Accreditation Institute
Closing the Loop
PRESENTERS:
Roberta Eisel, Citrus College
Nancy Jones, Coastline College
Facilitator: Anika Toussant-Jackson, Merritt College
Closing the Loop
Agenda
 Introduction/ Context (5 minutes)
 Best Practices and Tools (40 minutes)
What are the micro and macro level best practices that contributed to
closing the loop?
What tools have you used to help close the loop?
 Discussion (30 minutes)
 What is your institution doing to close the loop at the course,
program, and institutional level?
Closing the Loop
Workshop Description
Improvements to student learning and ultimately student
achievement of educational goals are at the heart of efforts to assess
student learning.
Two efforts that should occur simultaneously to ensure closure of
the assessment loop: the use of classroom (micro level) assessment
to improve teaching and learning as well as the use of institutional
(macro level) assessment to identify skill based strengths and
weaknesses to inform institutional planning.
How can colleges use micro and macro activities to support
institutional progress and ultimately close the loop?
Accreditation, Planning, and Program Review have merit.
Student learning is at the heart of all we do.
The Citrus “Loop” expresses our commitment to the
purpose and value of accreditation.
 Best Practices


Integrated Planning
Wide-spread engagement
 Tools
 Strategic Plan, Educational and Facilities Master Plan
 Institutional Support Plans
 Program Review and SLO assessment and their
connections to resource allocation
Once we connected these dots, we moved along.
2004: General education competencies, slos in program review
2005: Institutional Outcomes; Student Services fully engaged in slos
and assessment
2006-07: CurricUnet adopted; slos in COR
2007-08: HotShots; college-wide training and marathons
2008-09: Instructional and administrative support
program review and slos; curriculum/slo/assessment
map; annual program review; Proficiency plan (rubric)
2009: Accreditation Reaffirmed
2010-11: Matrix of GE, program, course slos and
assessment; revisions to curric processes;
Comprehensive assessment report
We know what we do; this works for us.
College Mission, Vision, Values
Strategic Plan - Board Goals - Institutional Goals
Educational Master Plan and Inst. Support Plans
Program Review and Strategic Plan Actions
Resource Allocation
Assessment (of plans and planning)
Program Improvement
SLOs are another lens on the college.
Outcomes and Assessment – Throughout College
 Institutional Outcomes
 Academic excellence
 Economic opportunity
 Personal Achievement
 General Education Outcomes
 Program Outcomes
 Course Level Outcomes
Assessment improves and informs.
 Purpose: Improve teaching and learning
Inform institutional planning
 Practice: Faculty discretion and maintenance
 Tools:
•
Program Review
# Comprehensive
# Annual
Program Review , Curriculum Review & SLO
Assessment matter.
Course
number
Course
name
Curric.
review
Next
revision
Date
offered
SLO
assessed
Nat 181 A
Coastal ….
6/7/08
2014
FA 09
** Yes
**Results of assessment maintained by faculty with
impact or needs recorded on annual program review
report.
From Comprehensive Program Review
Analysis raises questions.
Course
Outcome
Assessment
Dent
121
Identify developmental
disorders and
abnormalities in oral
cavity…
Intraoral photos given as Pre-quiz avg 11.9%
pre-quiz and as part of
Final avg
44%
final exam
Improvement, but
certainly not
mastery. Repeat
next fall for more
data.
From Comprehensive Program Review
Analysis
Reflection leads to connections.
 Biology 124 investigated an outcome related to
chemistry knowledge. A co-requisite of chemistry
was recently removed, thus it was important to
investigate outcome attainment in this area. This
course is offered only once a year, but the first year
data suggested that a majority of students came into
the course with significant chemistry knowledge, and
those that did not were able to attain the outcome
from exposure to chemistry related material during
the course.

