Assessment of Student Academic Achievement
Moraine Valley has a strong and sustained commitment to the assessment of student learning. The primary purpose of assessment is to generate useful information about students’ academic achievement to make decisions leading to improved student learning. The college recognizes that students can play an active role in their learning by participating fully in the assessment process in the classroom, developing self-assessment skills, and working with the instructor as a partner in learning.
The college’s Plan for the Assessment of Student Academic Achievement reflects the college’s commitment to the improvement of student learning. Participants include students, faculty, administrators, and external stakeholders. Academic departments and student development offices perform assessment of student learning annually. The plan includes:
Steps for Department Review:
1. Develop a five-year assessment cycle for all departmental programs
- Identify goals and objectives
- Identify anticipated outcomes and assessment methods
- Determine the logistics of assessment for each program within the cycle
Yearly, each department will:
2. Implement an assessment plan
- Review and revise its five-year cycle as needed
- Initiate assessment activities for the current year
- Analyze data of the assessment activities
3. Prepare an annual report
- Describe the assessment activities
- Develop conclusions, including positive outcomes and areas needing revision
- Revise operational plans for the following year
- Suggest a new initiative, if appropriate
- Evaluate and amend assessment activities for future years
4. Submit the annual report for review and discussion
- Department chairs will submit their annual reports to their dean, who after appropriate review, will forward to the respective vice president
5. Integrate assessment initiatives into operational planning
- Departments will use conclusions from assessment to revise their operational plans
6. Implement changes resulting from assessment activities
- Operational changes will be made by departments with the support of the appropriate dean and the approval of the respective vice president
- Recommendations for new initiatives will be forwarded to the respective vice president for further review
Yearly, under the direction of the President and Assessment Director, the College will:
7. Review recommendations for new initiatives resulting from implementation of the assessment plan. The review will include:
- An opportunity for the college community to review all recommendations for new initiatives
- An opportunity for the college community to provide input on the same
- A study of available feedback by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) prior to the determination of new initiatives the college will support
8. Implement new initiatives
- The Executive Leadership Team will inform the college community of new initiatives
- New initiatives will be incorporated into the college planning process
For more information on the college’s Assessment Plan, please visit morainevalley.edu/studentassessment