In
2006,
the Marriage
and Family
Therapy (MFT)Outcomes
master’s program and Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) doctoral program , both in the Department of Child Development and Family Relations within the College of Human Ecology began shifting curriculum from being input driven to outcome based.
ECU
MFT
MS Program
Educational
The first step in this process was to convene a meeting with all of the MFT/MedFT faculty to create student learning outcomes (SLOs) that we believed should showcase a student’s competency at the time of graduation. We also created faculty outcomes (FOs) and program outcomes (POs) that would ensure that high levels of student achievement and student learning could be sustained on a continual basis through appropriate institutional and programmatic organization, commitment, and resources.
SLO
9) Illustrate
collaborative
when
working
with (EOs).
clients,
collateral
supervisors,
and
professionals.
The collection
of SLOs, use
FOs, of
andaPOs
are known as thelens
programs
educational
outcomes
Each
EO was thencontacts,
tied to the University,
College,
andother
Department’s
strategic plan to ensure that our focus at the program level was consistent with the mission and vision for ECU. (See select EOs in Figure 1).
ECU
Education
Objective
1.2.1:
Prepare
students
with
an understanding
of the
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ofwhich
disciplinary
that
the core
knowledge
base for
upon
allallother
grounded.
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3.2.2: was
Implement
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health
health
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1.1.A1:
efforts
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support
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enlighten
nurture
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increase
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partnerships
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integrate
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and
healthPhD
care.
CDFR
Objective
Contribute
The next
stage of development
was to
determine
how each
EO would be
measured.
In this case, the faculty
met to
determine
classes best perspectives
coincided with each
SLO.form
Then student
outcomes
were constructed
each which
syllabi (on
requiredscholarship
courses) using is
Bloom’s
Taxonomy.
Each
student outcome
on a syllabus
tied to a student
outcome
to the integrates
overall program.
Studentpromotion
outcomes wereand
also tied
to a predetermined
of core competencies
that were
createdIncrease
by the American
Association
for and
Marriage
and Family
Therapy opportunities
(AAMFT) in 2004. that
AAMFT
also housesand
the division
of the
body that governs
the MFTcultures
and MedFTand
programs
, the Commission
on Accreditation
for Marriage
Family Therapy Education
(COAMFTE).
The3.2.A2:
MFT MS Foster
program was
the first accredited
program
in North
Carolina and
the MedFT
program
wasEducation
the first COAMFTE
MedFT 1.1:
program
in the world. to
Angela Lamson
Child Development & Family Relations
College of Human Ecology
East Carolina University
lamsona@ecu.edu
ECU MFT and MedFT
Mission Statements
The mission of the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program is “to
prepare Marriage and Family Therapists who are well grounded in systems
theory and its application to clinical practice.”
The mission of the Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) program is “to
advance student’s learning in the areas of research, theory, clinical practice,
leadership, supervision, and teaching in order to prepare and qualify them to
pursue employment as researchers, educators, administrators, and/or
clinicians in the field of medical family therapy.”
Introduction
In 2006, the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s program and
Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) doctoral program , both in the
Department of Child Development and Family Relations within the
College of Human Ecology began shifting curriculum from being input
driven to outcome based.
The first step in this process was to convene a meeting with all of the
MFT/MedFT faculty to create student learning outcomes (SLOs) that we
believed should showcase a student’s competency at the time of
graduation. We also created faculty outcomes (FOs) and program
outcomes (POs) that would ensure that high levels of student achievement
and student learning could be sustained on a continual basis through
appropriate institutional and programmatic organization, commitment,
and resources.
The collection of SLOs, FOs, and POs are known as the programs
educational outcomes (EOs). Each EO was then tied to the University,
College, and Department’s strategic plan to ensure that our focus at the
program level was consistent with the mission and vision for ECU. (See
select EOs in Figure 1).
