FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Tk20@FSC
Best Practices for Assessment,
Reporting, and Accreditation
Conference
May 27-29, 2009
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
FSC: Facts and Figures
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Established 1894 as a normal school.
One of six comprehensive state colleges.
50 miles +/- NW of Boston
Declining industrial ambience
12K students (3200 FT day UG, 7300 GR)
Major programs: education, nursing, business,
industrial technology, communications media,
exercise/sports science
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Pre-history of Tk20 Campus-wide
• 2001 – NCATE pushes a “systematic way to
collect and report data.”
• Vendors assessed
– Adoptions by neighboring institutions and
interoperability with Banner decisive for Tk20.
• 2002 – NEASC highlights assessment as a
challenge for FSC generally.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
NEASC Standard 4.44
• 4.44 The institution implements and supports a systematic and
broad-based approach to the assessment of student learning
focused on educational improvement through understanding
what and how students are learning through their academic
program and, as appropriate, through experiences outside the
classroom. This approach is based on a clear statement or
statements of what students are expected to gain, achieve,
demonstrate, or know by the time they complete their academic
program.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
History of Tk20 Campus-wide
• 2004 – FSC Education unit adopts Tk20 and
begins implementing with extensive vendor
support.
• 2004-2006 – Initial training, potential of the
program favorably reviewed by NCATE.
• 2007 – FSC receives 3-year Davis Educational
Foundation grant to extend Tk20 to other
departments, add to students’ e-suite.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Teacher Preparation Program
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Advisement tabs/transition points
Candidate disposition forms
Lesson plans
Observation reports
Evaluations of practica
Teacher work samples
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Values to Teacher Preparation
• Long-term storage solution
• Interface with Banner
• Installation and customer support
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Challenges in Teacher Preparation
• Remote accessibility is problematic (e.g.,
observation checklists)
• Some reports are overly busy
• Field experience binder, while a good product,
is too difficult to set up and train students to
in time to make it useful.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Initial plan for campus-wide roll-out
• Phase-in tied to program review cycle
• Assumptions
– Program outcomes were clearly defined
– Faculty were willing and eager to re-think existing
assessment practices
– Faculty desired technological solutions to data
collection and reporting issues
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Revised plan for campus-wide roll-out
• Need to revisit stated outcomes, esp. student
learning outcomes.
• Need to achieve consensus on evidence that
outcomes are met.
• Need to address technological
underpreparation of administrators, faculty,
support staff, (e.g., website).
• Need to preserve what’s already working.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Current (non-TP) FSC users
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Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S)
Economics-History-Political Science
Behavioral Sciences
Nursing
Computer Science
Communications Media
Mathematics
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S)
• Five areas
– Art appreciation
– Citizenship
– Communication skills
– Problem-solving
– Ethical reasoning
• Some development of many small rubrics, no
clear idea of how to use or compile results.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
The “Omnibus Rubric”
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
LA&S
• Drafted and re-drafted rubric (Spring-Summer
2008)
• Established a faculty work group to test the
rubric against collections of student work
(Summer 2008)
• First round of training for faculty volunteers to
use the rubric and the process (Spring 2009)
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Economics-History-Poly Sci
• Economics – has begun collecting student
work at different stages; graduate survey.
• History – expecting to add a final portfolio for
majors; already leverage Education data
• Political Science – new portfolio developed,
training for faculty and students Spring 2009.
Extensive Reflection forms for artifacts.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Behavioral Sciences
• Integral part of recent Sociology program
review self-study.
• Second iteration of Observation inputs.
• New faculty members engaged.
• Students involved in clarifying rating/grading
distinction.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Nursing
• Trained program coordinator.
• Extensive use of surveys complements
Blackboard capabilities.
• New writing portfolio project (sophomore/
senior) piloted Spring 2009.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Computer Science
• Tk20 “digitized” processes in place
– Course notebooks
– Course evaluations
• Course-embedded assessments via
Observation capability.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Communications Media
• Internship evaluations foundered.
• New presentation portfolio capabilities in
Colorado version most welcome!
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Mathematics
• Long process of discussion and development.
• Introduction of career portfolios to be phased
in.
• Meanwhile: faculty will use Feedback request
process, rubrics as Feedback Forms.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Implementation Lessons
• One size does NOT fit all.
• “Bottom up” seems to work better than “top
down” or “turn-key.”
• Implementation is likely to be more deliberate
than anyone expects.
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE
Questions?
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420