Process, Deadlines, Responsibilities

Statement on Standards of Assessment Practice for Instructional Programs

In an effort to clarify processes for outcomes assessment, the following standards of assessment practice have been created.

Assessment of instruction at Rio Hondo College meets each of the following criteria:

1. Three to six course-level outcomes (CLOs) are identified for each course, where:
   
   1. CLOs are listed in all course syllabi.
   2. CLOs are posted in Taskstream and available in the online schedule of classes.
   3. CLOs are mapped in Taskstream to program-level outcomes (PLOs).
   4. CLOs are mapped in Taskstream to institutional-level outcomes (ILOs).
2. At least three PLOs for each program are established, where:
   
   1. PLOs are current and accessible in the College catalog.
   2. PLOs are current and accessible to the public through the College’s website via the catalog and the outcomes PLOs web page.
   3. PLOs are current and accessible to faculty via Canvas in the Faculty Resource Center.
   4. PLOs are posted in the course catalog and on the College’s website.
   5. CLOs are mapped to PLOs.
3. Outcomes are measured by use of direct assessment methods.
   
   1. It is strongly recommended that SLOs assessment methods are uniform for different sections of the same course.
   2. Assessment of SLOs is rotated within a six-year timeline so that all outcomes for a given course will be assessed at least once within a six-year time period and all course outcomes for courses within a discipline will be assessed within the same six-year time period.

All course outcomes must be assessed within a the six-year cycle irrespective of the term in which they are offered.

4. A regular, explicitly stated course assessment timeline for all outcomes is submitted during program planning.
   
   1. CLOs are analyzed annually as a component of annual program planning.
      
      1. CLOs are revised on a five-year cycle which coincides with the five-year cycle for course revisions within curriculum.
   2. A complete course-level assessment process includes:
      
      1. Collecting course-level data* in accordance with the outcomes rotation timeline and entering “Measures and Findings” into Taskstream.
      2. At least once annually (and in accordance with the outcomes rotation timeline), analyzing course-level data, reflecting on measures and findings, and recording dialogue and discussion on the Close-the-Loop form.
      3. At least once annually, reporting results in the annual program plan via Taskstream.
   3. PLOs are assessed every year and addressed in annual program planning in Taskstream.
      
      1. PLOs are revised on a six-year cycle which coincides with the six-year cycle for program reviews.

The four criteria stated above represent a threshold for assessment practice for instruction. They enable the institution to describe the achievement of a common core of learning to external stakeholders. The College invites and encourages faculty to engage in outcomes assessment practices that go beyond this threshold.

(Approved by Academic Senate: Fall 2019)

Cycle of Assessment and Course-Level Outcomes Revision

Outcomes are assessed regularly using a cycle of assessment that is connected to the course revision schedule and the program review schedule. The latter schedule specifies that all programs are reviewed once every six years (except in the case of CTE programs, which are reviewed once every two years), while the former schedule has courses reviewed every five years. In short, the review of program outcomes occurs every six years as part of the program review cycle, while the course outcomes review process is connected to the five-year curriculum course review cycle.

The overall achievement of CLOs and PLOs should be analyzed holistically, using longitudinal data when possible, at least once within a six-year cycle. For example, during the program review process, programs and disciplines should discuss the degree to which all course and program outcomes were achieved rather than considering specific outcomes for a particular course—unless a pattern of improvement or success for a course or set of courses emerges that is relevant to a discussion of program quality.

Rio Hondo College recommends a standard calendar for CLOs assessment. This calendar specifies the assessment schedule as follows:

1. CLOs associated with courses offered in both fall and spring terms are assessed in either the fall or the spring, with results reported in Taskstream during the spring term; and
2. CLOs associated with courses offered once (or less than once) annually should be assessed and reported during the term in which they are offered.

Revision

[CLOs] are revised on a five-year cycle which coincides with the six-year cycle in curriculum.

(Approved by Academic Senate: Fall 2019)

Where Can I Locate Previously Established Outcomes?

[CLOs] have been identified for each course at Rio Hondo and are currently maintained online in Taskstream.

(Rio Hondo College Faculty Handbook, 2019–2020)