of
Nursing will count as 10% of the grade in Nursing 310. If two content mastery proctored
assessments are given in one class, then each assessment will count as 5% of the grade.
Students will achieve better outcomes if serious preparation is taken prior to the
assessment. Students will be given 2 points for taking the online practice assessment and
performing a focused review of the practice assessment prior to the proctored assessment.
Students will earn points based on their proficiency level and will earn 2 additional points
by performing a focused review of material that was answered incorrectly on the
proctored assessment. A minimum of two hours must be spent doing the focused review
in order for 2 points to be earned for remediation efforts. The following chart details how
the grade will be computed based on proficiency levels achieved.
Points Awarded
for Taking the
Online Practice
Assessment and
performing
focused review
Proficiency Level on
ATI Proctored
Assessments
Points Awarded
for Achievement
on ATI Proctored
Exams
Points Awarded
for focused review
of missed topics
from ATI
Proctored
Assessment
TOTAL
POSSIBLE
POINTS
AWARDED
(converts to a
percentage when
multiplied by 10)
2
Proficiency Level 3
6
2
10
2
Proficiency Level 2
5
2
9
2
Proficiency Level 1
3
2
7
2
Below level 1
2
2
6
A focused review of missed material MUST be completed in order to earn 2 remediation
points. This should take approximately 2 hours and will be based on the areas of
individual under-performance. Once this is completed, the student may decide to take a
second content assessment to demonstrate increased knowledge. Any student who does
not achieve a proficiency level 2 benchmark is required to re-take the assessment. As
before, the student will be required to perform a focused review on the second proctored
assessment in order to earn the 2 remediation points. The highest ATI score earned will be
used for grade calculation purposes.
The Comprehensive Predictor Assessment is offered at the start of the second semester
senior year. This assessment consists of 180 questions on all content areas of nursing. It
is helpful in predicting success on the licensure examination in nursing. The nursing
faculty has set a benchmark of 90% probability of passing on the comprehensive
predictor. If this benchmark is not achieved the first time, the student will once again
participate in a focused review in all underperformed areas. The first comprehensive
predictor is worth 5% of the Nursing 317 grade.
All students will be given a second RN Comprehensive Assessment later in the spring
semester. This will count as 5% of the course grade in Nursing 317. As before, students
will be required to do a focused review in those areas of under-performance in order to
earn the remediation points, even if the student predicts to pass the NCLEX. If students
do not earn a probability score of 90% on second attempt, remediation will be required,
the nature of which will be at the discretion of the course faculty. In addition to
remediation, the independent clinical practicum portion of Nursing 317 will be delayed.
As with the content mastery proctored assessments, the RN Comprehensive Predictor
Assessment is worth a total of 10% (5 % of the grade for each version in Nursing 317)
and the Leadership & Management content assessment will count as 5%. Students will
earn points for taking the online practice comprehensive coupled with a focused review
prior to the proctored assessment and for remediation after completion of the proctored
assessment.
The following chart details how the grade will be computed based on proficiency levels
achieved.
Points Awarded
for Online
Practice
Comprehensive
Predictor and
focused review
2
Probability of
Passing on
Comprehensive
Predictor
Points Awarded
for Achievement
on ATI
Comprehensive
Predictor
Points Awarded
for Focused
Review on missed
topics from ATI
Proctored
Comprehensive
Predictor
TOTAL
POSSIBLE
POINTS
AWARDED
(converts to a
percentage when
multiplied by 10)
95% Probability of
passing
6
2
10
90% Probability of
passing
5
2
9
85% probability of
passing
3
2
7
80% probability of
passing
2
2
6
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Reviewed:
Revised:
Approved: 6.2.11