The next stage of development was to determine how each EO would be
measured. In this case, the faculty met to determine which classes best
coincided with each SLO. Then student outcomes were constructed for
each syllabi (on all required courses) using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each
student outcome on a syllabus was tied to a student learning outcome
pertaining to the overall program. Student outcomes were also tied to a
predetermined list of core competencies that were created by the
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) in
2004. AAMFT also houses the division of the accrediting body that
governs the MFT and MedFT programs , the Commission on
Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
The MFT MS program was the first accredited COAMFTE program in
North Carolina and the MedFT PhD program was the first COAMFTE
MedFT program in the world.
Sample ECU MFT MS Program Educational Outcome
SLO 9) Illustrate use of a collaborative lens when working with clients,
collateral contacts, supervisors, and other professionals.
ECU Education Objective 1.2.1: Prepare students with an understanding of
the variety of disciplinary perspectives that form the core knowledge base
upon which all other scholarship is grounded. ECU Health Objective 3.2.2:
Implement an approach to health that integrates health promotion and health
care. CHE Education Objective 1.1.A1: Increase efforts to align and support
learning opportunities that enlighten and nurture an understanding of diverse
cultures and increase competence to address global challenges.CHE Health
Objective 3.2.A2: Foster partnerships that integrate health promotion and
health care. CDFR Education Objective 1.1: Contribute to student experiences
that enlighten and nurture an understanding of diverse cultures and increase
competence to address global challenges. CDFR Leadership Objective 1.1:
Support partnerships and training opportunities for students and faculty. The
measures and results of this SLO are tracked for unique Leadership Initiatives
tracked for the university’s SACS accreditation. This SLO is linked to:
Leadership Initiative #2: Collaborates effectively in diverse groups to promote
successful outcomes.
Figure 1. Sample Educational Outcome from the MFT program. Each is
tied to the University, College, and Departmental strategic plans.
student experiences that enlighten and nurture an understanding of diverse cultures and incr
Educational Outcomes
of the MFT and MedFT Programs
Results
Method for Tracking and Reporting
The faculty have established several methods of evaluating student, faculty, and
program competency for both programs. The syllabi of all required MFT /MedFT
courses include a grid at the bottom that link student learning outcomes to the
following: (1) Professional Marriage and Family Therapy Standards and Educational
Guidelines; (2) AAMFT Core Competencies; (3) AAMFT Code of Ethics; (4)
AMFTRB Guidelines; and (5) the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy
Licensure Act and Administrative Rules and for the doctoral program also include a
link to the MedFT core competencies (Tyndall et , al, 2010) (see Figure 2). This
example is from CDFR 8402-Advanced Family Therapy Theories in the MedFT
PhD program.
MedFT
Competency
Primary
Domain
1.1.101—
MedFTs should
have a personal
theoretical
approach to
working with
individuals,
couples,
families, and
larger systems.
6.4.21- Evaluate
and design
intervention and
program
research
associated with
biopsychosocialspiritual health
issues and
collaborative
care models.
AAMFT Core
Competency
Admission to
Treatment
6.1.1 # ^
6.3.1# ^
Secondary
Domain
Conceptual
How taught How
SOs
SLOs
in the
evaluated
course
for
competency
Readings, Theory of
#1; #2; #3; SLOs
article
change
#4
3, 7, 8, 10
readings, in rubric,
class
final
discussions, interview
Final exam rubric;
Research and
Program
Evaluation
Evaluative
Readings,
Module,
final paper
Primary
Domain
Secondary
Domain
Research and
Program
Evaluation
Conceptual
How taught How
SOs
SLOs
in the
evaluated
course
for
competency
CQC
Rubric for #1; #2; #3; SLOs
Readings, modules,
#4
3, 7, 8, 10
article
midterm
readings, in examination,
class
theory of
discussions, change
final
paper rubric,
interview
attendance,
final
interview
rubric;
rubric
literature
review
Research and
Program
Evaluation
Executive
CQC
Readings,
article
readings, in
class
discussions,
final exam
Rubric for
Module,
Rubric for
final paper
#1, #2,#4
SLOs
3,7,10
Rubric for #1; #2; #3; SLOs
modules,
#4
3, 7, 8, 10
midterm
examination,
theory of
change
paper rubric,
attendance,
final
interview
rubric;
rubric final
paper
Figure 2 Sample of the grid at the bottom of every syllabi that pairs SLOs, SOs,
and Core Competencies (Created by AAMFT or via a Delphi Study created by
ECU MedFT students and faculty (Tyndall et. al, 2010).
