for Assessment

link to the Guide to Composition  |  Direct Measures of Student Learning

Faculty members teaching English 101 are required to directly measure student learning by participating in one of four options for assessing student writing in their classes that semester.

• a common final exam
• a common assignment
• a portfolio
• an independent option

Faculty report the results of that assessment (either individually or as a group) at the following semester's assessment meeting.  Instructors teaching multiple sections of English 101 may elect more than one assessment option; they have been encouraged to try different options form semester to semester.  Faculty not teaching English 101 should assess in whatever courses they are teaching.

Common Final Exam
Instructors electing the common final exam participate in the selection of a common final essay topic. Students are provided with informative packets which may include background on the topic, directions for getting started, and selected readings.  Instructors may use the packets as they wish to prepare students for writing final essays.  During the final exam period, students write the essay.  Teachers grade but do not mark their students' papers.  During assessment day, the department reads and holistically scores a sample of the papers.  Department evaluation does not affect student grades.

Common Assignment
Instructors choosing the common assignment work in small groups to design an assignment that they think measures student writing achievement at the end of the course; they also agree on a grading procedure and criteria.  Finished essays are exchanged so instructors do not evaluate their own classes.  Student grades are affected to the degree determined by each group.

Portfolios
Instructors participating in the portfolio process ask their students to submit essays to be read by other participating instructors.  These essays must be rewrites of required papers, reflecting teacher comment and student revision.  Participating instructors decide to what extent the portfolio results affect students' grades.  In the past, for example, instructors have agreed that both essays must be judged B- or better by the readers for the student to receive a final grade of A or B.  (Note that completion of the process does not guarantee a grade if the student has not also earned it on the teacher's grading scale.)

Independent Option
The independent option allows instructors to devise assessment measures to evaluate their own students' semester progress.  While they work individually, they must report their results to the department; this report includes a description of the assignment and how it relates to course competencies, scoring procedures, results, and sample papers.

Oral option reports are presented, individually or collectively, as every assessment day.  Written reports are collected, compiled, and kept in the conference room for use by other English instructors.