Levels of Assessment
Assessment occurs at many levels throughout the college. Goals and outcomes for student learning are at the course level, program level, and college level.
It is important to note that faculty are typically most familiar with assessment that takes place at the course level, as this is the most fundamental form of assessment that gives faculty members important feedback about the outcomes for a particular group of students. However, this level of assessment does not tell us how most students do in the course as a whole (we only have information from the one section), nor does it tell us how students do in their programs.
To assess our progress at these higher levels, we have to work collectively to find out how our students are doing as they progress through courses, through programs, and through the college.
Core Competency Assessment is a focus of the Assessment Committee and the college, as it is aligned with and supported by the Guided Pathways initiative. It is important to ensure that our students can demonstrate the abilities promised in Highline’s six Core Competencies (which can be found in detail in our catalog):
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Information and Visual Literacy
- Community and Social Responsibility
- Globalism
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) are statements that specify what students will know, be able to do, or demonstrate when they have completed a specific course. Course outcomes are available in the Catalog at: Course Descriptions.
An example of a course-level outcome from BUS& 101: Introduction to Business: “Analyze the differences between local, national & international markets.”
Program-Level Outcomes (PLOs) are statements that specify what students will know, be able to do, or demonstrate when they have completed a specific degree or certificate. Program-level outcomes are available in the Catalog at: Program Degrees and Certificates. PLOs are only applicable to Prof-Tech Programs.
An example of a program-level outcome from the AAS in Business: “Evaluate and apply industry-specific business principles within the parameters of legal requirements and societal expectations.
College-Wide Core Competencies are statements that specify what students will know, be able to do, or demonstrate when they have completed any program of study at Highline. Core Competencies are available in the Catalog at: College-Wide Competencies.
The previous course-level and program level outcomes above map directly to the Think Critically Core Competency: “Demonstrate the ability to analyze and summarize complex information, create an argument that acknowledges multiple perspectives, and use reasoning and evidence to draw conclusions.”
Core Competency Assessment is a vital way of evaluating overall student success and our institutional promise to students and our community.
As of the 2020-2021 academic year, with the help of many stakeholders, Core Competency assessment has gotten off the ground with more than 30 part-time and full-time faculty and a number of students participating Winter and Spring. The first workshop, titled “VALUE Rubrics 101” introduced how to use AAC&U’s** nationally-vetted rubrics to score actual student work. And in the spring, we will hold our schools first assignment Charrettes, Assignment Charette, borrowing from NILOA’s** collaborative assignment design process, where faculty and students will work together develop and refine assignments to be used with the VALUE rubrics with the goal of scoring our own student work by the end of this academic year. In fact, the work thus far proved to be innovative enough in higher education that the Assessment Committee had the honor of presenting it at the Annual AAC&U Conference in January 2021, with a session titled “The Critical Role of Messaging in Implementing an Effective Student Learning Outcomes Process.”
If you have questions about Core Competency assessment or would like to be involved, please email assessment@highline.edu.
*AAC&U: Association of American Colleges and Universities
**NILOA: National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment