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The Collegiate Assessment of Academic Performance (CAAP), an instrument provided by American College Testing (ACT), was implemented in the spring of 1999 after an earlier pilot that ran from the spring of 1992 to the spring of 1995. The CAAP instrument consists of five exams: Writing, Reading, Mathematics, Science Reasoning and Critical Thinking. For information about CAAP, visit ACT's web site at http://www.act.org/caap/index.html. The methodology was developed to take the greatest advantage of student resources available for assessment. Because Waubonsee's mission includes delivering transfer education, it was a great concern that too many students would be lost to senior institutions before assessment could take place if assessment administration was postponed until a student had completed the entire 37 semester-hour IAI recommended general education core. These "core completers" were assessed in the earlier pilot. In addition, the CAAP battery of exams is lengthy, and could be a burden given the fact that 80% of Waubonsee students attend part-time, work and share in familial responsibilities. Finally, given the part-time nature of the learning force, it may take a student many years to complete the general education curriculum in its entirety, thus leaving the student far-removed from critical content. To overcome these pitfalls, student selection was based on course sequence completion. That is, students were invited to voluntarily assess based on the fact that they were completing a general education requirement using a course that had a freshman level general education course as a prerequisite. These students were then administered the relevant portion of the CAAP battery. For example, students completing ENG102, Freshman English II, were invited to complete the Writing Skills portion of CAAP. ENG102 has ENG101, Freshman English I, as its prerequisite. Every effort was made to adhere to this process throughout the piloting of the CAAP instrument. CAAP was administered on a semester basis until the academic year 2001-2002. On a pilot basis, the Assessment Advisory Committee recommended administration annually. The committee felt that sufficient numbers of students could be drawn annually to maintain consistency in outcomes assessment. The committee also considered human and fiscal resource and transitional issues in its recommendation. In September 2004, TOP decided to again administer the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Performance (CAAP) tests. The first step was to decide on the courses that would be chosen to participate in the test administration. In previous years, approximately 40 classes were selected to participate, yielding about 250 students testing. One of the goals of the new General Outcomes Testing was to increase both the testing opportunities for students as well as the number of students who participate in the test administration. Obviously, the major reason for this was to ensure that the sample size is statistically significant in order to maximize our results.

The TOP MEASURE, as it is now known, is the foundational framework for Waubonsee's Outcomes Program. Our goal was to develop a model that would integrate the outcomes of the college's varied programs, disciplines, and curricula as well as provide a framework and common language all our own. The TOP MEASURE is a work in progress, but through this model Waubonsee is developing an outcomes program that meets the unique needs of our college and its community. The TOP MEASURE was a collaborative enterprise that included faculty, staff and administrators. It guides our practice each day.

This newsletter discussed the 9 Principles of Assessing Student Learning and featured Allison DeStefano, Communications Instructor.

This was our first newsletter and it featured the History, Education and Early Childhood Education department's work on program outcomes.

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A View from the TOP, September 2005

Waubonsee Community College's educational programs are reviewed in a variety of ways, including the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Program Evaluation and Review process that requires a systematic evaluation of institutional programs over a five-year cycle. The process provides a basis for program improvement, modification and/or elimination. The multiple methods of program review include the following: • Outcomes assessment/WEAVEonline through The Outcomes Program (TOP) • Course outline revision • New program development • Institutional Research Outcomes data collection has been improved with the addition of the WEAVEonline assessment data management and communication system. This web-supported system was purchased in the spring of 2006 and will be implemented throughout the 2006-2007 academic year. Once implemented, this system will allow for faculty to input data directly from their office computer and remove the need for formal written reports. This historical data will assist the college in making data-driven decisions which will support student learning.

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