Overview of Outcomes Assessment (OA) for Students

What is Outcomes Assessment?

• It is a method for the college to ensure that students are ready for the next level of English class.

• Each student’s writing is used to determine if the student is ready to move on to the next class.

How does Outcomes Assessment affect my grade?

• The Outcomes Assessment essay will count in the Outcomes Assessment process and toward your course grade.

• In order to receive a letter grade for the course, you must pass the Outcomes Assessment process.

• If you pass Outcomes Assessment, you receive the grade you earned in the course.

• If you fail Outcomes Assessment, you receive an “NC,” or No Credit, which does not affect your GPA. However, receiving an “NC,” means you will need to retake the course and could have financial aid implications.

When does outcomes assessment happen?

Date ActivityAt least by week 13 OA essay assigned by

instructor

Week 13 through midnight on Tuesday of week 14

OA essays collected (instructor will give you the due date)

At least by first class meeting week 15

Portfolio collected (instructor will give you the due date)

Weeks 15 & 16 Portfolio review

Do all English students participate in Outcomes Assessment?

• All students in English 015, 090, and 101 at both CWI and CSI have to pass the Outcomes Assessment process in order to move on to the next English class.

Is everyone eligible to participate in Outcomes Assessment?

• All students are eligible to participate in outcomes assessment, though not all will participate with the same recommendation. There will be a description of instructor recommendations later in this presentation.

How does Outcomes Assessment work?

• You will be assigned an Outcomes Assessment Essay. It will most likely be the 4th essay of the semester. If the essay passes, you receive the grade you earned for the course.

What kind of essay will I be required to write?

• The topic of the essay changes each semester, but students are usually asked to write a persuasive or thesis driven informative essay.

• No research can be used in 015 and 090 essays. Examples in those essays are to come from the students’ personal knowledge experiences. 101 essays require the use of outside material from an established list of sources. Course Essay Page

Length Required

English 015 2 pages

English 090 3 pages

English 101 4 pages

• The length of the essay depends on what class you are taking.

How do they decide if I pass?

• Faculty readers evaluate your OA essay based on the outcomes posted on your syllabus. If the writing meets the outcomes, it receives a “Pass.” If it does not meet the outcomes, it receives a “No Pass.”

Instructor Recommendation

Faculty Reader 1

Faculty Reader 2

Outcome

P P P Pass

P P NP Pass

P NP P Pass

P NP NP Review

NP NP NP Fail

NP NP P Fail

NP P NP Fail

NP P P Review

Your instructor will make a

recommendation of P or NP based on the writing you have done during

the semester.

Who reads the OA essays?

• Your current instructor will not read and evaluate your OA essay. Other instructors teaching the same course will read your OA essay.

• Instructors do blind reading, so they do not know whose writing they are reading. This helps the process be as fair as possible.

What are common reasons people fail the outcomes essay?

• Too short If the essay doesn’t meet the length requirement, it will not pass

• Off topic If the essay does not address the prompt, it will not pass

• Lack of organization

If the thesis is missing or the paragraphs lack coherence, your ideas will be unclear and the essay will not pass.

What if I fail the Outcomes Assessment Essay?

• In certain cases when the OA essay does not pass, the portfolio of essays you wrote during the semester will be evaluated to determine if you should pass the Outcomes Assessment Process.

What is portfolio review?• If a student does not pass the outcomes assessment essay, that student’s

work from the class is evaluated by a faculty committee. If the portfolio meets the outcomes, that student will then pass outcomes assessment.

Instructor Recommendation

Reader

1

Reader 2

Outcome Reader 1

Reader 2

Reader 3

Final decision

P P P Pass ----- ----- ----- Pass

P P NP Pass ----- ----- ----- Pass

P NP P Pass ----- ----- ----- Pass

P NP NP Review P P ----- Pass

P NP NP Review P NP P Pass

P NP NP Review NP NP ----- Fail

NP NP NP Fail ----- ----- ----- Fail

NP NP P Fail ----- ----- ----- Fail

NP P NP Fail ----- ----- ----- Fail

NP P P Review NP NP ----- Fail

What goes in the portfolio?

• Passing portfolios have to contain all four major essays and the draft work.

• If one or more of the essays did not receive a passing grade, it is unlikely that the portfolio would pass portfolio review.

• Portfolios go in a two pocket folder.

How do I prepare for Outcomes Assessment?

• The course work your teacher assigns will help prepare you.

• Practice revision and revision strategies.

What if I have more questions?

• Your instructor will be happy to answer questions about Outcomes Assessment throughout the semester.