( From Annual Program Review)
 Processes are integrated.
From budget assumptions…
“… allocate
resources linked to
program review
and strategic
planning. The
resource allocation
processes follow
the college’s
institutional goals
as established in
the integrated
planning
manual*.”
* Integrated planning
manual draft

Budget request process
Position
Discuss Goals and SLOs
Equip.
Discuss Goals and SLOs
 From annual program review
Impact
Impact
Priority
Priority
Closing the Loop
 Closing the Loop at Coastline College
 Best Practices
 Tools
SLOs: More than a
Requirement
•Focused on Student Success!
•SLOs are more than a requirement.
•It is what we need to do!
SLO Milestones and Status
2002-04
• Modified course outline to include SLOs
• Added discussion of SLO activities to Program Review reporting
Consciousn
ess Raising
2005-06
Preliminary
Steps
•
•
•
•
Made college-wide commitment to identifying/assessing "robust" SLOs
Initiated SLO Peer-Mentor Training for "robust" SLOs
Initiated mapping of course, program, and degree-level SLOs
Initiated Departmental Services Review (DSR) and Student Services Program Review, which include SLOs,
SSOs, and/or SAOs
• Initiated collection of course-level SLO reports using a four-column form (Conclusion: Undesirable and
unsustainable level of paper shuffling)
• Piloted eLumen (Conclusion: Undesirable increase in faculty workload due to duplication of
2007-08
recordkeeping/reporting)
Recordkeepi • Added core degree-level SLOs to course outline
ng
2008-10
One-Stop
Reporting
• Based on faculty-driven strategic planning, initiated development of streamlined, "one-stop" grading and SLO
reporting through integration of SLO assessment and documentation into Seaport (Phase I: Fall 2009)
• All administrative units conducted DSR in Spring 2010
• Developed Academic Quality Rubric to improve course quality and learning outcomes
• Will complete SLO Seaport Integration in Spring 2011
• Will complete design of rubrics to standardize assessment of core degree-level outcomes in Fall
2010
2010-11
• Will complete comprehensive cycle of SLO assessment and review across all courses and programs in 2010-11
Sustainabili • Will achieve "sustainability level" as identified by ACCJC in 2011
ty
Level
•Program Review first included discussion/identification of student learning outcomes in 2003;
programs/offices have been reporting SLOs in conjunction with Program Review for five years, with increasing
breadth and depth each year.
•More than 62.2% of courses reported assessments of in 2009-10.
Best Practices
•Math Course Level SLO
•Department Level Grading Matrix
•Academic Quality Rubrix
Math Department
Course Level SLOs
Course-Level Outcomes:
1. Solve problems involving linear programming, probability and statistics,
finance, game theory, and other applications of mathematics.
Lesson-Level Outcomes:
1.Given a linear programming application problem, students will be able to set
up the system of linear inequalities and find the solutions graphically and
algebraically.
2.Given a probability or statistics application problem, students will be able to
use Venn Diagrams, formulas, and theorems to find the solutions
3.Given a finance application problem, students will be able to choose the
proper mathematics formula and compute the result by using a scientific
calculator.
Math Department
Program SLOs
Assessment Rubrics
Characteristic/
Standard/
Primary Trait
Quantitative methods
Poor
1
Unable to arrive at
correct solutions or to
select appropriate
quantitative methods
even in familiar
contexts
Fair
2
Generally arrives at
correct solution but uses
inappropriate methods
and is unable to transfer
problem-solving skills to
unique situations
Satisfactory
3
Selects and applies
correct quantitative
methods to find the
correct solution to
problems in familiar
situations or contexts
Excellent
4
Selects and applies correct
quantitative methods
(arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, and/or statistics)
to find the correct solution to
a problem in familiar or
unique situations or contexts
Academic Quality Rubrics
Developed by Faculty for Faculty
•In-class
•Online
•Telecourses
Tools
•Integration With Course Management
System
•Integration With Gradebook
•Data Collected
•Data Reviewed
•Curriculum Updated
Grade Book Integration
•Attached to Specific Assignments
•Weighted by SLO
•Discussed by Department
•Revisions Made to Curriculum
•Evaluation Process Begins Again
Seaport Data Collection
Faculty Weight Assignment
Seaport Data Collection
Faculty Weight Assignment
Seaport Data Collection
Faculty Weight Assignment
Seaport Data
Collection
Reporting
Closing the Loop
Discussion (30 minutes)
What is your institution doing to close the loop at
the course, program, and institutional level?
Closing the Loop
Discussion (30 minutes)
What is your institution doing to close the loop at
the course, program, and institutional level?