The measures, results, and action required from the student learning outcomes, faculty outcomes, and
program outcomes are then transferred into 1) a Word document (see Figure 3) 2 ) an Excel document, and
in TracDat. Three formats are available for housing the data given the diverse needs for program, college,
and university accreditation reports. It is through these methods that we capture student performance and
program effectiveness. Program effectiveness is an ongoing process as denoted in the “action and follow up”
sections of the Word and TracDat documents. The faculty continue to improve our outcome assessment
methods, strengthen our curriculum, and demonstrate competency in the students that we graduate based on
student, faculty, administrative, client, and community partner input. Currently any measure that results in
an outcome of less than 83% Pass with Honors or Pass rate in the MS program or less than a 90% Pass with
Honors or Pass rate in the PhD program must have a follow up/plan of action denoted in TracDat. All other
action plans are determined by evaluations completed by stakeholders (e.g., recommendations from students,
community partners, administration).
MFT SLO 9: Illustrate use of a collaborative lens when working with clients, collateral contacts, supervisors, and other
professionals.
As Measured BY:
CDFR 6407
SO6: Students will be able to appraise and compare various major family therapy theories.
As measured by:
Written exams-Exam 1=83% Pass with Honors, 17% Pass, Exam 2=100% Pass with Honors
Review of literature paper- 92% Pass with Honors, 8% No Pass
Genogram assignment-No statistics for this year.
CDFR 6409
SO8: Students will be able to demonstrate competence working within the model of family therapy education and
practice utilized at the ECU Family Therapy Clinic including treatment teams and live- and video-supervision.
As measured by:
Role Play-100% Pass with Honors
Final exam-75% Pass with Honors, 25% Pass
Clinical paperwork file-100% Pass with Honors
Papers-75% Pass with Honors, 25% Pass
SO9: Students will be able to understand therapy from the client’s perspective as a collaborative enterprise that is
done with clients and not to clients.
As measured by:
Role Play-100% Pass with Honors
Final exam-75% Pass with Honors, 25% Pass
Clinical paperwork file-100% Pass with Honors
SO10: Students will be able to describe a model for working collaboratively with larger systems including mental
health, medical, schools, juvenile justice, psychiatry, social service, and religious.
As measured by:
Role Play-100% Pass with Honors
Final exam-75% Pass with Honors, 25% Pass
Clinical paperwork file-100% Pass with Honors
Papers-75% Pass with Honors, 25% Pass
Figure 3. All statistics for every class are entered into a Word document after each semester and include results to
every student outcome (as seen on syllabi), student learning outcome (in relation to the program), faculty outcome,
and program outcome (e.g., percentage of students who graduate within the advertised time frame).
Conclusions
Our programs were the first to undergo the outcomes based accreditation standards for COAMFTE in 2006
(Version 11.0) and we successfully sustained our programs with no stipulations aligned with either program.
As such, several MFT and MedFT programs from across the nation have looked to ECUs MFT MS program
and MedFT PhD program as models of success. For more information about our accreditation materials
please contact Dr. Angela Lamson at lamsona@ecu.edu
Acknowledgments
Accreditation is very important to the MFT and MedFT students and faculty. As such, it is important to recognize the faculty: Drs. David
Dosser, Wayne Hill, Jennifer Hodgson, Angela Lamson, Damon Rappleyea, Lisa Tyndall, and Mark White as well as the students,
community partners, and administrators who support our efforts to maintain rigorous and well respected programs.