SLO P ROCESSES G UIDE This guide is a compilation of a series of SLO presentations over the last several years. This guide will serve as a review or for new staff orientation.

SLO S D EFINED Student Learning Outcomes are the desired results of a student upon completing your class, program, service, or the College. SLO statements have been established by faculty and staff for: Courses Programs Degrees Certificates Institution (GE)

W HERE D O I FIND THESE SLO S ? Course SLOs are published in the Course Outline of Records. CORs are found on Curricunet. Program, degree, and certificate SLOs were first established in Cycle Two of your Program Review report. They may also be found within the electronic RC Catalog and on Blackboard (Bb). Institutional outcomes (hereafter referred to as GELOS) may be found on the College website and on Bb.

SLO DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT Although this activity is an accreditation-driven requirement, to have the practice meaningful and just it must be a faculty and staff-lead endeavor.

W HAT IS MEANT BY “ ACCREDITATION - DRIVEN ”? We must be at the "proficiency" level with our Learning Outcomes by The ACCJC/WASC defines proficiency as: Student learning outcomes and authentic assessment are in place for courses, programs and degrees. Results of assessment are being used for improvement and further alignment of institution-wide practices. There is widespread institutional dialogue about the results. Decision-making includes dialogue on the results of assessment and is purposefully directed toward improving student learning. Appropriate resources continue to be allocated and fine-tuned. Comprehensive assessment reports exist and are completed on a regular basis. Course student learning outcomes are aligned with degree student learning outcomes. Students demonstrate awareness of goals and purposes of courses and programs in which they are enrolled.

I S THIS THE ONLY REASON WE ARE DOING THIS ? Besides collecting data for external accountability, the positive outcomes from assessment include: Keeping our focus on a student-centered environment Creating an atmosphere beyond assessment (which implies an end) to an atmosphere of ongoing dialogue, adjustment, and creativity Giving departments a framework to re-examine how students move through a series of courses Giving us more specific feedback on how effective we are with student learning Creating opportunities to discuss best teaching practices among full-time and part-time faculty Helping students see the relevance in and connections between their classes Strengthening student success

I HAVE DETERMINED MY SLO S, SO NOW WHAT ? Complete and submit an Assessment timeline for your courses and/or programs in your program folder. Complete each step of the assessment process as you have determined in your timeline.

W HAT KINDS OF ASSESSMENT SHOULD I PLAN AND COMPLETE ? See the various workshop presentations and resources on Bb, including: J. Fulks and B. Pacheco’s “Assessment– The Possibilities and Best Practices,” “Assessment Glossary,” Liz Clark’s “Classroom Assessment Techniques,” Duty Day workshop presentations, and “Assessment Plan Template.”

W HAT ELSE SHOULD I BE DOING TO ENSURE THIS PROCESS IS MEANINGFUL ? Talk with your colleagues (on your campus and at other sites). Keep an open mind to what you may discover about you and your program. Celebrate your successes; improve upon any weaknesses.

O KAY, I HAVE COMPLETED AN ASSESSMENT AND ANALYZED THE DATA. N OW WHAT ? Complete and submit to your Bb folder an Assessment report for your course and/or program according to your Assessment Timeline. View the “Evaluation Discoveries and Closing the Loop” handout for guidance. Begin another assessment cycle.

W HAT OTHER EVIDENCE SHOULD I BE POSTING TO EXHIBIT THIS IS MEANINGFUL AND REACH THE PROFICIENCY LEVEL ? Be sure the following is given to your program’s recorder to be posted within your program’s folder: SLO Mapping document, seeing how your courses and/or program align with the College’s GELOs. Evidence of your dialogue with colleagues ( exchanges, agendas, etc.) Assessment tools (rubrics, surveys, etc.)

H OW DOES SLO ASSESSMENT TIE IN WITH P ROGRAM R EVIEW ? Where Cycle Two of PR established PLOs, Cycle Three reports asks for a summary of assessment discoveries and subsequent action plan (questions #11 and #12 of the Assessment Reporting form). The PR Annual Progress Report also asks for an assessment results update.

H OW DOES SLO ASSESSMENT TIE IN TO BUDGET DECISIONS ? Resource Action Plan Proposals (RAPPs) ask for: “identification of the issue, evidence, recommendations developed as a result of program review and student learning outcomes assessment,” meaning budget decisions will need data-driven support showing program need.

H OW DO WE KNOW WE ARE MEETING PROFICIENCY LEVEL ? Semesterly GELO Assessment Summary Reports Degree Assessment Summary Reports GELO Graduate Survey results “Characteristics of Institutional Effectiveness in SLOs” as a full record of activities

R EFERENCES All documents referred to in this guide may be found on the SLO and Assessment Blackboard site. For further information, please contact: Eileen Apperson, SLO Coordinator (RC) or Erik Fritz, SLO Coordinator (NC)